German Shepherd or other breed dogs usually growl for several reasons apart from aggression. You should know that growling is a way for dogs to communicate and express their feelings to others as they cannot speak. So, if your German shepherd is growling without any reason, it would be better for you to understand the growling behavior of your dog and learn what they are trying to communicate with the world. To help you out, we have created an in-depth guide, which will help you unveil the reason why German Shepherds growl?
Why Do German Shepherds Growl At You?
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For a number of reasons, your German shepherd may growl at you, including it is guarding someone or something, playing, excited, in pain or injured, and scared. However, you should remember that all growling is not because of aggression and if you find your German shepherd dog growling try to understand the reason. So, let us explore some of the reasons.
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When They Are Excited Or Playing
Dogs occasionally growl when they are excited about something or playing a game. For example, let’s say your dog is playing with a toy and starts slinging around the toy. At some moment, it growls. You should not get alarmed. It is their way to show excitement while they are having fun. That means they will growl to express their enjoyment.
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When They Are Guarding Something
For instance, let’s say you haven’t trained your dog not to guard some things like food. That means they are likely to growl at the object or people if anything comes near their food. This situation might happen when you adopt a German Shepherd, and you don’t know whether it is giving enough training or not.
Therefore, at some point, it might feel the need to guard its food against others. So, don’t get worried about this form of growling. You can train it to what things it should not do.
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When They Are Guarding Someone
Growling to protect or guard someone is not a bad thing every time. For instance, your child and your German Shepherd dog are playing outside, and your dog sensed a potential threat approaching your child, it will begin to growl and try to protect their loved ones.
As you already know that German Shepherds are the most popular guarding and protection dog breed. That means they will protect their loved ones whenever they sense any threats. So, it is better to find a reason why your dog is growling while safeguarding someone. Most often, it would be an obvious threat they are protecting you from.
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When They Are In Pain Or Injured
Another reason for growling can be due to physical injury. In most cases, you might find something unnormal about your German shepherd, and when you go forward to examine the situation, they might growl at you first and resist examining. It is better to talk politely and tell it to examine the situation properly while feeling comfortable. However, if your dog resists you from examining it, it is better to take it to a professional vet and ensure everything is alright.
What To Do If Your German Shepherd Growls At You?
German Shepherd growling helps in determining the situation whether it is harmless or concerning. So, it would be better to consider the following factors and know what to do when your dog growls.
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Examine The Situation
Determining the cause of growling helps you react accordingly. That means look at their behavior whether they are playing, sacred, guarding, or protecting someone. It will help you examine the situation before you even find it concerning.
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Frequent Growling
The next thing you have to consider is the frequency of your dog growling, and it will help address the concern. For instance, if you find your dog growls every day, you should figure out the real cause.
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Analyze The Body Language
To more specifically interpret, you should look at your dog’s body language and see whether it is in a relaxed position or its hair stands up near the neck. So, if you understand the sound of your dog growling, it would be easier for you to determine whether it is aggressive or normal.
Also Read: Do German Shepherds Whine A Lot?
The Things To Consider Before Training Your German Shepherds
There are several things that you should or shouldn’t do to keep your dog from growling. To help you out, we have created a list of dos and don’ts during a growling situation.
What To Do When Your Dog Is Growling
- First, identify the situation causing your dog to growl.
- Seek the help of a trainer to understand the addressed behavior.
- If you are going to train your dog, it is better to look at the resources that help control the growling situation. That means training them to guard necessary things instead of becoming overprotective.
- Be patient while training your dog because it will take time to shape the behavior of your dog.
Things You Should Not Do When Your Dog Is Growling
If you notice your dog is growling in an aggression mode, there are certain things you should avoid doing to deepen the issue.
- It would be better to stay away from your dog and prevent touching it because they will try to bite you.
- You should not punish or yell at your dog, and it is better to determine the cause before punishing your dog.
- It is better to consider training assistance to take control of aggressive behavior.
How To Stop German Shepherds From Growling
As discussed above, you should consider the following ways.
Ways To Stop Dog’s Growling
- Seek the help of a professional veterinarian to train and control your dog from growling.
- Learn how to read the behavior and handle different growling situations.
- Train your dog to stop guarding unnecessary things.
Final Words
Now you know what to do and what not to do when your dog is growling for some reason. But, before you take any action, know that they are communicating about something.
