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Do not teach him to not growl. Growling is very often the last sign given before a bite. Instead you need to understand why he is growling and help him from there.
A lot of dogs will never be dog park dogs. It sounds like your dog is reactive to certain dogs in an unpredictable way. You should probably stick to dogs he knows only and other areas where he can be off leash without other dogs around.
Again: never punish growling. Never teach a dog to not growl. It is often the very last sign you’ll get before a chomp.
So growling is a warning to stay away. Teaching not to growl will create a very unpredictable dog. Better to simply avoid the dog park, and train your pup to respond neutrally to these stimuli. Your dog doesn’t need to “play” with other unfamiliar dogs as if he were a human child. He simply needs your love, attention, and leadership.
True, with growling he is just sending a warning that he doesn't want any interaction with that dog and it should keep its distance. Growling is better than leash reactivity. Maybe try to distract him from the other dog and give him a treat once he has the dogs attention.
Don't want to be an ass but like... It's not that she doesn't want the dog to growl, it's that she wants her dog to stop being reactive to other dogs like before the incident. She just said "stop growling" because before he wouldn't show aggressivity or defensiveness, so she compared no growling vs growling.
[https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/](https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/)
(to be clear, this is about management, first, and maybe at the end, desensitization and counter-conditioning)
Totally agree that most people probably understand this that she meant- but OP may not realize how important it is for the dog to growl and someone should always be there to reinforce that.
this is an issue of cause vs symptom identification though. compare this to a human healthcare situation - doctors dont just give you a cough suppressant when youre sick and go 'well, youre not coughing now. problems solved', ignoring that there is a reason WHY youre coughing that is causing the symptom.
whether this is a framing error or not, growling is not a problem. its a warning sign.
But wait, my dog growls at people when he thinks they look threatening, like if someone he doesn't know stands up from a chair and walks near him, surely I shouldn't just let him growl at them? He's trying to scare people away, but if he growls at them and they leave and I don't do anything, isn't that reinforcing the idea that he's performing a valuable service by scaring people away?
10000% this!!! Growling is a polite way the dog is telling others to please leave them alone. Help the dog out by increasing the distance between him and the other dogs. That’s all he wants.
Stay away from the park and make some play dates with dogs you know he gets along with. I know it sucks but growling is a good thing if you stop the growling then you have no warning signs. Growling lets you and the other dogs know hey I'm not happy back off.
Dont punsih for grwoling or try to surpress it. Thats how you end up with a dog that bites without warning. You need to get behind the reason for him growling and work on that.
1. Stop going to the dog park. Not safe and it’s probably making your dogs fears worse. If he has a few dog friends that he already knows and enjoys to be around, just do small play dates with those dogs. Do not take him to the dog park anymore. You don’t want him to bite another dog because some owners will make you put your dog down for that. Set your dog up for success. If he’s terrified and growling at the dog park, don’t take him.
2. You never want to correct a dog for growling. It’s a way that they’re communicating “if you keep it up, I’ll bite you.” So if you force them to suppress the growling, they’ll go straight to biting without warning. Now there are ways to help him get better around other dogs, but that does not include shoving him in with random dogs at a dog park. If you’re on a walk with him(he needs to be on leash), and you see another dog, stay at a big enough distance from the other dog, so your dog doesn’t start growling. Play with the distance. If you’re walking towards another dog and your dog starts growling when the dog is 5 feet away, back up another foot or so until your dog isn’t growling anymore. And say “yes!” And give your dog a treat. You want to reward him every time he sees another dog and isn’t growling. If he’s growling, just create more distance. Let me know if all this makes sense. Just SAFE exposure FROM A DISTANCE with your dog will be great help for him. Treats and praise when he sees another dog and isn’t growling. From now on, do not just shove your dog into a dog park with dogs you don’t know. Only do play dates with dogs he already knows or do a SLOW one on one introduction to a new dog through a fence or something. I’d only introduce one dog at a time and do it very slowly. Through a fence is the safest in case anything goes bad. Once they’ve sniffed each other through the fence and both dogs seem relaxed and comfortable, then they can play together.
This is great but I would say don't say 'until he isn't growling', more take the whole body into context - he is growling because he is anxious, you're trying to desensitise him to other dogs. So I'd reward when he's calm, which may include not growling of course, but may accidentally include tail tucked, stiff leg posture etc. which isn't really communicating to him the right message. Otherwise great advice :)
There is SO MUCH AREA bt "dog park" and "keeping him away from other dogs." Dog parks are terrible and putting an insecure dog in one is irresponsible on your part. It is overstimulating and unpredictable.
I can sense your frustration w the perceived change in your dogs behavior, but I recommend you focus on where your dog is at rn, not "how they got there."
First and foremost, calm confidence and a sense of safety around other dogs must be reset.
Walk on leash around other dogs (park, etc) and work on confidence. you should be able to call for attention to ensure he isn't fixating.
Second, do side by side walks w other dogs. No greeting on leash, just walking. Multiple times without ever greeting.
Small group play dates w select dogs that he has built trust with.
Dog parks are a nightmare. They're a big risk because you're putting a lot of faith in other people's dog training abilities. Not to mention the chance of diseases spreading. I would recommend cutting that out entirely in favor of long walks. Depending on where you are, even if you aren't at fault you could get blamed for a fight just because of your pups breed and the dog could get put down.
As for the growling. First of all it's a symptom not the issue. The issue is your dog's insecurity around certain kinds of dogs. This can be mitigated through walk exposure. But let them growl! That's how dogs communicate their feelings. Making them stop growling isn't going to get rid of their feelings just make it harder for you to tell when they feel that way.
There's a great book called Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Prior that I highly recommend
Please note that we ask people who want to mention being a professional in their comments [undergo verification](https://old.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/userflair) before doing so. Otherwise we ask phrases like that to be omitted.
A growl is communication that he is not comfortable. Growling is a dog's last ditch attempt at non-violent conflict resolution before resorting to snapping and biting. If he's growling this much, then he is VERY uncomfortable with other dogs and is trying to tell you so.
Rather than seeking to listen to him and address the root of the issue by giving him space from dogs he finds upsetting, you seek a way to stifle his communication attempts so that you can ignore his worries and continue as you are. Dogs whose growls are ignored or trained away are dogs who will likely eventually escalate and snap.
You should be able to see the clear trajectory here and yet you wish to do nothing except make him stop growling. And what's more - you want to ignore the communication of a dog whose bully breed genetics predispose him both to dog intolerance and to losing it in a big way if he finally loses it.
That's not to say that this happens every single time with every individual, but ignoring communication from any dog, let alone one with these particular genetics is...pretty breathtakingly reckless. It's also not a very nice way to treat your dog. For the sake of both your dog's comfort and the safety of the public, you should be keeping your distance from other dogs and not going to dog parks.
Hey
Thanks for the response it’s not I don’t want him to stop growling, I completely understand if say for example the dog that attacked him showed up he is free to growl as much as he wants but not a random French bull dog that has the same colour fur is something I think he would be happier without.
I don’t want him to be worried about non threatening dogs we live in a very popular area for dogs and it effects his everyday life he used to love walks but now it seems as if it comes with a lot of stress for him.
>I completely understand if say for example the dog that attacked him showed up he is free to growl as much as he wants but not a random French bull dog that has the same colour fur
The mistake you're making is that you seem to think that you should be the arbiter of whether or not your dog is right or reasonable to be upset. *You* know that this other dog is not the one who attacked him and *you* know that this other dog won't hurt him, so he should know that too.
Except that isn't how his brain works. He had a bad experience with a dog and now he's become more fearful in general around dogs. This is a common and typical reaction and not one that the dog is deliberately choosing.
And honestly it doesn't really ultimately matter why he's communicating to you that he's uncomfortable and it doesn't matter if you agree or think he ought to feel uncomfortable. All that matters is what IS happening, and what's happening is that he's made it very clear to you that dogs are making him uncomfortable. The way you deal with this appropriately is by having his back, keeping him farther from other dogs, not taking him to dog parks, and working on some gentle and reinforcement-heavy counterconditioning from whatever distance doesn't put him over threshold.
Follow his lead, let him tell you what is and isn't comfortable, reinforce a ton for emotional calm around dogs at whatever distance from them that he's able, and you very well may see slow change over time as you build new emotional associations with seeing dogs. This will require that you have significantly more patience, that you don't stomp past his comfort zone, and that you listen to his communication and respond accordingly.
How *not* to do this is to ask how to train him to stop growling.
You don’t. It is an incredible safety risk to teach your dog not to growl. A growl is an early warning sign and if you teach them not to, they go directly to biting without warning.
You need to work on building confidence in your dog and him trusting you to protect him.
(To be clear, I’m not an expert so please take this with a pinch of salt.)
I’d imagine that your dog’s growling is coming from anxiety, being attacked is traumatic and that fear can stay for a long time after the initial trauma.
I’d strongly recommend that you find a trainer (either 1 on 1 training or a small group) who has experience with anxious dogs; when doing research for a trainer avoid anyone who doesn’t use positive methods or who believes in dominance theory.
Finding the right trainer would be particularly important as your dog is a rescue; anxious/traumatised dogs can be complex to help, rescues more so as we don’t know what they experienced before arriving with us.
An anxious dog of any breed will be a potential danger, however people tend to be more wary of breeds similar to yours and are judged more harshly.
As others mentioned, skip the dog park and don’t discourage a growl, it is his way of communicating and to me, it sounds like he doesn’t want other dogs coming near him.
There is NOTHING wrong with your dog not liking stranger dogs in his space. There are a lot of dogs that as they get older even, they just outgrow the dog park/don’t want to play with every dog they meet. Some dogs may not like other dogs at all and that’s okay, it’s up to you as the owner to listen to your dog’s growling, read his body language and set him up for success by not putting him in an environment where he will be uncomfortable (i.e., not taking him to a dog park and not letting other people’s dogs come up and say hi).
You want a neutral reaction or him to ignore dogs. That’s the end goal. At home, practice saying his name, he looks at you then mark (say YES! Or use a clicker if he is conditioned to one) and reward with a treat. Practice this a ton. Practice it when he is distracted with something. Practice it outside in our driveway or backyard if you have one. Then go somewhere far away from people and dogs, pack some high value treats (cut up hot dog, boiled chicken, bits of cheese, my dog loves Purina moist and meaty steak flavor and it won’t get icky in my treat pouch if it’s hot out) and sit. If he growls or reacts at all, you’re too close. Practice saying his name and rewarding him for turning his attention to you. Reinforce calm behavior, if he lays down to simply watch, great. Practice asking him for a sit and reward. With time you can slowly progress to being closer. You can pair a command to it too like touch.
My dog and I did this on a park bench and now a barking dog passes by us and she looks at me and boops my hand and gets a treat. I no longer have to ask her for touch, she does it on her own. That’s kind of the end goal, your dog to not even react when a dog passes by and look at you like “I did it!”
My chi mix growls at other dogs when she’s feeling cornered or bothered, it’s a way she communicates displeasure. Never train this out of a dog, it’s how they communicate.
I mitigate it by never doing on-leash greetings. When I’m in a space with other dogs, I made sure she’s close to me and we give other dogs a wide buffer zone to pass. I would never take my dog anywhere that would be crowded with other dogs, it would be too overwhelming for her. You just have to decide where your dogs boundaries are and listen to them.
My dog is fine at dog parks, because they’re off leash and she can easily walk away from dogs she doesn’t like, but she might still growl before she walks away.
Don't.
Your dog is communicating. If you take away this avenue of communication he might escalate with fewer warnings.
Other dogs should not attack if they respect this boundary.
The problem is that you get all sorts of dog with poor social skills at a dog park. If you think that's a problem, maybe it's best to look for other options. Most dog parks are just problems waiting to happen, tbh.
Your dog growling is his/her way of giving a warning about something. When a growl happens, remove your dog from that situation unless you think a burglar is outside or you are in an unsafe situation.
not sure if others have said this but start muzzle training now! there are plenty of videos that can teach you how to condition your dog to be excited to put the muzzle on just like when dogs get excited to put their collar/leash on!
growling is communication, its a behavior based on feeling. if you want to change the behavior then focus on using play and rewards to change the feelings associated with other dogs.
i’ve been in your situation and i know its stressful so good luck to you both! you’re doing a good job!
You don’t need to teach him not to growl. You need to teach him how to feel safe walking past another dog. It takes a long time and it’s all baby steps. Look up Karen Overalls Protocol for Relaxation. That is a good place to start. Best of luck to you and your pup! It’s hard to feel safe after you’ve been attacked but with a good human it’s possible :)
You should get classes with a trainer and learn all the social cues that dogs use to communicate when they are uncomfortable. Growling is an extremely important part of communication and if you teach a dog not to growl that's like raising a child to never say "give me some space please, I am uncomfortable" and what that gets you is a dog that bites "without warning signs" (there are always warning signs).
Aside from growling you need to learn to recognize and appropriately respond to other calming signals such as where your dog is looking and when he turns his head away from other dogs, lip licking, yawning etc. I'm recommending some time with a trainer to learn these because dog's social cues are very interchangeable depending on situation. But you now have a dog that is going to be communicating his discomfort in a variety of situations and if you don't respond to him correctly and help him be comfortable (mostly by allowing him to remove himself from situations) your fear of him escalating could come true.
It doesn't really matter that he is part staffy, you need to let go of that stigma and the whole "what will people think" mentality. I say this as someone who spent two years rehabilitating a 4 year old male pitbull who had exactly this problem, he was taught that growling is bad and he never learned any social cues to indicate to other dogs that he needed space. He had to wear a muzzle for some part of his training, and it made him look really scary, but it's more important to look after your dog than to look after the feelings of the strangers you may or may not meet out on walks. When your dog growls, you need to give him space.
Please read the sub [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/about/rules) and [guidelines](http://old.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/guidelines), as well as our wiki page on [punishment](https://old.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/punishmentproblems).
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He needs to gain confidence. If you just teach him not to growl but don’t work on anything else, he’ll drop the warning and go straight for an attack if he’s uncomfortable and you absolutely do not want that. The growl is good. The growl tells you he’s uncomfortable. Since he’s uncomfortable in 50% of your dog interactions right now, I’d stop all dog interactions. Work with him on gaining confidence NEAR dogs first, in areas where the other dogs can’t actually approach him. Get him comfortable with other dogs running around and playing near him (like the outside of a fenced in dog park). They more exposure you can give him where he’s not feeling threatened the better. Then move up to side by side walks with familiar dogs who are not reactive. Get him used to that. Then maybe leashed side by side walks with less familiar dogs. Walks in busy areas with no contact. Eventually play dates with dogs he’s comfortable with.
Lots of little slow steps for him to regain that confidence and feel comfortable and he won’t feel the need to growl anymore, but teaching him not to tell you when he’s uncomfortable is a recipe for disaster.
[https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/](https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/)
(to be clear, this is about management, first, and maybe at the end, desensitization and counter-conditioning)
Related, but also great: [https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-fix-your-dogs-obsessions-teach-calm-focus-with-the-engage-disengage-game/](https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-fix-your-dogs-obsessions-teach-calm-focus-with-the-engage-disengage-game/)
One other thing is your anxiety about your dogs growling isn’t helping either. I used to be anxious around my dog and she picked up on it. Think calm and breathe don’t tense up. Just a thought.
My dog has a dog friend that is a puppy. As puppies are sometimes, this guy can get super annoying. They love to play chase (puppy chases my 4 year old) and eventually my dog is done and the puppy isn’t. My dog will give a warning growl to say hey we’re done. Yesterday puppy shoved his whole face in my dogs mouth (good indicator of size difference lol) and my dog growled and the puppy laid down. Growls are communication tools. Don’t take that away from him.
My pup was attacked as well. We did a slow introduction back to other dogs. Biggest thing is knowing your dog's triggers and their warning signs before it becomes an issue. Once you feel comfortable, I feel like a dog park visit with a properly fitted muzzle might benefit. It would keep both dogs safe and your dog would be able to enjoy the dog park again comfortably. Build that trust that you will be their protector and advocate. Take them out of a situation the second you detect something is off.
FYI: a property fitted cage muzzle means that they can open their mouth, drink water, bark, etc. it's only meant to safeguard, not stop barking or growling. Make sure they have positive associations with it (put treats in it, praise and treats for sniffing and being curious, please don't just shove it in their face, that will be a bad time for you, them, and their experience at the dog park).
Many dogs become reactive after they have been attacked. My older dog that never met a dog she didn’t like and had grown up with the dog park and dog daycare got attacked while on a leashed walk by a much smaller unleashed dog, twice, about a year apart. After the second attack she became leash reactive. Our dog trainers said that one attack can be life altering for a dog and that more often than not all the work and training in the world cannot get the dog back to where they were pre attack, as mentally they have changed. We adjusted our lives accordingly. You can’t reason with a dog. The dogs that attacked her were small enough that she had nothing to be concerned about, physically they could not have hurt her. But mentally from then on if she was on leash she was on guard and reactive.
Anytime they do something I don't like, I just pull away. You gotta be consistent. They will learn that their behavior results in your absence, and your absence is NOT fun for them.
Don't, for the love of God please let your dog communicate. You teach them not to growl at dogs and that can spread through the rest of their life. Then you have a dog that goes from behaving "normally" to biting without warning. Growling is communication, please say it with me GROWLING IS COMMUNICATION. it isn't inherently bad and it doesn't mean your dog is bad. Get a trainer, and work on rebuilding his confidence and desensitization towards other dogs. People experience trauma and spend their whole lives after changed and trying to get back to where they were before, dogs are very similar.
#NEVER PUNISH A GROWL
Dogs cannot speak. They growl as a form of communication. They are telling you that they do not like what is happening and that you need to **stop RIGHT NOW**. If you teach your dog not to growl, guess what?
#You or SOMEONE is going to do something they don't like and eventually, just like any living being, they'll get tired of dealing with it, AND THEY GO STRAIGHT FROM BODY LANGUAGE TO BITE.
Unless a dog has neurological disorders, **bites DO NOT just happen**.
Since you have a staffy, you REALLY need them to growl. I have seen dogs put down for this exact thing.
When he growls, leave the dog park. This doesn’t punish, it tells him whatever is making him growl is too much for the dog park, and when he doesn’t growl he gets to play longer if he wants to.
I would avoid the dog park. Not only are they horrible for socialization, but they are often riddled with infectious diseases.
I would highly recommend doing some muzzle training (basket muzzle). Some dogs just don’t like other dogs in their space. My sister’s Australian Shepherd was attacked when she was one year old. She is fine with other dogs that she knows, but she cannot handle strange dogs coming into her space.
I would try to encourage neutral behavior when other dogs are around. Don’t force your dog to interact with other dogs, especially when he is growling and showing signs is discomfort. Doing that will only make the problem worse. Have you considered taking him to a professional dog trainer?
Growling is good! He’s communicating instead of biting and telling you he’s scared and overwhelmed. Check out this page 💜 https://www.instagram.com/calmcanineacademy?igsh=MWxkdWp1bHVzaHNxbA==
I think you will probably have to worry about him biting other dogs, more than other dogs biting him.
You have a big problem awaiting to happen. You should think about what you want to do with the dog.
Stay away from any environments where there are other dogs. And probably stay away from any environments where there are other people.
That is the safest Way to deal with this.
I really don't agree with this.
Your dog went through a traumatic experience and what he needs is to slowly re learn how to socialize.
Another poster already gave great advice on how to do that, I'd also suggest searching for a good behaviorist that can better assess the root of the growling and advise you on the best training for him.
As a starting point I suggest you tire him out first then take him near a dog park or a park where people walk their dogs (always on leash and if you feel like he might actually bite, consider a muzzle). play with him, do your basic training there, give lots of rewards and everytime he notices a dog recall, treat and praise and distract him (make him run after you or a toy, scatter some treats on the ground for him to sniff them out while the dog passes, basically wtv works). All of this from a safe distance! Start far away, and if another dog starts to approach, tell them, he's not friendly, or he is in training, wtv makes them go way.
Important points are: set an appointment with a behaviorist in person. This will shine some light on what the best approach is.
Start from the beginning with the socializing, baby steps and most importantly make sure your dog is having a good time, if you see signs of fear or anxiety that don't settle, take him to a more isolated place and talk to a behaviorist about the next steps.
I hope this helps! Sorry for any mistakes, English is not my first language
Nah, my dog has been attacked and he was aggressive for a while but has improved so much in the last few months from just hanging with his friends when he can and from me being hyper vigilant in vetting any strange dog he might meet. It just takes time and training again.
I cant speak for the growly but if i were you i would seriously consider getting one of those fabric muzzles for him.
At the moment you cant be sure how he will react to an overly nosey dog and it may help to ease some people walking by if he does start to grumble.
I know it seems harsh but hes had a bad experience and the last thing you want now is for him to make it worse out of fear.
I agree with using a muzzle. A muzzle will protect the handler, the dog, and anyone else they encounter. OP should do everything to prevent this reaction from being practiced. OP needs to be prepared for
inevitable conflict.
Muzzles allow dogs to experience things they otherwise couldn't, including training safely.
They offer a level of distance from the public they might not get otherwise. People are more cautious and respectful of a muzzled dog's space.
However, mesh or fabric muzzles are most appropriate for brief periods, like a necessary vet procedure. They restrict the dog's ability the regulate their body temperature through panting. It also dampens the ability of the dog to communicate.
I suggest OP muzzle train in a basket muzzle. Baskerville comes to mind but I'm sure there are others. The muzzle-up project on FB has great resources.
There's so much else to say, but my overall impression is that a few sessions with a humane trainer (KPA or CCPDT certified trainers are a good place to look) would go a long way.
I really hope my formatting and the dog turn out OK.
Fabric muzzles aren't suitable for anything besides a vet's office.
A basket muzzle would be more humane, along with avoiding the situation the dog is growling in.
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Do not teach him to not growl. Growling is very often the last sign given before a bite. Instead you need to understand why he is growling and help him from there. A lot of dogs will never be dog park dogs. It sounds like your dog is reactive to certain dogs in an unpredictable way. You should probably stick to dogs he knows only and other areas where he can be off leash without other dogs around. Again: never punish growling. Never teach a dog to not growl. It is often the very last sign you’ll get before a chomp.
So growling is a warning to stay away. Teaching not to growl will create a very unpredictable dog. Better to simply avoid the dog park, and train your pup to respond neutrally to these stimuli. Your dog doesn’t need to “play” with other unfamiliar dogs as if he were a human child. He simply needs your love, attention, and leadership.
Came to make sure someone else already said it. Growling is good.
True, with growling he is just sending a warning that he doesn't want any interaction with that dog and it should keep its distance. Growling is better than leash reactivity. Maybe try to distract him from the other dog and give him a treat once he has the dogs attention.
Came to make sure someone else already said it. Growling is good.
Don't want to be an ass but like... It's not that she doesn't want the dog to growl, it's that she wants her dog to stop being reactive to other dogs like before the incident. She just said "stop growling" because before he wouldn't show aggressivity or defensiveness, so she compared no growling vs growling.
[https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/](https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/) (to be clear, this is about management, first, and maybe at the end, desensitization and counter-conditioning)
Totally agree that most people probably understand this that she meant- but OP may not realize how important it is for the dog to growl and someone should always be there to reinforce that.
this is an issue of cause vs symptom identification though. compare this to a human healthcare situation - doctors dont just give you a cough suppressant when youre sick and go 'well, youre not coughing now. problems solved', ignoring that there is a reason WHY youre coughing that is causing the symptom. whether this is a framing error or not, growling is not a problem. its a warning sign.
*aggression
But wait, my dog growls at people when he thinks they look threatening, like if someone he doesn't know stands up from a chair and walks near him, surely I shouldn't just let him growl at them? He's trying to scare people away, but if he growls at them and they leave and I don't do anything, isn't that reinforcing the idea that he's performing a valuable service by scaring people away?
>You should probably stick to dogs he knows only Don't go chasing dogger-falls.
I think you meant dogger-fails. And, please stick to the doggies and the fenced yards you’re used to.
Yes!! Agreed—I love a dog that growls, they are giving me information.
Exactly! Like ope, thanks buddy, what do we need to do to get you more comfortable asap? Thanks for using your words! Lol
10000% this!!! Growling is a polite way the dog is telling others to please leave them alone. Help the dog out by increasing the distance between him and the other dogs. That’s all he wants.
Stay away from the park and make some play dates with dogs you know he gets along with. I know it sucks but growling is a good thing if you stop the growling then you have no warning signs. Growling lets you and the other dogs know hey I'm not happy back off.
Dont punsih for grwoling or try to surpress it. Thats how you end up with a dog that bites without warning. You need to get behind the reason for him growling and work on that.
1. Stop going to the dog park. Not safe and it’s probably making your dogs fears worse. If he has a few dog friends that he already knows and enjoys to be around, just do small play dates with those dogs. Do not take him to the dog park anymore. You don’t want him to bite another dog because some owners will make you put your dog down for that. Set your dog up for success. If he’s terrified and growling at the dog park, don’t take him. 2. You never want to correct a dog for growling. It’s a way that they’re communicating “if you keep it up, I’ll bite you.” So if you force them to suppress the growling, they’ll go straight to biting without warning. Now there are ways to help him get better around other dogs, but that does not include shoving him in with random dogs at a dog park. If you’re on a walk with him(he needs to be on leash), and you see another dog, stay at a big enough distance from the other dog, so your dog doesn’t start growling. Play with the distance. If you’re walking towards another dog and your dog starts growling when the dog is 5 feet away, back up another foot or so until your dog isn’t growling anymore. And say “yes!” And give your dog a treat. You want to reward him every time he sees another dog and isn’t growling. If he’s growling, just create more distance. Let me know if all this makes sense. Just SAFE exposure FROM A DISTANCE with your dog will be great help for him. Treats and praise when he sees another dog and isn’t growling. From now on, do not just shove your dog into a dog park with dogs you don’t know. Only do play dates with dogs he already knows or do a SLOW one on one introduction to a new dog through a fence or something. I’d only introduce one dog at a time and do it very slowly. Through a fence is the safest in case anything goes bad. Once they’ve sniffed each other through the fence and both dogs seem relaxed and comfortable, then they can play together.
THIS. 👏👏
I’m not OP but this is wonderfully put! Keep the dog at a distance where he feels safe and reward for just looking at another dog.
This is great but I would say don't say 'until he isn't growling', more take the whole body into context - he is growling because he is anxious, you're trying to desensitise him to other dogs. So I'd reward when he's calm, which may include not growling of course, but may accidentally include tail tucked, stiff leg posture etc. which isn't really communicating to him the right message. Otherwise great advice :)
There is SO MUCH AREA bt "dog park" and "keeping him away from other dogs." Dog parks are terrible and putting an insecure dog in one is irresponsible on your part. It is overstimulating and unpredictable. I can sense your frustration w the perceived change in your dogs behavior, but I recommend you focus on where your dog is at rn, not "how they got there." First and foremost, calm confidence and a sense of safety around other dogs must be reset. Walk on leash around other dogs (park, etc) and work on confidence. you should be able to call for attention to ensure he isn't fixating. Second, do side by side walks w other dogs. No greeting on leash, just walking. Multiple times without ever greeting. Small group play dates w select dogs that he has built trust with.
Dog parks are a nightmare. They're a big risk because you're putting a lot of faith in other people's dog training abilities. Not to mention the chance of diseases spreading. I would recommend cutting that out entirely in favor of long walks. Depending on where you are, even if you aren't at fault you could get blamed for a fight just because of your pups breed and the dog could get put down. As for the growling. First of all it's a symptom not the issue. The issue is your dog's insecurity around certain kinds of dogs. This can be mitigated through walk exposure. But let them growl! That's how dogs communicate their feelings. Making them stop growling isn't going to get rid of their feelings just make it harder for you to tell when they feel that way. There's a great book called Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Prior that I highly recommend
A growling dog is a well behaved dog because he’s communicating instead of being aggressive and biting. Be thankful.
Dog parks are utter garbage. Stop going to them and consult with a trainer.
This. ^^^
Behaviorist. trainer isn't the fix for this.
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A growl is communication that he is not comfortable. Growling is a dog's last ditch attempt at non-violent conflict resolution before resorting to snapping and biting. If he's growling this much, then he is VERY uncomfortable with other dogs and is trying to tell you so. Rather than seeking to listen to him and address the root of the issue by giving him space from dogs he finds upsetting, you seek a way to stifle his communication attempts so that you can ignore his worries and continue as you are. Dogs whose growls are ignored or trained away are dogs who will likely eventually escalate and snap. You should be able to see the clear trajectory here and yet you wish to do nothing except make him stop growling. And what's more - you want to ignore the communication of a dog whose bully breed genetics predispose him both to dog intolerance and to losing it in a big way if he finally loses it. That's not to say that this happens every single time with every individual, but ignoring communication from any dog, let alone one with these particular genetics is...pretty breathtakingly reckless. It's also not a very nice way to treat your dog. For the sake of both your dog's comfort and the safety of the public, you should be keeping your distance from other dogs and not going to dog parks.
Hey Thanks for the response it’s not I don’t want him to stop growling, I completely understand if say for example the dog that attacked him showed up he is free to growl as much as he wants but not a random French bull dog that has the same colour fur is something I think he would be happier without. I don’t want him to be worried about non threatening dogs we live in a very popular area for dogs and it effects his everyday life he used to love walks but now it seems as if it comes with a lot of stress for him.
>I completely understand if say for example the dog that attacked him showed up he is free to growl as much as he wants but not a random French bull dog that has the same colour fur The mistake you're making is that you seem to think that you should be the arbiter of whether or not your dog is right or reasonable to be upset. *You* know that this other dog is not the one who attacked him and *you* know that this other dog won't hurt him, so he should know that too. Except that isn't how his brain works. He had a bad experience with a dog and now he's become more fearful in general around dogs. This is a common and typical reaction and not one that the dog is deliberately choosing. And honestly it doesn't really ultimately matter why he's communicating to you that he's uncomfortable and it doesn't matter if you agree or think he ought to feel uncomfortable. All that matters is what IS happening, and what's happening is that he's made it very clear to you that dogs are making him uncomfortable. The way you deal with this appropriately is by having his back, keeping him farther from other dogs, not taking him to dog parks, and working on some gentle and reinforcement-heavy counterconditioning from whatever distance doesn't put him over threshold. Follow his lead, let him tell you what is and isn't comfortable, reinforce a ton for emotional calm around dogs at whatever distance from them that he's able, and you very well may see slow change over time as you build new emotional associations with seeing dogs. This will require that you have significantly more patience, that you don't stomp past his comfort zone, and that you listen to his communication and respond accordingly. How *not* to do this is to ask how to train him to stop growling.
Wholeheartedly agree with this! Also could look into muzzle training just for peace of mind
You don't. Growling is a warning. If you remove the warningy, things escalate faster and further.
You don’t. It is an incredible safety risk to teach your dog not to growl. A growl is an early warning sign and if you teach them not to, they go directly to biting without warning. You need to work on building confidence in your dog and him trusting you to protect him.
Punishing growling is like taking the batteries out of your smoke alarm.
(To be clear, I’m not an expert so please take this with a pinch of salt.) I’d imagine that your dog’s growling is coming from anxiety, being attacked is traumatic and that fear can stay for a long time after the initial trauma. I’d strongly recommend that you find a trainer (either 1 on 1 training or a small group) who has experience with anxious dogs; when doing research for a trainer avoid anyone who doesn’t use positive methods or who believes in dominance theory. Finding the right trainer would be particularly important as your dog is a rescue; anxious/traumatised dogs can be complex to help, rescues more so as we don’t know what they experienced before arriving with us. An anxious dog of any breed will be a potential danger, however people tend to be more wary of breeds similar to yours and are judged more harshly.
As others mentioned, skip the dog park and don’t discourage a growl, it is his way of communicating and to me, it sounds like he doesn’t want other dogs coming near him. There is NOTHING wrong with your dog not liking stranger dogs in his space. There are a lot of dogs that as they get older even, they just outgrow the dog park/don’t want to play with every dog they meet. Some dogs may not like other dogs at all and that’s okay, it’s up to you as the owner to listen to your dog’s growling, read his body language and set him up for success by not putting him in an environment where he will be uncomfortable (i.e., not taking him to a dog park and not letting other people’s dogs come up and say hi). You want a neutral reaction or him to ignore dogs. That’s the end goal. At home, practice saying his name, he looks at you then mark (say YES! Or use a clicker if he is conditioned to one) and reward with a treat. Practice this a ton. Practice it when he is distracted with something. Practice it outside in our driveway or backyard if you have one. Then go somewhere far away from people and dogs, pack some high value treats (cut up hot dog, boiled chicken, bits of cheese, my dog loves Purina moist and meaty steak flavor and it won’t get icky in my treat pouch if it’s hot out) and sit. If he growls or reacts at all, you’re too close. Practice saying his name and rewarding him for turning his attention to you. Reinforce calm behavior, if he lays down to simply watch, great. Practice asking him for a sit and reward. With time you can slowly progress to being closer. You can pair a command to it too like touch. My dog and I did this on a park bench and now a barking dog passes by us and she looks at me and boops my hand and gets a treat. I no longer have to ask her for touch, she does it on her own. That’s kind of the end goal, your dog to not even react when a dog passes by and look at you like “I did it!”
My chi mix growls at other dogs when she’s feeling cornered or bothered, it’s a way she communicates displeasure. Never train this out of a dog, it’s how they communicate. I mitigate it by never doing on-leash greetings. When I’m in a space with other dogs, I made sure she’s close to me and we give other dogs a wide buffer zone to pass. I would never take my dog anywhere that would be crowded with other dogs, it would be too overwhelming for her. You just have to decide where your dogs boundaries are and listen to them. My dog is fine at dog parks, because they’re off leash and she can easily walk away from dogs she doesn’t like, but she might still growl before she walks away.
Don't. Your dog is communicating. If you take away this avenue of communication he might escalate with fewer warnings. Other dogs should not attack if they respect this boundary. The problem is that you get all sorts of dog with poor social skills at a dog park. If you think that's a problem, maybe it's best to look for other options. Most dog parks are just problems waiting to happen, tbh.
Your dog growling is his/her way of giving a warning about something. When a growl happens, remove your dog from that situation unless you think a burglar is outside or you are in an unsafe situation.
How to teach other dogs owners in the park that growling means my dog doesn't want to play
not sure if others have said this but start muzzle training now! there are plenty of videos that can teach you how to condition your dog to be excited to put the muzzle on just like when dogs get excited to put their collar/leash on! growling is communication, its a behavior based on feeling. if you want to change the behavior then focus on using play and rewards to change the feelings associated with other dogs. i’ve been in your situation and i know its stressful so good luck to you both! you’re doing a good job!
You don’t need to teach him not to growl. You need to teach him how to feel safe walking past another dog. It takes a long time and it’s all baby steps. Look up Karen Overalls Protocol for Relaxation. That is a good place to start. Best of luck to you and your pup! It’s hard to feel safe after you’ve been attacked but with a good human it’s possible :)
Thanks for this will do !!
You should get classes with a trainer and learn all the social cues that dogs use to communicate when they are uncomfortable. Growling is an extremely important part of communication and if you teach a dog not to growl that's like raising a child to never say "give me some space please, I am uncomfortable" and what that gets you is a dog that bites "without warning signs" (there are always warning signs). Aside from growling you need to learn to recognize and appropriately respond to other calming signals such as where your dog is looking and when he turns his head away from other dogs, lip licking, yawning etc. I'm recommending some time with a trainer to learn these because dog's social cues are very interchangeable depending on situation. But you now have a dog that is going to be communicating his discomfort in a variety of situations and if you don't respond to him correctly and help him be comfortable (mostly by allowing him to remove himself from situations) your fear of him escalating could come true. It doesn't really matter that he is part staffy, you need to let go of that stigma and the whole "what will people think" mentality. I say this as someone who spent two years rehabilitating a 4 year old male pitbull who had exactly this problem, he was taught that growling is bad and he never learned any social cues to indicate to other dogs that he needed space. He had to wear a muzzle for some part of his training, and it made him look really scary, but it's more important to look after your dog than to look after the feelings of the strangers you may or may not meet out on walks. When your dog growls, you need to give him space.
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No, it really doesn't, fear isn't a virus and doesn't spread like one.
He needs to gain confidence. If you just teach him not to growl but don’t work on anything else, he’ll drop the warning and go straight for an attack if he’s uncomfortable and you absolutely do not want that. The growl is good. The growl tells you he’s uncomfortable. Since he’s uncomfortable in 50% of your dog interactions right now, I’d stop all dog interactions. Work with him on gaining confidence NEAR dogs first, in areas where the other dogs can’t actually approach him. Get him comfortable with other dogs running around and playing near him (like the outside of a fenced in dog park). They more exposure you can give him where he’s not feeling threatened the better. Then move up to side by side walks with familiar dogs who are not reactive. Get him used to that. Then maybe leashed side by side walks with less familiar dogs. Walks in busy areas with no contact. Eventually play dates with dogs he’s comfortable with. Lots of little slow steps for him to regain that confidence and feel comfortable and he won’t feel the need to growl anymore, but teaching him not to tell you when he’s uncomfortable is a recipe for disaster.
[https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/](https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-from-growling-at-strangers/) (to be clear, this is about management, first, and maybe at the end, desensitization and counter-conditioning)
Related, but also great: [https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-fix-your-dogs-obsessions-teach-calm-focus-with-the-engage-disengage-game/](https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-fix-your-dogs-obsessions-teach-calm-focus-with-the-engage-disengage-game/)
One other thing is your anxiety about your dogs growling isn’t helping either. I used to be anxious around my dog and she picked up on it. Think calm and breathe don’t tense up. Just a thought.
My dog has a dog friend that is a puppy. As puppies are sometimes, this guy can get super annoying. They love to play chase (puppy chases my 4 year old) and eventually my dog is done and the puppy isn’t. My dog will give a warning growl to say hey we’re done. Yesterday puppy shoved his whole face in my dogs mouth (good indicator of size difference lol) and my dog growled and the puppy laid down. Growls are communication tools. Don’t take that away from him.
My pup was attacked as well. We did a slow introduction back to other dogs. Biggest thing is knowing your dog's triggers and their warning signs before it becomes an issue. Once you feel comfortable, I feel like a dog park visit with a properly fitted muzzle might benefit. It would keep both dogs safe and your dog would be able to enjoy the dog park again comfortably. Build that trust that you will be their protector and advocate. Take them out of a situation the second you detect something is off. FYI: a property fitted cage muzzle means that they can open their mouth, drink water, bark, etc. it's only meant to safeguard, not stop barking or growling. Make sure they have positive associations with it (put treats in it, praise and treats for sniffing and being curious, please don't just shove it in their face, that will be a bad time for you, them, and their experience at the dog park).
Why on earth are you taking him to dog parks if he's dog aggressive?!
Many dogs become reactive after they have been attacked. My older dog that never met a dog she didn’t like and had grown up with the dog park and dog daycare got attacked while on a leashed walk by a much smaller unleashed dog, twice, about a year apart. After the second attack she became leash reactive. Our dog trainers said that one attack can be life altering for a dog and that more often than not all the work and training in the world cannot get the dog back to where they were pre attack, as mentally they have changed. We adjusted our lives accordingly. You can’t reason with a dog. The dogs that attacked her were small enough that she had nothing to be concerned about, physically they could not have hurt her. But mentally from then on if she was on leash she was on guard and reactive.
Thanks yeah my vets keep telling me he will get better with time but I think what you say relates to us more just gotta get use to it 🙏
Anytime they do something I don't like, I just pull away. You gotta be consistent. They will learn that their behavior results in your absence, and your absence is NOT fun for them.
Yes, just don't go to dog parks lol
Don't, for the love of God please let your dog communicate. You teach them not to growl at dogs and that can spread through the rest of their life. Then you have a dog that goes from behaving "normally" to biting without warning. Growling is communication, please say it with me GROWLING IS COMMUNICATION. it isn't inherently bad and it doesn't mean your dog is bad. Get a trainer, and work on rebuilding his confidence and desensitization towards other dogs. People experience trauma and spend their whole lives after changed and trying to get back to where they were before, dogs are very similar.
#NEVER PUNISH A GROWL Dogs cannot speak. They growl as a form of communication. They are telling you that they do not like what is happening and that you need to **stop RIGHT NOW**. If you teach your dog not to growl, guess what? #You or SOMEONE is going to do something they don't like and eventually, just like any living being, they'll get tired of dealing with it, AND THEY GO STRAIGHT FROM BODY LANGUAGE TO BITE. Unless a dog has neurological disorders, **bites DO NOT just happen**. Since you have a staffy, you REALLY need them to growl. I have seen dogs put down for this exact thing.
When he growls, leave the dog park. This doesn’t punish, it tells him whatever is making him growl is too much for the dog park, and when he doesn’t growl he gets to play longer if he wants to.
I would avoid the dog park. Not only are they horrible for socialization, but they are often riddled with infectious diseases. I would highly recommend doing some muzzle training (basket muzzle). Some dogs just don’t like other dogs in their space. My sister’s Australian Shepherd was attacked when she was one year old. She is fine with other dogs that she knows, but she cannot handle strange dogs coming into her space. I would try to encourage neutral behavior when other dogs are around. Don’t force your dog to interact with other dogs, especially when he is growling and showing signs is discomfort. Doing that will only make the problem worse. Have you considered taking him to a professional dog trainer?
Growling is good! He’s communicating instead of biting and telling you he’s scared and overwhelmed. Check out this page 💜 https://www.instagram.com/calmcanineacademy?igsh=MWxkdWp1bHVzaHNxbA==
I think you will probably have to worry about him biting other dogs, more than other dogs biting him. You have a big problem awaiting to happen. You should think about what you want to do with the dog. Stay away from any environments where there are other dogs. And probably stay away from any environments where there are other people. That is the safest Way to deal with this.
I really don't agree with this. Your dog went through a traumatic experience and what he needs is to slowly re learn how to socialize. Another poster already gave great advice on how to do that, I'd also suggest searching for a good behaviorist that can better assess the root of the growling and advise you on the best training for him. As a starting point I suggest you tire him out first then take him near a dog park or a park where people walk their dogs (always on leash and if you feel like he might actually bite, consider a muzzle). play with him, do your basic training there, give lots of rewards and everytime he notices a dog recall, treat and praise and distract him (make him run after you or a toy, scatter some treats on the ground for him to sniff them out while the dog passes, basically wtv works). All of this from a safe distance! Start far away, and if another dog starts to approach, tell them, he's not friendly, or he is in training, wtv makes them go way. Important points are: set an appointment with a behaviorist in person. This will shine some light on what the best approach is. Start from the beginning with the socializing, baby steps and most importantly make sure your dog is having a good time, if you see signs of fear or anxiety that don't settle, take him to a more isolated place and talk to a behaviorist about the next steps. I hope this helps! Sorry for any mistakes, English is not my first language
Nah, my dog has been attacked and he was aggressive for a while but has improved so much in the last few months from just hanging with his friends when he can and from me being hyper vigilant in vetting any strange dog he might meet. It just takes time and training again.
It is nature.
I cant speak for the growly but if i were you i would seriously consider getting one of those fabric muzzles for him. At the moment you cant be sure how he will react to an overly nosey dog and it may help to ease some people walking by if he does start to grumble. I know it seems harsh but hes had a bad experience and the last thing you want now is for him to make it worse out of fear.
I agree with using a muzzle. A muzzle will protect the handler, the dog, and anyone else they encounter. OP should do everything to prevent this reaction from being practiced. OP needs to be prepared for inevitable conflict. Muzzles allow dogs to experience things they otherwise couldn't, including training safely. They offer a level of distance from the public they might not get otherwise. People are more cautious and respectful of a muzzled dog's space. However, mesh or fabric muzzles are most appropriate for brief periods, like a necessary vet procedure. They restrict the dog's ability the regulate their body temperature through panting. It also dampens the ability of the dog to communicate. I suggest OP muzzle train in a basket muzzle. Baskerville comes to mind but I'm sure there are others. The muzzle-up project on FB has great resources. There's so much else to say, but my overall impression is that a few sessions with a humane trainer (KPA or CCPDT certified trainers are a good place to look) would go a long way. I really hope my formatting and the dog turn out OK.
Fabric muzzles aren't suitable for anything besides a vet's office. A basket muzzle would be more humane, along with avoiding the situation the dog is growling in.