My dog growls at me sometimes when I am petting him or talking to him?

Question

He is a 3 year old german shepherd. He is very sweet annd affecionate to me and my family as well as strangers and other dogs. Sometimes when I am petting him and talking to him he does a low growl and seems scared If I play with him roughly he never bited me hard and is very gentle. I do not like the growling and want it to stop. He does it when he has a bone too. If I try to scold him or hit him to make him stop he just growls louder. I have taken his toys away when he growls at me and he never bites me but Ido not know what to do. I have tried pining him on his back to show him I am the dominate one but he just keeps growling. What can I do?

Answer 1

You shouldn't pin him on his back because in the wild dogs look at that as a challenge, or threat. It's called an alpha roll, and when it happens in the wild, the dog on the bottom gets killed. So if your dog is being aggressive toward you, you shouldn't do that because he could bite you. Don't be at eye level with him either, because then he thinks you're equal to him, when you aren't. Stand over him when you scold him or yell at him. You wouldn't want him to bite you or anyone, so maybe if it keeps happening you should get a trainer.

Also, I have a rottweiler and sometimes when he's on my lap (little sissy, thinks he's a lap dog), he lets out low growls while I'm petting him. They're just relaxed noises... humans do it too. Those growls aren't anything to worry about.

Answer 2

My dog is the same age and he growls at my boyfriend and I almost every day. I don't like it, in fact, I'd go as far as to say that it hurts my feelings but there doesn't seem to be much we can do about it either. We have the same problem with him only growling louder if we discipline him, so what can you do? We've kinda pushed it off as a personality quirk...he just doesn't like to be handled sometimes and growling is the way he communicates that he would rather be left alone...and sometimes he growls when he's being playful so we nearly always let it slide. If someone else doesn't anwer more helpfully, try not to worry about correcting the problem if he isn't getting violent or mean.

Answer 3

Most likely if he is not showing aggression it is due to the positive reinforcement by his owners of a behavior you do not like. When he growls you can stop petting him, turn your body away from him, and ignore him until he stops. When he stops, positively reinforce this behavior by petting him and giving him some type of treat. This may take some time and effort, but it will be worth it. The most important part is being consistent and getting the entire household to do it. Otherwise later in life either when others come over or you take him for a walk even if hes not being aggressive other people may be frightened. As he progresses, you should socialize him with other people and animals while using the same type of positive reinforcement. There are several dog meet ups or if you prefer dog parks where this can be accomplished. As far as barking when you arrive at home ignore him until he calms down and teach him a hand gesture that means calm, use a word (calm, quiet whatever you choose), while using the positive reinforcement when he is calm. Training is a continual process that takes patience, but its worth the lifetime of joy a pet can bring.

Answer 4

My Germand Shpeherd mix dog growls when she is laying down and I am looking at her or anytime she feels like 'talking' but especially when she is laying down. It's like she feels little or small when she is in the submissive position. Personally, I think it is her way of talking to me. When Rusty, that's her name, has a bone or toy and I come over to pet her, she growls because she doesn't get her bone very much, only once a month for a time limit from 45-60 minutes. She gets her toys more than that but she likes them to cuddle with. She can get aggressive, but I think your German Shepherd is trying to talk to you, even though that sounds kinda corny. Hey, he might be doing that for all you know, but just don't understand him. Most people don't know how to talk dog, so don't worry. Also try to figure out what triggers the growl. Does he growl in his sleep? Or when he is with other dogs? When you are around? Try being out of sight but in earshot of him and call his name, see what he does. Does he come for you? Stay where he is and growl? Or bark?

Answer 5

The growl with petting may be the equivalent of a purr, or he may just be asking to be left alone. It should be pretty clear which, and if he wants to be let alone, you should.
The growl with his bone is definitely different. You're threatening, in his mind at least, to take it away, and he's old enough now to challenge for the alpha role. You certainly don't want to tease him, but if it's important, I suppose you can be insistent, though I don't see the point.

Answer 6

Keep doing what you're doing and use a low stern tone of voice. I even point my finger at my dog. It took about a month of controlling every little toy and treat, etc. and towering over him. I also "rolled" him when he fought with my other dog. That is, I took my hand and rolled him to his back and then towered over him and used a stern voice saying "NO. BAD DOG." Then held my stare and walked away. I controlled all the toys and gave them when he was good. When he wouldn't give up an item one time, I literally ripped it out of his mouth with force. I had to show him I was the boss. He pouted, and finally realized I was in control. Be patient. Don't let your dog control you. And when you do get growled at or you do it now, do not get in your dog's face. They don't like it and if he's mad, he'll take a nip the longer you push it.

Answer 7

First off.... Don't hit your dog. That is just asking him to bite you.
Try using NILIF- Nothing in Life is Free. Make him work for everything. Dont let him enter a room before you. Dont let him win your little wrestling match or tug of war. When you are petting him and he growls, stop petting him, or talking to him, and ignore him. Show him if he doesnt listen to you, his alpha, that he will not get what he wants.

Answer 8

It's because he has arthritis or neuralgia. He likes you but he can't talk and say your hurting me, so he growls, it's dog languange for your hurting me.

Just watch where you pet him when he growls and don't pet him there anymore.

You should also take him to a vet as soon as possible, arthritis and neuralgia are auto-immune diseases and when a dog has arthritis or neuralgia that early in life it's can be caused by another disease.



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Answer 9

You're thinking along good lines in the solution you've tried. I think using a muzzle on him while you're doing that Alpha Roll on him would be wize. That way you'd have no fear of a bite, and could push the situation through to completion.

Then I would set up situations and if he growled, roll him and keep him there till he relaxes...it can take time, but if you're not worried about him biting you, then you can take the time.

I'm sure he'll respond to it. 3 years old is adolescents for dogs, and we all know what that means for males!

Answer 10

It's not always aggression when a dog growls- it could mean that he is content and happy, or he could just be telling you he loves you. Think of it as a sort of purr rather than a growl.

Then again, I could be wrong- but if he doesn't seem agressive whenever he growls, then I wouldn't be too worried about it.