Growling is to be expected for a puppy or dog, especially if you are playing a game like tug of war with him. However, it’s also a sign of aggression and can be a sign the dog may bite – so be careful!
You need to be aware if the growling is appropriate or inappropriate. If your puppy or dog is eating or playing with a toy and growls when you get close, that isn’t behavior you can tolerate. Your dog is being aggressive.
If the growling just starts out of the blue, you should take the puppy or dog to the vet to to ascertain if there is a medical reason.
Growling can be a signal that your dog is trying to position himself as the alpha dog or pack leader. So, the next thing you check is that you are positioning yourself as the pack leader in your home. Once these dominance issues are solved,many other problems will disappear.
To set yourself as the alpha dog, the NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) approach should be taken up. This approach means that you ask your dog to do something before you give him anything. This includes that you must not allow your dog to demand your attention. If you permit him to demand attention, you have lost dominance. Just ignore him when he demands attention. You choose when to give him attention. If he presses you even more you must not give in or all you have gained is lost.
With NILIF the whole family needs to be consistent.
So, for example, you ask your dog to sit quietly before you place his food down or before take him out for a walk. Don’t allow your dog to offer a behavior before you ask for it - that doesn’t count.
Make sure that when leaving the house, you walk through the door first. You can let your dog see you eating a small snack like a biscuit before you put down his food since the alpha dog eats first. You are only required to do this for a couple of weeks to position yourself as the pack leader.
Everyone in the household needs to engage in this activity to position them higher in the hierarchy than your puppy or dog.
The pack leader makes his bed on higher ground, so do not permit your dog to get on your bed if you want to be more dominant.
You should do regular training in obedience with your puppy or dog. Make the training sessions short and fun. This will start you on the path to a better behaved dog.
Read more about stopping your puppy growling and other aggressive behavior in dogs.
