07/28/2024
We need to be very careful not to punish the growl out of the dog. That is their first warning that they are not comfortable. Once you punish the growl out of the dog, then they only have a bite to go to next. We notice the dog is growling then we try to figure out why and help them.
When we punish dogs for growling, even if they’re growling at our child, we aren’t helping them feel better about whatever it is that is threatening them. Instead, we are teaching to stop letting us know when they feel unsafe.
The result? A dog who stops giving us warning signs and “bites out of the blue.”
And, that’s how we create dangerous dogs. I’d much rather have a dog growl and tell me they’re upset (so we have a chance to intervene and help them) than a dog who just bites without any warning signs.
