Why do dogs growl and what to do about it?

Every owner wants the dog to be obedient and not inconvenient. With proper upbringing, this can be achieved in most cases, but sometimes it happens that the animal at some points changes its line of behavior. Growling for no apparent reason becomes especially unpleasant and frightening. Let's try to figure out why this is happening and what should be done in this situation.

Growling is a sign that the dog is unhappy with something. As a rule, a similar process is accompanied by other actions: the animal bares its teeth, holds its tail, the look becomes angry. This can happen, for example, during hygiene procedures, when a dog, unaccustomed to brushing ears or teeth from childhood, begins to get mad, showing with all his appearance that he does not intend to tolerate such actions.

Growling at the owner is the result of improper upbringing. It means that the dog feels like a leader, and the owner is not an authority for him. Such dogs are most often spoiled, they are allowed a lot, most pets do not cost anything to beg for food from the table. Do not be surprised that such dogs will growl and grin when you take a bowl, bone or toy from them.

Dogs that growl at guests can cause fewer people to visit your house, because no one wants to sit for several hours, feeling an evil look on them. Thus, dogs assert themselves, show that this is their territory. Such behavior should not be allowed, otherwise the dog will eventually begin to growl not only at those present in the house, but also at other people on the street.Dogs especially do not like those who are drunk. There are cases when animals barked and pounced even on their owners, if they were drunk.

Competition can be another reason for the roar. For example, another animal lives with a dog in an apartment or house, no matter who it will be. A dog that seeks to show its superiority will constantly growl at another dog or cat. The solution is to buy both animals as children so they can grow up together. It is also worth remembering that some dog breeds do not tolerate rivals at all and may even bite them. Such breeds include, for example, pit bulls.

Aggression of a person towards a dog generates a response anger. If the owner allows himself to shout at the animal or beat him, it is simply ridiculous to wait for obedience from the dog. Such a dog will growl very often: when you stroke it, when you touch it, while playing. Such a roar means that the animal does not feel safe, it is alarmed, waiting for a new cry.

Food aggression is also very common among dogs. An improperly raised dog will growl and grin when a person approaches him while eating. If you try to pick up the bowl while the dog is eating, the animal may bite. Such dogs behave badly even at the moment when they are given a treat from their hands: they grab the fingers, squeeze them with their teeth. The dog, of course, does not give up the bone either, and attempts to take it away can end in failure.

Disease is what causes pain and suffering to the dog. Symptoms may not yet appear visually, but the animal already senses that something is wrong. Growling in this case is accompanied by attempts to hide, somewhere to lie down, the dog eats without appetite, does not want to drink, can go to the toilet in the house. If even one of the symptoms is obvious, the animal should be shown to the veterinarian.

Many owners notice that their animals began to growl for absolutely no reason, and the change in behavior seemed to them abrupt. In fact, this is not the case. An animal is not a person, it cannot instantly lose its peace of mind, lose control, and so on. If the dog growls at you for no apparent reason, it means that you missed something in his upbringing, because there is no unreasonable roar.

Dominant behavior in a dog does not appear immediately. First, the animal will look closely at you, evaluate, trying to understand whether you can be manipulated. If you miss these "assessments" and ignore them, relying on their own suspiciousness, the animal will understand that the place of the leader must be taken by him and urgently.

At first, while the dog is looking closely at you, he will not bark or growl, all these lines of behavior will appear much later. To determine that the dog has already taken the place of the leader in the house, you should pay attention to the following nuances:

• the animal comes to sleep in your bed; if you try to push it out, growl will follow immediately;
• when you are in close proximity, while the dog is eating, he will not like it either; in addition, the dog can even pull food out of the bowl and carry it somewhere in the room;
• if guests come to the house, the animal begins to growl; it is difficult to calm him down, take him to another room;
• during a walk, such a dog will feel in charge; she will not walk alongside, she will constantly run forward and pull on the leash;
• the animal can listen to the owner, but will growl at other family members, especially children, which means that she has recognized the owner as an authority, but other people are empty space for her; dogs growl at children if you often yell at them yourself;
• when the dog plays, he will behave obsessively, not allowing you to deviate from the rules set by him personally; if you try to distract himself during the game, the animal will notify of his displeasure with a dull roar; in addition, many dogs are forgotten, especially during tug-of-the-rope games.

Many owners are frightened when the dog for no apparent reason begins to growl into the void, especially at night. It is not worth explaining this by paranormal phenomena. For example, most people believe that an unreasonable roar and eyes staring at one point are a clear sign that a poltergeist, a ghost, a brownie and other evil spirits have wound up in the house.

Most likely, the dog could see some kind of insect, its attention was attracted by a speck of dust. And also do not forget that dogs, unlike cats, see poorly in the dark. Therefore, a chair with clothes, which the dog recognized in the darkness as an incomprehensible and very frightening object, is quite capable of causing a dull and long roar.

There is no cause for concern if the dog starts to growl while sleeping. Dogs often have vivid, but short-lived dreams. If the animal saw something terrible in a dream or it is chasing prey, you will hear a roar. In addition, twitching of the limbs can be observed. Some dogs even begin to make rapid movements with their paws as during a run, and then wake up, jumping up abruptly, and look around in dumbfoundedness.

Before embarking on the process of re-education, you should clearly define what is the reason for the roar. If it is a disease, it will be quite easy to solve the problem here. It will be much more difficult to put in the place of a matured and insolent dog. Experts have developed several rules that will have to be followed rigorously.

Food aggression in animals develops for the reason that the schedule and regimen of food intake were not initially normalized. There are a few rules worth paying attention to.

• The dog should not be fed before you and all your family members eat. There should be an animal when your command sounds. If your dog growls, hold on to the tip of the bowl. Any dissatisfaction with food intake should be suppressed.
• Don't let your dog eat from your table. If you give food just once, the animal will beg for it endlessly. And the point here is not in the greed of the owners, but in the fact that most of the food from the table is harmful for the dogs. In addition, the abundance of food very quickly leads to dominant behavior.
• Do not be alarmed or move away from the dog if it growls. Your fear will lead the dog to think that it is very easy to scare you away with a light warning.

Many owners often confuse attention with affection and lisp. The dog needs attention, it should be a lot. It is expressed in daily walks, games, training, you can talk to an animal, even just be silent, being around. Excessive love is another matter. Some owners, especially women, do not know the measure, expressing love for the pet. They squeeze him, kiss him, hug him constantly. This can sometimes be done, but such manifestations should be dosed, since the dog does not perceive affection as a person.

A dog is an animal that learns from its mistakes. Therefore, in upbringing you need to use the "carrot and stick" method. For each command executed, the dog is encouraged with a delicacy, for failure to comply, it is punished. Punishments in no way should be physical - it is forbidden to beat the dog, and you cannot shout. The owner should express his displeasure in a calm, confident tone.

The "wolf pack" method will help to calm down the raging pet. In the wild, the leader wolf presses the rebel to the ground, slightly strangling it. You can use this technology too. Press the dog to the floor, holding it lightly by the neck. If resistance continues, the animal is lifted and held in a dangling position until the dog has finished growling and discontent.

Also, feel free to ask for help. Today there are many courses that teach behavior with dogs. You can also consult with professional dog handlers and bring your animal for training. Experts will not only conduct all the necessary trainings, but also tell you all aspects of the animal's behavioral lines, and also give recommendations on how to continue raising it at home. It is very important to organize the re-education process so that all family members participate in it, only then can obedience be achieved from the dog.

To prevent anger and aggressive attitude towards people, including towards the owner, the puppy must be raised as soon as he appears in the house. It is much more difficult to cope with an adult dog. Consider a few recommendations that will help you raise your four-legged friend so that he brings only positive emotions to the owners.

• The animal must have an equipped resting place. It can be a comfortable, comfortable bed, where the dog will be pleased to be. During the day, the dog may move, for example, he wants to lie down at the feet of the owner or near the battery. All this is allowed, you cannot just let the dog climb onto your bed. Such attempts are stopped immediately. And also the dog must understand that window sills and tables are also forbidden places.
• Feed the dog at the same time, do not allow him to eat, if you yourself have not eaten yet. The animal must have its own diet.
• Be sure to use a reasonable amount of energy by taking your dog for long, intense walks. Without wasting energy, the dog becomes naughty and aggressive. It is recommended to walk with any dog ​​for at least an hour twice a day.
• From the very first days, teach your puppy to be hygienic: cleaning ears, teeth, eyes, washing paws, combing hair. If the procedures are carried out constantly and on a regular basis, the pet will not respond inappropriately. If the dog still growls or bit you, you should not shout, wave your arms. Slightly pinch the dog's nose with your index and thumb, and, holding it in this position, clearly show your displeasure. After that, you can continue the procedures.
• Control the games that you play with your pet. If the dog begins to growl, play should be stopped immediately. The same will need to be done if the animal barks. Come close to the dog and say the command "No" in a confident voice. The game should not be restarted.

Also, it's worth noting that dogs are different. There are good-natured animals, for example, labradors, collies, huskies, it is easier and safer to train them, and it is much easier to re-educate them in adulthood. More stubborn dogs, such as a bull terrier, a Doberman, or a Rottweiler, are not suitable for soft people; here even a strong-willed person will not always succeed.

And remember that as soon as the dog starts to growl at you or you notice that its behavior is changing in strange ways from day to day, you cannot postpone the search for the reasons. The further you ignore the dog, the less trust there will be in your relationship.

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