It simply means they're having a great time. Your dog might even growl during a particularly pleasing cuddle or patting session. Many dogs growl talk to communicate contentment or as a greeting. These types of growls simply indicate happiness.
Threat or Fear
This type of growl with a low volume and a deep, rumbling sound usually happens when a dog feels scared, possessive, or threatened. It is a warning growl that indicates their discomfort in a particular situation.
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.
Pleasure growling
A pleasure growl sounds very low and rumbling, and may last much longer than other dog growls. It's relatively clear from the situation your pet is in if they are emitting a pleasure growl: if they are having their belly rubbed or something else they really enjoy!
Growling is part of normal canine communication. People usually think of a dog's growl as a warning or as a sign of defense. Often, growling means that the dog needs space or is uncomfortable. However, growling is a complex vocalization that also occurs in other situations.
Dogs may growl during playtime to show their enthusiasm or excitement. If you observe that your dog is wagging its tail while growling, it's a good indication that they are enjoying themselves.
The Growl: Dogs do growl while playing, but there are two ways to tell different growls apart. An aggressive growl will be accompanied by snarling and snapping, while a playful growl is just a sound, accompanied by relaxed body movements (no tension).
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.
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.
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.
Frustration and Irritation
Commonly misinterpreted as aggression, your dogs can growl due to frustration as well which is most similar to a pleasure growl. Dogs don't handle irritation very well which is why it is often expressed with low, rumbling growl.
Act like the alpha of the back and show him who is boss. Look him/her in the eye: When you give a command, look straight at your pet. Make sure he can see that you mean business and that it is not a command to be disobeyed. Always hold eye contact with your pet, no matter how big or small he or she is.
Dogs emit two primary growls: one for play and one for all other times when dogs are angry, a study confirms.
Are you surprised by the findings? Rough Collies are the most aggressive dog breed, a new study of more than 9,000 pets has found. Research conducted by the University of Helsinki found that smaller dogs are more likely to behave aggressively, growl, snap, and bark compared to mid-sized and large dogs.
Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.
Dogs will also growl when they are feeling frightened or stressed out. Most of the time this is a warning before the dog reacts aggressively. Although a dog may not always snap or bite after growling from fear or stress, it is still always best to be cautious.
It's hard to decipher the difference with human ears, but play growling is typically higher-pitched and shorter in length than aggressive growling. Dogs can tell the sounds apart and know when their playmate is having fun and when they're not.
Straight off the bat you should be correcting your dog's growling and/or snapping with a firm “no” at the onset of the behavior. When he stops growling, reward him with a “good boy”, or in the beginning, a treat if it's handy at the exact moment of training so that he knows what he is being rewarded for.
Many dogs simply tolerate patting but don't enjoy it, and many dogs find human touch to be scary or awful. And when something is scary or awful, the polite canine way for a dog to make this clear to the world is by a growl, a snarl, a snap, or an inhibited bite. Yes, you read that right.
Guarding people, places and things is normal for dogs (and for most people!) and growling is a dog's way of giving a warning. The aggressive display may stop with a growl (especially if the perceived threat goes away) or it may be a precursor to snapping and biting.
Your dog might even growl during a particularly pleasing cuddle or patting session. Many dogs growl talk to communicate contentment or as a greeting. These types of growls simply indicate happiness.
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.
Growling is a low, guttural vocalization produced by animals as an aggressive warning but can also be found in other contexts such as playful behaviors or mating. Different animals will use growling in specific contexts as a form of communication.