By Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, for the Whole Dog Journal
Dogs growl for a number of reasons — and you should be thankful that they do!
In the old-fashioned dog training world, generally all growling was perceived as bad – an aggressive threat. Anything that elicited a growl from a dog was bad, too, which is why many dog owners have been warned against playing tug with their dogs – because it encourages aggression, as evidenced by the dog’s growls. I give myself a mental smack on the forehead every time I hear this; it’s inconceivable to me that some dog training “professionals” still perpetuate this myth despite all the evidence to the contrary. My clients are invariably thrilled when I give them permission – no, encourage them – to play tug with their dogs.
Modern trainers know that dogs growl for a variety of reasons, and that all growling communicates important information to an educated dog owner.