Positive Start Dog Training

11/11/2023

When you train a dog to trust you, not fear you, you can burry them in a giant pile of leaves that match their color perfectly 🍁 for beautiful fall photos! What a good boy Diggs 🥰

Brittany Steele

06/27/2023

I’m happy to be offering boarding services again for existing clients. Contact me today to reserve dates.

Dog walks look a little different and are a little slower now that we welcomed another member to our pack, but we couldn’t be more in love!

05/12/2023

04/18/2023

Posted by u/GoesUp - 30,705 votes and 478 comments

02/02/2023

The growl is a gift.

Never punish it or try to 'stop' it. Simply listen. Heed the warning and accept this as communication.

When we punish the growl, the dog stops growling and instead will jump from subtle signs of discomfort straight to a bite.
We do not want a silent biter!

Growls are another component of canine communication and are perfectly normal! How else were you expecting them to communicate? Words? 😉

Dogs will growl for a few reasons; play, fear/threat-response, uncertainty, discomfort/pain.

Over time you will learn what each one sounds like, I'm sure, but for now, we must combine the growl with the rest of the body language and that is the easiest way to decipher its meaning.

If a dog is growling with a lowered body and tense ears pulled back, they are feeling fearful and warning that if the threat doesn't go away, they may have no choice but to escalate to a bite. In this moment, it's best to remove the threat and give the dog space.

If a dog is growling with a stiff body and side eye while hovering over an item, they are feeling threatened or worried that their valuable resource (food, toy, "found" object, etc) may be stolen. Do not try to teach your dog a lesson here by removing the resource - instead, speak calmly to reassure your dog and move away, showing them that you are not a thief.

If a dog is growling with a lowered body but is still moving toward the "threat" with curiosity, they are feeling uncertain or apprehensive. Their curiosity is still strong but they're simply a little spooked. Getting closer is not always best as dogs in this state may be easily spooked into fight/flight mode.

If a dog is growling in play, I don't see a problem as long as their body is loose, wiggly, silly, and they have soft eyes. If the game is not as loose and silly and the dog is jazzed up (like when playing tug or fetch, you may not see as much wiggliness or soft eyes - more so excited eyes, and that's okay too. I tend to watch that it doesn't escalate too much, so play for a minute, take a break, play again, take a break. Even a 15 second break is a good reset!

If a dog is growling while being handled, they may not be enjoying the experience at all and are warning you that this is not their jam. "If you keep doing that, I will have no choice but to bite you. Please stop." Stop the handling and work with them to make it a better experience. Find another way to move them rather than forcing them - a food lure or tossing a treat or toy is fine in the interim! If the dog is in pain, this is a conversation for the Veterinarian for sure!

Always assess the rest of the components while the growl is occurring, or if you feel unsafe, give the dog space.

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01/16/2023

12/22/2022

12/02/2022

This!

11/20/2022

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving season. PLEASE be careful what you feed your furbabies. Not all human stuff makes for good furbaby stuff! 😀🐹🦃

11/16/2022

There is no love like a dogs love. True healers 🙏🏼

11/16/2022

Dog licks are often thought of as doggy kisses. But, it’s actually something to take a step back and notice. And could sometimes be considered a, “Kiss to Dismiss” (more on that below). These licks do trigger some questions that may seem a bit silly to ask in response. Something like, “Describe the licks for me. Fast, slow, and then does the dog move away?”
“Is it a full tongue or a little bit?”
“Full tongue lick or quick flick?”
“Is the child sitting and the dog approaches or vice versa, what level of mobility does the child have, is food present or remnant?

There’s many questions! But, these questions help us gather valuable information to help us understand what the dog may be communicating. At Family Paws Parent Education, we want to help parents consider and recognize that dog licks may not always be what we think they are, “affectionate kisses”, or indications of “love,” but could have other meanings. We refer to this as “Kiss to Dismiss”. If you are curious of these doggy “kisses” and if they are a “Kiss to Dismiss”, ask yourself,
🐶 Is your dog in need of space? (what just happened? Did your baby crawl closer to your dog?)
🐶 Is your dog in need of space and there is a reason they may choose not to move? (example: comfy spot, resource, pain)
🐶 Does this licking deter closeness or lead to an increase in space?

Thank you, Steve Bishop of Bishops Gate Dog Training for this graphic! Steve is also a Family Paws Parent Educator.
We do not recommend baby and dogs interact as shown in these illustrations. Never allow your baby to crawl up to or freely explore your dog in this way.

You can also find him on Instagram at