My dog growled at me and I don't know why. now I'm a bit scared of him. I need to understand dogs more.

Answer 1

what kind of dog is it? you need to show the dog that you are not afraid of it. but you should really try to figure out why it growled at you.

Answer 2

I have a great dane that growls at me, it is his way of communicating, when he is happy and has his blue fluffy he comes towards me growling with his tail wagging, just make sure that this isn't a aggressive temperament in your dog, some dogs however are just verbal when they are happy, I also have a min dachshund that growls when I scratch her belly and her rear end and she will growl and give love bites, not hard, when you stop she bugs you to death to do it again. You can usually tell by looking in the dogs eyes if it is being aggressive, if it is showing its teeth and snarling its lip and not wagging its tail, I would say that this is aggressive behavior, what ever you do, don't let the dog know that you are afraid of it. I had a friend that had a Afghan hound that was aggressive and she bit me and I opened her mouth and crammed my fist down her mouth until she couldn't breathe, then I took my hand out and told her no biting! I never had a problem with her from that day forward, and she never nipped her owners again either. I think that was about the cruelest thing I have ever done to a dog but it worked. However on the other hand some dogs will tend to get meaner if you try to discipline them so you have to really understand your dogs temperament and learn to read their eyes and their body language.

Answer 3

What were you doing when he growled at you? He may be displaying possessiveness over something. I'm not sure. But if you are scared or nervous at all, the dog WILL pick up on it, putting you in an even worse situation. I'd sign up for ***** obedience classes, or just a one-time refresher course. Until then, just be calm and firm with him.

Answer 4

If your afraid, that doesn't sound too good. I need to know more to help. If its a pup you can teach him/her that its not a good thing to growl at you by sternly telling him no. Do not hit him.

The dog might need some obedience training which your vet might have some recommendations.

I have a Siberian husky who always growls at me, but it is just his way of wanting my attention and talking to me, it is quite humorous with him!

There are also some very good web sites on the net if you surf for dog training.

I wish you good luck, just wish I knew more about the situation to help.

Answer 5

Watch a few episodes of "The Dog Whisperer" on Discovery Channel.

Chances are, the dog thinks that he/she is the lead dog. At the very least, the dog doesn't think you are the lead dog, and that will make any dog misbehave.

If you don't find a way to make the dog think you're in charge then you'll have lots bigger problems.

Finally, it always helps to make sure the dog is getting tons of exercise. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog.

Answer 6

Please understand one thing. If you are scared of your dog, he will know it and sense that. You did not mention what kind of dog you have or its age. We have three dogs and have not had that problem. But years ago we did. It was a rottweiler and we had him since he was a pup. He was 2 years old when he growled at me. I was afraid of him when he done that. My husband put him in his place and after that it never happened again. We kept him maybe another six months. Given his breed, I always was leery about him and he knew it. We eventually adopted him out. good luck to you.

Answer 7

my dog did this the other day but instead of growling he opened his mouth at me and he never did that before , i realized he did it when i touched his leg and mid back, after i thought about it i remembered a tree had fell out by his dog house and i assumed he got hit from it, so i gave him some Tylenol pm to help him sleep and the next day he was OK, havent had a problem since -

check to see if its a sore spot - does he have rabies shots? and it could be he had a toy of his, my dog will let you put your hand in his bowl of food but when it comes to his bones he is a little bit possessive, ive had to teach him when i say drop it he needs to drop it and i can tell he doesnt want to but he does it anyway- dont be scared unless he is showing teeth, be cautious, and make sure he doesnt have injuries - good luck

Answer 8

Me and my dog have the best bond in the world and she never ever growled at me forany reason except once when she was in alot of pain after a fall so a few feet awayi slowly took a seat and laid down facing her just calmly and still and after a few minutes she etched her way over to me cautiously then when she got next to me i made sure she could see me and I petted her and things were ok... u might wanna try something like that!

Answer 9

You should never be afraid of your dog. He is trying to communicate with you, weather it's “leave me alone”, or “play with me”. A bark can be intimidating but try to figure out what is making him bark. Also, try some training classes so you and your dog can bond more. That way you won’t be afraid of him, and you can learn to be the “Alpha” or at least teach him, he ranks below you. Good luck. And next time he barks, don’t run away. Instead stand still like a tree, look down at him and firmly say “No”. Since your afraid I wouldn't get in his face, and surly don't hit him.

Answer 10

That's not good. Dogs have a pack mentality and you have to be the pack leader. Watch the show the Dog Whisperer and check out Cesar Milans web site. He is really great with dogs and explains things well. Good luck...