![]() ![]() Virtually all wild animals are aggressive when guarding their territories, defending their offspring and protecting themselves. The term “aggression” refers to a wide variety of behaviors that occur for a multitude of reasons in various circumstances. It’s also the number-one reason why pet parents seek professional help from behaviorists, trainers and veterinarians. Need help? Call our free pet behavior help line at (503) 416-2983.Aggression is the most common and most serious behavior problem in dogs. Please contact our training department for assistance. Once your dog has received a clean bill of health, a one-on-one private session with a certified professional dog trainer can help you make sense of your dog’s growly behavior. If growling is a new behavior or if you are unable to establish what the stressors or triggers are, schedule a vet exam to rule out a medical cause. Prevention can go a long way toward avoiding potentially stressful situations for your dog and the people interacting with him. Not only will the kids learn how to interact with a dog, your dog will get to have a positive experience with small children. Once you are able to focus on him with the kids, take the opportunity to teach them how your dog likes to be petted. If the weather is nice, perhaps he can hang out in your yard. If you are making a meal or catching up with your friends, put your dog in his crate or leave him in your bedroom with his bed and a stuffed Kong. Using the scenario we outline above, if you know that your dog has never been around small children, it will be less stressful for everyone if your dog stays in his crate when you are unable to supervise. Instead of grabbing his collar to move him off your bed, squeak your dog’s favorite toy and ask him to fetch. If you’re trying to groom your dog, have your partner distract him with treats while you clean his ears. ![]() Help your dog not feel like he needs to growl. Or, like in our example, he was feeling uncomfortable with a child’s behavior. Perhaps you leaned over him or inadvertently stepped on his tail. If the dog is new to you, maybe you got too close, too soon. When a dog growls, immediately stop what you are doing. This perception of danger and increase in stress can prompt an escalation in defensive behaviors. If you use punishment, your dog will be apprehensive about you because of your out-of-character behavior, he’ll be really worried about children, and he’ll be worried about using his communication tool.Īnother unfortunate result of punishing a growl is that it can confuse and alarm a dog to the point that he feels threatened. Next time, he won’t think it’s safe to warn with a growl and his behavior could escalate. In the scenario above, punishing your dog for growling will not only confirm that when children are around terrible things happen to him (the punishment), but it will also negatively impact his perception of how you act toward him (you punished him) when kids are present. What NOT to Doĭon’t make the mistake of punishing your dog for growling. ![]() It’s time to examine why your dog felt the need to growl: the kids pat him too hard on the head and you’ve had to ask them several times not to hug him. Thinking back, you remember seeing some subtle signs, you now realize that your dog hasn’t really been able to settle since they arrived. The first two days pass without any problems, but on the third day your dog growls at the kids when they run up to pet him. Children are new for your dog, so you have to keep a close watch. Here’s an example: Your friends and their small children are staying with you for a week. The feeling we’ve all had of, “Okay, that does it!” This feeling goes for dogs as well. We’ve all experienced that “final straw” state that can push us over the edge. Stressors are cumulative and add up for dogs just as they do for us. A growl may not be a reaction to just one event or the last thing that happened. The “final straw” state is one humans share with dogs. A growl is the most effective tool a dog has to alert you to his discomfort. A growl can communicate fear, pain, or discomfort in various stressful situations that continue beyond the dog’s ability to cope. Why Dogs GrowlĪ dog will growl to draw your attention, immediately. A dog who is punished for growling may stop – but may resort to snarling, snapping or biting to communicate. This audible warning signal is a very effective way for dogs to keep the peace and a way for a dog to communicate when he is feeling uncomfortable. Community Veterinary Hospital (Portland)Īlthough no one wants to hear their dog growl, it’s important to keep in mind what a crucial communication tool it is for dogs. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |