When your dog suddenly growls at a family member, it’s usually an uncomfortable situation for everyone. Children in particular often find it difficult to cope with it.
In this article you will find out how you should deal with your dog’s growling at family members and what the causes of the growling can be.
My Dog Growls at a Family Member – Causes
When your dog growls at a family member, it doesn’t have to be a threatening gesture. So is your dog not necessarily aggressive.
Our four-legged friends cannot communicate with words like we can, so they use theirs body language return. This also includes barking or even growling.
Thus, your dog’s growl can be a form of warning or caution to your family member.
But what can cause the growling?
Pains
If you hear your dog growling while playing or petting, you can click here Pains due to illness or injury be the trigger.
Your dog may have injured himself the last time you went for a walk or while playing and reacts to touch the painful spot with a growl.
Here you should find out which part of your dog’s body is affected and look out for other symptoms. limping or getting up hesitantly are such side effects.
Danger:
If you can’t see any injuries on the outside, you should continue to monitor your dog for a while and, if in doubt, consult the veterinarian.
dominance behavior
Straight growing or pubescent dogs Family members often want to compete for rank in the pack or test their limits.
Most often, growling occurs towards children. Your dog’s growl shows that he sees himself above the children in the ranking.
Sometimes the dog will also growl and bark at the partner.
A loud and dominant «No» from you or the affected family member can already help here and should always be done at the beginning of the growl.
frustration
The whole family loves the dog and they all mean well. Too good sometimes. Because often the four-legged friend does not want to be petted, but simply left alone.
the dog petting while he eats is often a stupid idea that is answered with growls.
Likewise, the whole family should respect if your dog simply wants to sleep or rest in the sun.
If your dog growls to express that he wants to be left alone, that’s an understandable reaction, because we humans don’t like to be disturbed while eating or sleeping and sometimes react aggressively if someone doesn’t comply.
Fear
Your dog is dozing and your child or partner drops something while passing by. Your dog is startled, awakens from a doze and growls.
This scenario can happen at any time. Understandably, when your dog is startled, it will be briefly afraid.
There’s little you can do about it, other than be more careful in the future.
However, fear or insecurity can also have other causes.
If a family member rings the doorbell and your dog growls, it’s likely that the growl isn’t aimed at the family member, but that they’re afraid of the doorbell.
In this example, you should observe whether your dog’s behavior also applies to other people, such as the postman.
With this knowledge, you can gradually sensitize your dog to the doorbell.
Other anxiety-provoking examples would be when your kids come up to the dog on their bikes or skateboards and stop abruptly.
The anxious growl is aimed less at the children and more at the toys that your dog sees as a threat.
How should the affected family member behave when the dog growls?
To answer this question, one should first be clear about the cause of growling.
If the dog growls while playing, it could be in pain. Children in particular often unconsciously overdo it when romping around and cause pain to the dog.
If this happens repeatedly, it can lead to the dog growling at the child as a warning, so to speak.
You should therefore make it clear to your children that a dog also feels pain and sensitize them accordingly to dealing with their four-legged friend accordingly.
When your dog growls, it is expressing discomfort, pain, or fear. Your family member should therefore stop the activity that triggers the growling and withdraw.
If your dog growls from dominance behavior, it would be good to put the dog in its place with a clear «no».
This usually affects young dogs, but also adult dogs that have just come into a family.
At the latest when family members start banging along with the growling, simply saying no is no longer enough.
Here the dog should be put in its place and ignored for a short time.
Your dog must accept the hierarchy in its pack, your family. Yelling or even physical violence are completely superfluous.
What can I do if the dog growls at my family?
As the leader of the pack, it is your job to teach your dog what rank he has in your family.
There are no universally applicable instructions to break the habit of growling. Your parenting style should definitely be non-violent, but consistent and assertive.
Beginners in particular are often overwhelmed by this question. A dog school or dog trainer can help you train your dog.
Of course, a dog is not a teddy bear that you can use to play with whatever you like. You should sensitize your family to the concerns and privacy of your dog.
If your dog wants to eat, rest or sleep, it is not playtime or petting time.
Interestingly, it is often not the children who are annoying the dog, but adult family members.
Good to know:
Most dogs often have a higher tolerance level towards children than towards adults.
Is the growl always meant in a bad way?
As previously discussed, growling is part of dog body language. You’re saying «don’t do that», «that hurts me» or «leave me alone“.
If these statements are tolerated, it has nothing to do with aggression. In fact, these are completely normal reactions.
However, growling can also develop into snapping or even biting if the cause of the growling is not eliminated.
That’s why you and your family shouldn’t take growling lightly.
However, there is also one pleasant growl. However, this is easy to distinguish from the growl of discomfort. For example, if your dog doesn’t pull up its lips and lies on its back when it growls.
Conclusion
If your dog growls at family members, you should not discipline your dog immediately. Rather, you should identify the cause and act accordingly.
Growling is a rather harmless means of showing that I don’t like something. Punishing your dog because a family member does things your dog doesn’t like would be the wrong approach.
Have you had experiences similar to those described in the article or have something to add? We look forward to your comment!