Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
Dog growls and barks at you playfully allowed?
I have a Pit/Lab who's 7 months old. She's very playful and when I look at her and bark or growl she'll growl and bark back while wagging her tail. Is this bad? I know she's playing, but everyone says your dog shouldn't growl as it's a dominance thing. I use to play tug-a-war with her, but I was told with her breed mix I shouldn't, because it's a game of dominance. I'm curious if this is true or just a bunch of stories?
10 Answers
- Anonymous8 years ago
I'm not going to stop my dogs from being dogs. Growling and barking is apart of their communication and there is a clear difference between an angry/disrespectful growl and bark and a playful growl and bark.
Tug-of-war games in most cases are just fine.
They growl playfully and will bring the tug-of-war rope to me so that we can play. They are not showing their dominace; if I say "drop it" in the middle of tug-of-war they will instantly drop it.
I'm sure there are some dogs that take that game too far, but I would say in most cases that is a training issue on part of the dog's owner.
- ?Lv 48 years ago
I have a golden retriever who is the most gentle-natured dog I could have ever hoped to meet. He has never shown any aggression to any people or other animals. We have 2 cats which he is very friendly towards and has not even shown aggression towards other dogs which have been aggressive towards him. That said, my dog ALWAYS growls when I play tug of war with him. He always has done since he was a puppy, but it's only playing! He's 6 years old now and not once has his growling led to aggressive behaviour. If your dog is a good natured dog and does not show aggression outside playing with him then that is nothing to worry about! He's just getting all over-excited :)
- Anonymous8 years ago
As long as YOU establish your dominance, there's not a problem. For instance, don't let her win at tug of war. You are stronger than her and she listens to you. Establish your dominance and you won't have a problem. Those things don't seem like a problem and dogs need to show dominance somehow. My puppy growls at my other dog and he accepts it. I'm thinking she will be the dominant one when she gets big. But dogs don't generally have a problem with you being the pack leader. And yeah, she's playing, she's not trying you. She knows you're playing with her.
Be glad she's not displaying her dominance by peeing everywhere lol
- •Poppy•Lv 78 years ago
It's a bunch of myths.
Tug of war is fine as long as your dog knows a good 'drop it' command and does so when you're finished playing.
Growling/barking while playing is a personal thing - if your dog does it and it's clear that it's playful, you can choose to allow it or not. I have a dog that does this when she plays; it doesn't bother me one bit.
- How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- Chelsea LatelyLv 78 years ago
I allow my German Shepherd to growl and bark in play. I'm not afraid of her and I know she's growling in play. She sounds different when she's playing then she does when she's growling for real. I know her well enough to know the difference.
Tug or war is NOT bad. I play it with my dog now and I've always played it with my dogs. Its only bad if your dog doesn't know and listen to the "release (or drop it)" command. Its also a game that you want to "win". You want the dog to think of you as stronger - which means you win. Playing tug of war is a fun game for them. It stimulates their drive and mind. It's a natural game for them.
As for the growling and barking its up to you. Personally I'm ok with it. If you're comfortable with it then its fine. I always joke that when people hear my GSD they probably think she's killing me...she really sounds mean...but we're just playing.
:]
- ?Lv 45 years ago
There might desire to be no compromise while it consists of aggressive canines and teenagers. toddlers might desire to come first and in the event that they do no longer, then CPS might desire to take them far off from such neglectful mothers and fathers. Ask your husband it rather is greater substantial to him? His 8 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous or his dogs? if it is the dogs, take the toddlers and go away him. record for divorce and ask for finished custody, with supervised visitation in basic terms for him as he would not understand the way risky canines may be with toddlers. If he says his baby, ask him how he will experience if he supplies that dogs a 2nd threat and it heavily bites your baby, optimum to everlasting maiming or perhaps loss of life? you could additionally clarify that if the baby is heavily injured, CPS gets entangled and if it is going to become undemanding which you knew the dogs become a threat and did no longer something, you will in all probability lose custody of your baby(ren). i can not inform you why your dogs is doing this. All i will inform you is that your dogs IS a right away threat on your loved ones. If I have been the dogs proprietor, i might merely take him to the pound and tell them what handed off, asking that the two they sent it to a place that rehabilitates canines or that they positioned it down. a baby is a worthwhile situation and in the journey that your husband can not positioned your baby past to the dogs, get rid of him too. Take care.
- 5 years ago
We tend to think of dog training as a series of steps for teaching particular behaviors. To teach a dog to stay in a particular position, you reward her as she remains in place for gradually longer times, at gradually greater distances, with gradually increasing degrees of distraction. Read more https://tr.im/trainanydog
Now, this is fine, training does involve teaching dogs specific behaviors with a step-by-step approach. This week, though, I’m going to discuss three mental habits that will not only enable you train more effectively but also make life pleasant for both you and your dog.
- Anonymous8 years ago
If you started the vocal interchange, it is allowed.
- Anonymous8 years ago
Stop