It is not strange that in areas where dogs are found and can play we can observe that, among them, they exchange growls without, in most cases, a fight is taking place, rather the opposite. Why do dogs growl at certain people when they play? What about other dogs?
Growling, usually related to a situation of threat or aggression, can alert caregivers that something is wrong. For this reason, in this article on our site we are going to explain why our dog growls when playing, since this situation often occurs.
Dog communication
Our canine companions, obviously, cannot speak, but that is the only thing they lack since they have a rich non-verbal communication that is manifested through body language and in the different vocalizations such as barking, crying, howling or growling, which we will deal with in this article.
The growl, as we said, usually indicates a dangerous situation. The dog usually growls as a warningin a situation that he dislikes and wants to end, otherwise his evolution will be an attack and even a bite. But the dog can also growl for other reasons, such as when he is in pain and we unknowingly touch him in that area and, also, in a situation of game like the one at hand.
Even in a pleasant situation, such as a massage session, we can see that the dog growls when you pet it. It's totally normal. It is this playful aspectof the growl that is found in the base that explains why a dog growls when he plays
The importance of play
Dogs, eminently social animals, play throughout their lives since, like animals that have been domesticated, they maintain their childlike characteristics also in adulthood. That is why when two or more dogs meet that get along, it is common for a lively game session to be triggered.
Through play, the puppy learns to relate with his environment and his peers, first thanks to the presence of his mother and his siblings, hence the basic importance of the dog's socialization, crucial during the first eight weeks, at least, in which the puppy must remain with his family. Later, the game will be extended to other animals and humans, continuing with the task of discovering and relating to the world.
With the game, the dog tests and exercises its abilities andphysical abilities, measures its strength, as well as the of their peers and, in addition, constitutes a measure of good he alth. If our dog stops playing he could be suffering from an illness or in pain. Logically, with age, the period and/or the vigor of our dog's play will decrease.
We will see in the next section why a dog growls when he plays by analyzing a typical game session
The development of a game session with other dogs
Next we will see how a typical game session can be developed between two or more dogs. It is easy to observe this scene in any park, especially if the dogs can be loose. If we are lucky enough to live with more than one dog, these scenes will also be very familiar to us.
As we have said, the non-verbal communication is very important in dogs and, thus, we will be able to distinguish a very typical posture of the moment game in which the dog is going to plant its front train on the ground while it will raise its rear. It is also common for them to jump in that position, open their mouths, stick out their tongues, emit a sharp bark, wag their tails and also growl, without posing any threat. This position is simply known as "playing stance" and might remind us of bowing.
All these details constitute a incitement to play that few dogs will be able to resist. In addition, it is common for dogs to lie on their backs and roll around, paw at each other as if inviting them to play, run around or even launch into a race hoping to be chased and caught by their partner.
All these movements will be carried out by the dogs taking part in the session indistinctly, that is, they will roles will be exchanged and, during the session, everyone will follow one another in the roles of pursuer or pursued, they will show their vulnerable abdominal area, etc. As we can see, during the context of the game, there are going to be actions that, outside of this situation, would be a cause for concern and danger, such as growling, barking or chasing. It is the playful aspect of growlingthat allows us to explain why our dog growls when he plays
Developing a game session with people
Play sessions between dogs and people share some characteristics mentioned above, such as growling. Especially if we use chews or rope toys, it is quite likely that our dog will growl while we struggle with him. It is important to highlight that the dog does not growl for no reason, on the contrary, he continues to use his rich body language and the typical vocalizations of his species so that we understand that he is playing.
During the practice of these types of games we must let our dog win sometimes, but we must alsowin us in others , so that he doesn't start to show possession towards these toys and doesn't lead to a behavior problem. A good tool that allows us to control possessiveness is to teach the dog the "let go" or "leave" command, which will help us retrieve any toy in a positive way.
Warning Signs
If our dog plays with another as we have described, we do not have to worry even if we hear growls, because we will be facing a playful growl, which will be distinguished from the growl that serves as a alarm on all the rest of the signals that the dog is emitting.
In a warning growl we will see the dog tense, alert, still and even showing his teeth. It is in that situation that an attack could occur. It is common in poorly socialized dogs, with traumas or bad experiences and it is common that in these cases we observe that the dog does not play with other dogs, constantly growls at them or when they approach him. On the other hand, the playful growl does not carry any tension, on the contrary, the dog is happy, relaxed and in constant movement, running, jumping, chasing or catching the dog. Another dog. Even so, especially if our dog is playing with a stranger, we must pay attention to the development of the game.
Sometimes dogs with different play needs can have a problem, for example if play is between a puppy with enough energy to not want to stop and an older dog who wants to rest. In these cases, it could be explained why our dog growls when playing as a sign of discomfort and warning Therefore, if we see our dog tense or, on the contrary, insisting on playing with a dog that no longer wants to do so, we must intervene to separate them and not lead to potential aggression.
On the other hand, if we have a negative attitude towards him, we can observe that the dog growls when we scold him, as a sign of stress and anxiety, as well as a warning. Dogs can also growl at people for other reasons, such as pain, behavioral problems, or hormonal illnesses. The growl as a warning, if it occurs against us or poses a risk to other animals is a reason for consult a professional, ethologist or canine educator.
