Never Punish Your Dog for Growling
Tule growled at a dog today, and that’s okay.
Today while I was working with Tule, something happened. A dog approached us displaying really upfront and excited behaviors and iffy body language. The dog was straining on leash to get to us, and we were in a crowded space. Before I could duck out of the way the owner lets the dog run up to Tule who is now trapped with nowhere to go. Before I could ask the owner to pull their dog back Tule growled and let out a single (but loud) bark. Luckily, the human took the hint and took their dog away, as I apologized.
So what was my response as a dog trainer? Praise Tule. If I had had food on me I would have rewarded her with treats. (I know, I know. I should have bad food rewards! I mess up too.) Are you clutching your pearls yet? Let me explain. She felt uncomfortable (unfamiliar dog rushing up to her rudely when she was cornered), and told all involved that she was uncomfortable in an appropriate manner. She made the choice to growl instead of snapping or biting. This is a choice that should be rewarded, yet as humans, we often choose not to because it feels counterintuitive. So let’s break it down.
When dogs growl most pet parents’s first response is to scold or fuss at the dog. In our minds, growling is being aggressive and we want the dog to learn that being aggressive is wrong. However, dogs aren’t able to comprehend this information in this way. Most likely, the dog learns that GROWLING is wrong, NOT aggression itself. Do you see the problem yet? Dogs growl as a warning. A warning that means, “I am uncomfortable and if you continue I will protect myself.” Punishing dogs for growling leads them to stop growling! The vast majority of people recognize a dog’s growl as a warning, but don’t understand dog body language enough to pick up on any of the other visual cues the dog is giving us to show their discomfort. If dogs can’t effectively warn us, we can’t stop our behavior or decrease their stress level and bites happen much more and seemingly without warning. This is a very dangerous situation.
Do I want these types of incidents to happen in the future? Of course not. I want all of our dogs to have positive interactions with other animals and humans too. I will always do my best to manage the situation to prevent behaviors or to make sure the dog feels comfortable and is consenting to what is happening. However, management fails. I make mistakes too. I should have spoken up sooner when I first saw the dog’s body language as they ran up. The list goes on and on, but we all just do the best that we can and try to learn.
As you work with and learn with your dog, keep that warning system in place. NEVER punish a growl. I tell my clients, “if your dog growls at you, stop doing what you are doing. Don’t fuss at or punish the dog. Get everyone in safe positions and call me.” Not punishing the growl doesn’t mean that we are ignoring problem behaviors, we just need to figure out and focus on the root cause and not just the symptoms. If your dog is showing signs of aggression please contact me or another qualified force free professional.