Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Exactly Why Do Puppies Growl

By Wendon Lee


When a puppy growls, even human beings can be frightened. And that is precisely why some puppies do growl. They use it as a means of warning and an expression of aggression, an instinct left over from their wolf ancestors who growled to keep away other harmful creatures. Puppies do sometimes engage in a sort of "playful" growling when involved in vigorous and competitive games, like pulling on one end of a blanket while you pull on the other. Whilst there is certainly commonly no mistaking it for the real factor, even this sort of growling shouldn't be kept up for too lengthy just before you stop to let your puppy calm down. In virtually all other instances, growling is often a habit you do not want your puppy to obtain into.

A typical motivation for your puppy's growling is an approaching stranger (human or canine) which prompts your puppy to let the intruder know he is entering your puppy's "turf." Yet another growl is intended to safeguard one thing of value to your puppy, like his food, if he is concerned that another creature wants to steal it.

(A dog that has just grow to be a brand new mother might growl to defend one thing truly useful: her babies.) And as aggressive as a growl can sound, sometimes it can be really an expression of fear of imminent physical danger on the component of the puppy. Usually speaking, the lower the growl, the far more likely it is a warning that a bite is imminent, in particular if the growl is lengthy, the puppy's body is stiff, and he is seeking straight into the eyes of the individual or animal he is confronting.

The one common aspect of all such non-playful growls is that none of them must be tolerated. As is the case with so many puppy complications, punishment for growling will not work. What does work is a sharp "No!" when you have already started employing this word as a command for him to stop whatever behavior he is engaging in that you do not like. When the growling ceases, a warm "Good Dog!" would then be appropriate. If he seems to be growling as a result of a particular fear or concern, you may investigate it at that point, but only right after you may have gotten the growling to quit.

If the growling persists, you might take into account a expert trainer who has expertise dealing with what is perhaps probably the most difficult puppy behavior to correct.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment