The most common reasons dogs growl are fear, possession aggression, territoriality, and pain. Some dogs also growl when playing. Play growling is often seen when two dogs are having a safe, healthy play session. In this case, the growling does not necessarily indicate aggression.
Think of growling as a good thing. It's a way a dog warns that he is uncomfortable with a situation. It's his lowest level way of saying that whatever is going on makes him uncomfortable. Many people mistakenly think growling is bad, so they punish the dog for it.
Don't push your dog over his tolerance threshold. Whatever you're doing, just stop. If your dog's growl threshold is near his bite threshold – that is, if there's not much time between his growl and his bite, get safe. If his growl doesn't mean a bite is imminent, stop what you're doing but stay where you are.
While you're working to determine the cause of the growling, don't ignore it or it's likely to get worse. Be careful around your dog until you figure out why it's growling. Additionally, you may want to help your dog modify its behavior until the situation is under control.
Stress growls are a warning signal. Their purpose is to tell others to back off before the dog is forced to take further action. Most dogs don't want to attack or bite. They use growling to prevent the situation from escalating.
If you catch your dog in a bad mood, and they growl at you, it may be a low rumbling growl, which can mean “leave me alone.” It is best to listen to your pup when they express their desire to be left alone. You may be able to tell more from their stiff body posture.
Dogs will give a warning growl in situations involving things like resource guarding, stranger danger, feeling cornered, or feeling stressed. Dogs use these warning growls to communicate to you or another animal to “back off” because they are uncomfortable.
Pleasure growling — Some dogs will growl affectionately when they are being petted or as a request for attention. Some people think it's a threat, but it's a sign of happiness. Threat growling — Often seen in dogs that are fearful, territorial or possessive, this growl tells a perceived threat to go away.
Pleasure and Affection
Just like when a cat purrs to show affection, some dogs may also express affection through sounds on occasion. For example, when you pet your dog, they may make a long and deep-sounding growl that seems like they're talking to you, along with a body language that's loose and relaxed.
If your dog is in a situation where they do growl; quietly and with as little fanfare and emotion as possible remove them from the situation to a place where they feel safe and secure. Do not keep them in the situation and try to reassure them or yell at them for growling.
Methods such as alpha rolls and physical corrections (via the leash and a choke chain or by smacking the dog on the nose or by shaking their scruffs) were often recommended as a way for humans to establish dominance over their dogs.
If your dog growls when you pet them, they're likely saying “no.” It's important to respect their boundaries and stop. However, dogs can also growl out of fear, pain, or happiness.
Aussies may become frightened or aggressive when they encounter unexpected people or animals if they are not properly socialized. Australian Shepherds require training as well.
Contentment. Grunting is a common sign of a happy dog. Whether enjoying a belly rub, a tickle behind the ears or scratching that persistent itch, dogs may rhythmically grunt to show enjoyment. They can also do so at other happy times, such as greeting their owner or waiting for food.
This breed can become very territorial and this behavior could lead to aggression or shyness, and that could lead to your beloved dog biting someone. Clean house be gone. The Aussie has a beautiful, thick coat you will need to brush regularly to remove any debris and to prevent his fur from matting.
Pleasure Growling: Some dogs will growl affectionately, when being petted, for example. They may also growl as a request for attention. This is usually a low growl with loose body language that owners tend to think seems like the dog is trying to talk.
NCBI describes jealous behaviors in dogs as snapping, getting between the owner and object, pushing, barking, growling, whining, or otherwise negative behavior towards the object (a thing, person, or another dog) that they perceive as a threat.
The play growl is at a higher pitch and comes in shorter bursts than a longer, aggressive growl. The only concern here may be the potential for escalation if playing gets too rough or the dog gets carried away with high energy.
General aggression of people or things usually points to socialization or trauma. But when asking 'why is my dog aggressive towards me but not my husband” you need to consider is it just you. When your dog is only afraid of you and not other people it can be due to lack of understanding your dogs way of communication.
Dogs use facial recognition to communicate with each other and human beings may not see facial features in the same way as dogs. When your dog growls at one person and not another, it might be that he sees a feature that is reminiscent of a threat to him in his memory.
Growling seems like an aggressive act. After all, it usually precedes a bite. But, at its core, growling is about communication. Dogs growl to indicate they're unhappy, uncomfortable, or even fearful about a particular situation.
It is rather an innate response triggered by the dog's self-defense system. The dog may feel alarmed, and he may go into fight-or-flight mode, but since a hug restrains him, he may more likely go into fight mode and react aggressively by giving a warning growl.
Most people associate a growling dog with aggression. However, just because your dog growls does not necessarily mean that he's aggressive. Dogs growl for a range of reasons, from fear and anxiety to excitement and a desire for attention.
Step 1 - Squat down, facing sideways, so you are not facing the dog directly. Position yourself far enough away from the dog so he doesn't retreat or attack. As soon as you see him make a move or escalate his fear behavior, stop and squat down. You don't want him to feel like you are cornering or chasing him.