16/07/2022
Unfortunately for dogs, we live in a world where growling is considered harmful.
A growling dog has way too many labels. Dominant, bad, nasty and aggressive are all unfortunate terms used for a growling dog.
Growling is simply communication.
For example, a child strokes a dog, and the dog growls. The dog is just asking for space from the child, and it's a perfectly reasonable request.
Or someone approaches a dog on the lead and looms over them, desperate for touch. The dog growls and asks for space, and this is another perfectly reasonable request.
A dog has pain, and we touch them in the painful spot, the dog growls, a third perfectly reasonable request.
A dog is scared and doesn't want the scary thing to get any closer, so he growls. Again, reasonable.
Instead of the idea that growling is aggression, we need to reframe the concept of the growl. A growl is a dog's way of asking for what they need, usually space. We need to realise growling dogs are speaking, simply that.
If we listen to the growl, a dog doesn't feel like they need to bite.
It's no different from listening to other people. If we feel heard, we don't have to shout.
