Episode #145 Understanding Puppy Growling

Has your pup been growling when you pick them up? Well, fear not, it's a typical canine behaviour and we're here to guide you through it. Unravelling the mysteries of puppy growling, we'll help you interpret their body language and identify those telltale signs of stress such as yawning, lip licking, or turning away. Remember, your furry friend is simply trying to communicate with you and it's essential that we understand this language to prevent a nip or bite.

Chapters

• 0:00 Understanding and Addressing Puppy Growling
• 9:20 Online Program Support and Puppy Training

Transcript

Puppy Growling

Hi everyone! Today we are talking about growling - does your dog or puppy growl? Today we will discuss why and what you can do about it. 

But first, how was your summer? Mine was super busy! I have three teenagers - which by the way - is incredible. For any of you who dread teenagers - whether they are human or canine - good news! It CAN be amazing. I love them. It is so great to see their perspectives on life, laugh with them, joke around, go do activities I like to do as well (you know the things that are harder to do with littles….) teenagers are fun! Even dog teenagers can be fun. I promise.

Now it’s back to school time and I am getting back to podcasting for the online puppy school. I’m excited to get going again and LOVE talking dogs with you. 

If you are new here, welcome! You can learn all about The Online Puppy School by visiting my site, baxterandbella.com and click the LEARN MORE button. Also, follow me on instagram, Facebook and YouTube @baxterandbella. We have been working hard at building a YouTube presence with short video training clips you may access for no cost at all. Check it out! 

One of my favorite things to do here on the podcast is answer your questions about your dogs and things you are experiencing. Today I received a question about a puppy who growls every time they are picked up, whether by the mom or the daughter in the home. 

It is pretty common for people to think a new puppy will love to be picked up, cuddled, snuggled, loved on like a stuffed animal - but reality is most puppies do not like those things. It is helpful to remember our dogs are living breathing creatures with minds of their own. It is important to speak dog, if you will, and understand what your dog is saying to you through their body language and vocalizations. Usually a dog will speak with their body first, and vocalizations second. Knowing this, if we listen to what they are saying with their body, it is rare that a growl or snarl is their first choice in communication. 

In this case, the family sent me a video of their puppy being held in an upright position. Watching the clip, I could tell right away the dog was unhappy in that position. The person’s hands were holding the dog up underneath their front legs so the puppy was restricted in movement. The dog looked side to side repeatedly, yawning a few times showing they were doing their best to handle the situation while also saying they were unhappy about it. 

Signs like yawning, turning their head to the side, lip licking, a shake off when not wet and other things all let us know the dog is feeling some sort of stress and is trying to manage it. Listening would be seeing one or more of these signs and changing up what is happening. For example, if I’m holding my dog in an upright position and I see them yawn, I would set them down and see if their body language changes for the better. I do not wait for them to growl or snarl. Same thing if I notice they are licking their lips, flattening their ears or turning their head away. If i ignore these signs, most likely my dog will start to growl - escalating their efforts to say, “Hey! I’m not happy here. Please put me down.” 

The worry is if we ignore the body language and the growl, a snap or bite comes next. A typical reaction would be an airsnap, where the dog bites at the air snapping their jaws together - they are not missing the mark, they are trying to be nice. The final step would be a bite - saying, “I mean business. Put me down.” 

Listening to our dogs when they are whispering (meaning they use body language) avoids the escalated unpleasant situations of growling, snarling, air snapping and biting. 

Truly the efforts we put forth in reading our dog’s body language is time well spent and valuable to our happiness in living with a dog. 

So my first response to this question is to learn dog body language. We teach a class on this topic and coach people one-on-one via zoom to recognize what their dog is telling them through a training session. 

The next suggestion was to recognize the fact that their dog doesn’t love being picked up - knowing that this is a behavior pattern they see common to being picked up. We can help this dog see being picked up more positively by pairing the action with a reward this dog loves. For example, if this dog loves turkey, every time I reach for them, I can offer a small piece of turkey as I lift them up. The timing eventually changes to pick up the puppy, deliver the turkey. This helps the dog anticipate the turkey when they are picked up and hence they may start to get excited about being picked up, knowing a piece of turkey will follow. This is classical conditioning. We are creating a positive association between being picked up and getting a piece of delicious food. 

Timing is important. Note, if I feed this dog the turkey, then reach to pick them up - they will anticipate getting turkey means they will be picked up - something they don’t like - and may start to not like turkey. Very fascinating how behavior works. But so fun. 

Okay, so take aways from today? Learn your dog’s body language. What are they trying to tell you and are you willing to listen? I love having a relationship with my dog - not being their drill sergeant. We teach you all about building a bond with your dog, with respect being shown both to you and to your dog - inside our online program. My team of trainers and I would love to help you with an issue you are currently facing. 

Have a wonderful week you guys! Go live life with your dog. Remember why you chose to get a dog in the first place and build on that. Happy training.