What Is That Rumbling Sound Coming From My Dog?
The sound coming from your dog is probably a growl. Dogs use this noise to communicate with each other, and to others, including you. Sadly (or possibly for the best), our furry friends can’t use words such as “please,” “Thank you” or “I’m hungry”. Instead they have to rely on body language, yips, barks and yes, growls.
When you first think of dogs growling you probably imagine a large, angry dog with their ears down, hackles up, and teeth bared. RUFF! While this is a common sight when a dog is scared or angry, that is only one of the many reasons a dog growls. These particular types of growls can often be scary. It often means that the dog is warning the one he is growling at that they are very close to being bit if they do not stop what they are doing immediately.
There are, however, other reasons that dogs growl, and it is important to be able to understand the reasons so each situation can be handled accordingly. Not to mention that fact that it’ll help you to better understand what your dog is trying to communicate to you. After all, understanding what your best friend is saying is important in any relationship.
Why do dogs growl when you pet them?
This is a very delicate question. There is no simple answer as it all depends on the situation. Context is king!
If your dog is growling and their body is very tense, their tail is straight and their ears are down, it is probably best to stop petting the dog immediately. They may be in pain, stressed or just not want attention but either way they are saying “I don’t like this! This is stressing me out! I’m freaking out right now man! Stop right now!”
Assuming this type of situation has occurred, it’s really important to try to find the cause of the dog’s discomfort. If this happens and you’re a kid (kudos for reading our site, by the way), it’s really important to remove yourself from the situation and inform an adult (i.e. your parents). Assuming the adult deems the situation to be safe, the adult needs to inspect the dog. They can do this by gently running their hand over the dog to ensure there are no painful parts or areas that the dog is guarding. The idea is to eliminate pain as the reason for the growl. Once an obvious pain or discomfort has been ruled out, it’s best to start considering the potential stresses in your dog’s life. It may be that they just need some time to themselves, and that’s totally ok. We all can benefit from some alone time, now and again.
Sometimes dogs are scared and will growl when someone new pets them as they do not trust the one petting them. This is usually followed by either baring of the teeth, snapping or a bark. In this case, leave the dog alone and allow their owner to deal with them. Always make sure you let a dog smell you before you pet them and pet along the fur, not against it.
Why do dogs growl at certain people?
Sometimes dogs growl at individuals because they feel nervous around them. In these cases, the dog will often be quite stiff and reluctant to approach the person in question. This may be a warranted discomfort on the dog’s part, such as someone who has previously hurt the dog or someone in the dog’s family, or there may be no discernible reason. In the case, that nothing can be found to give the dog a reason for distrust, it’s often a good idea to avoid putting the two in a circumstance where they will be together, especially by themselves.
Other times a dog may growl at a certain person because of how they smell. Perhaps they have another dog’s smell on them, or a strong perfume and the dog just doesn’t like it. Often this will be apparent when the dog sniffs the person and then turns their face away from the person before growling.
Why do dogs growl at nothing?
Dogs rarely growl at nothing. There is almost always a cause whether we can determine it or not. Sometimes when a dog is growling at a wall, there may be no outward reason that we can discern but you’ve got to keep in mind that your dog’s ears and nose are much more sensitive than that of any humans. Therefore, what appears to be nothing to us may be a rodent in the wall or someone walking on the other side of it. If the dog seems to be getting more worked up about it, it’s probably worth investigating.
Why do dogs growl in their sleep?
Dogs often growl, grunt and twitch in their sleep because, like humans, dogs dream. They may be romping around with one of their dog friends or perhaps chasing a rascally rabbit. In these cases, just let Fido dream a little dream and enjoy the show. It’s best not to disturb a sleeping dog by touching them as they may wake up startled and accidentally nip the one who touched them.
Why do dogs growl for no reason?
As is the case when “dogs growl at nothing”, there may be reasons that remain unseen to us that cause them to growl. They could also just be growling because they want to make noise or to “talk.” As long as an injury is ruled out, there is no real reason to be unduly concerned.
Why do dogs growl at other dogs?
Dogs use growling as a form of communication. Just as we have different tones and levels we can speak at, growling is just another form of communication. This growling can communicate fear, anger, the desire to play or it may be that their just trying to say “Hello!”.
Why do dogs growl at their owners?
Dogs can growl at their owners for many reasons. Depending on the tone of the growling and the context of the situation, it’s generally fairly clear as to why the growling is likely happening. As always, ruling out pain is important, and it is important to stop whatever you are doing if the dog is growling because it may be angry and you may unintentionally be causing discomfort. Often, however, dogs who growl at their owners are just communicating that they want to play, want to go out, that they are hungry or one of many other positive reasons.
Why do dogs growl when playing?
Dogs growl when they are playing because they are having fun and it’s just a good way to express that feeling. Think of when children play, it’s often quite noisy affair. When dogs play it’s the same thing, they are having fun, and they can communicate in their body language or with growls, yips, and barks.
In all, it isn’t something to be concerned about unless it’s coupled with aggressive body language/posturing. Often if the growls are between two dogs, they’re often quicklys followed by the other dog submitting to the aggressor. Though at times this may end up with a fight. These fights, while scary to watch, are often short, and both dogs walk away without physical harm. As soon as one dog submits, the fight ends and often these dogs will go on to play peacefully.