3 Shocking Causes to Dog Growling

Do you have a puppy that constantly growls at you or anything that walks by him? You may think your little puppy's growls are cute but imagine down the road when your

dog is full grown and STILL constantly growling. Not so cute any more isn't it? Do you have a puppy that constantly growls at you or anything that walks by him? You may think your little puppy's growls are cute but imagine down the road when your dog is full grown and STILL constantly growling. Not so cute any more isn't it? The first years of your puppy's life will shape and mold him into the dog he will grow to be. This mean if your allowing this kind of behavior now, then your going to have bigger problems in the years to come. Here are 3 tips you can use to nip this problem in the bud.

1. Alpha Status
Do you know why it's so important to be the alpha dog in the household? Dog's are pack animals, this means that there is one leader of the pack that calls the shots and everyone else is a subordinate. That's just the natural instincts. If your dog is growling at you, snarling, nipping or any kind of aggressive behaviors, it's because your dog is confused on who exactly is the alpha male in the relationship. Your dog is trying to gain alpha status. This can be easily fixed with a few changes.

Don't give your dog attention when he ask for it. Let you dog know that he needs to cut out the pawing and barking to get attention by ignoring him completely until he calms down. By giving your dog attention whenever he ask for it, that's a sign of your dog showing dominance. Same goes for feeding, when you feed your dog, make sure your dog understands what is expected by not giving him food until he sits still and is quiet.

Also, don't let your dog sleep with you in your bed, I know this may be hard at first, but it's imperative that you don't share the same bed as your dog. Other ways you can show your dog who's boss is with basic obedience training. Train your dog cue commands like "stay, sit and quiet". These commands will surely let your dog know that certain behaviors are not acceptable.

2. Clicker Training
Clicker training is a great way to teach your dog which behaviors are acceptable. Communication is the biggest barrier wit dogs and humans. Clicker training helps your dog learn faster and more effectively. At the same time you are training your dog using positive reinforcement. Clicker training can begin with associating good rewards with the sound of the "click". You can't just use any thing that makes a click sound. You have to purchased a clicker made specifically for this training technique. With clicker training your dog will be on his best behavior for that yummy treat. Later on, you can change the reward from treat to other forms of positive reinforcement like praise and affectionate hugs. Clicker training is a tool used to successfully train your dog what is acceptable and what not.

3.Building Confidence
Some dogs are less confident than others, making them a little more jumpy and timid. This can cause your little puppy like he needs to be on the defense mode, hence the snarling and growling. If your puppy tends to growl at a certain person, give that person some dog treats to give to your dog. This will help your dog connect good experiences with this person. A lot of dog that have been abused in the lives show qualities of aggression due to their abuse. Help instill confidence in your dog.

Use these tips to help and prevent your dog from growing up to be a growler.