Sudden pressure on the lead can increase their anxiety, as they may feel restricted and unable to move. For example, if you see a person and suddenly tighten the lead and change your behaviour, this may indicate to your dog that something is about to happen and make them more alert. It's also important to think about what you are doing on a walk. Stay calm and try not to pull on the lead You might find that your dog is okay while somebody is walking away from them, but if they come straight towards your dog, they may find it scarier and struggle more.
Try to keep a diary and watch your dog carefully when you're on walks to identify any patterns in the people they struggle the most with and the distances at which they start to find it difficult to cope. The more relaxed they are, the smaller the bubble will be and the more that they can cope with, but if lots of stressful things have happened, the bubble might get bigger, and they might not be able to cope even when they see somebody at a bigger distance. Each dog's bubble will be a different size and their bubble will change in size throughout the day depending on how calm or relaxed they are. To do this, imagine your dog has a bubble of personal space around them. It’s useful to understand the smallest distance from a person that your dog is happy with. If they're not already comfortable with them, take a look at our advice on getting your dog used to wearing a muzzle. We would recommend introducing your dog to a Baskerville type muzzle. It is also likely to stop people going straight in to say hello to your dog without asking, which can make them uncomfortable and then trigger a reaction. That extra space can be useful for a dog who's not comfortable with strangers. Consider using a muzzleĪ muzzle often acts as a visual aid to indicate to people that they should give your dog extra space. This might involve safely crossing the road so that strangers don’t try to approach them head-on, walking on quieter routes, or going out at quieter times. When you are out on walks, try to maintain the distance from people that your dog is comfortable with. This will help to prevent the behaviour from getting worse and hopefully avoid your dog learning that reacting works and makes people move away. The first thing to do is try to minimise the number of situations where your dog encounters people and feels the need to react. If the issue persists, see your vet about the issue or consider formal training.View the audio transcript for this video Try to avoid situations with lots of strangers By teaching him the rules of the house, he will know where he fits in and how and that he cannot get whatever it is that he wants by growling at you or snapping at you. Make sure that walks are taken often to keep him exercised, but that he heels and walks at your pace and doesn’t rush in front of you to get through doors or outside. Make sure he is not allowed on furniture unless invited up onto it, or allowed into a certain room without being invited. This is the same as a dog begging or crying to get what he wants, but because snapping could lead to biting, rules for the dog in the house need to be tighter. If the growling and snapping is becoming a real problem, it is possible that your dog does not have enough rules, therefore he is acting out because he knows he will most likely get what it is that he wants. Isolate the action that causes him to growl or snap and control the situation by finding a solution that makes your dog comfortable.Įnforce more rules in the household. The same goes for other instances when your dog barks. When he is finished take the bowl away and let him back out with everyone else.
Make sure that no one goes near him while he eats so that he knows he’s not being threatened, or leave him in a closed room or fenced in area to eat alone. If there is a specific time when your dog growls, for example, when someone goes near his food dish while he’s eating, then you should already be ready to correct the behavior at that time.
He should never be rewarded during the bad behavior, only if it is corrected and stopped.Ĭontrol situations in which bad behavior occurs. When he stops growling, reward him with a “good boy”, or in the beginning, a treat if it’s handy at the exact moment of training so that he knows what he is being rewarded for.
#DOG GROWLING HOW TO#
Regardless of the reason, the behavior has to be stopped before it escalates to biting, so here are a few tips on how to stop your dog from growling and snapping.Ĭorrect growling and snapping right away. Straight off the bat you should be correcting your dog’s growling and/or snapping with a firm “no” at the onset of the behavior. If your dog is growling or snapping, maybe both, it could be due to aggressive tendencies, or it could be the only way he knows how to communicate a certain feeling.
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