How to tell the difference between play growling and aggressive growling?
Margarett Effertz
2025-05-23 11:24:41
Count answers: 2
Rough-housing is normal and healthy for dogs, whether they’re growling at each other, lunging, wrestling or even biting- it’s all part of how they play. 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. The Snarl: When the dog lifts the lip to bare teeth, just before a growl or bite, this is called snarling. This is a definite sign of aggression, not play. An aggressive growl will be accompanied by snarling and snapping, while a playful growl is just a sound, accompanied by relaxed body movements. The Freeze: A sure sign of stress is when a dog’s body “freezes” or goes rigid with stiff legs. The Stare-off: If a dog is intently staring at another dog without breaking eye contact and following that dog around, this is an indication of stalking.
Toney Osinski
2025-05-23 10:58:17
Count answers: 2
When dogs play, it often takes the form of play fighting, play biting and wrestling. Although it can be fun and harmless, sometimes this can intensify into unsafe and serious scraps if you do not observe your dog closely. Growling – Sometimes dogs will growl during play, but these growls are accompanied with loose, relaxed body language. When growling is followed by any of the above behaviors, or is a deep and low, it may be a sign of aggressive behavior that needs to be addressed. Stiffness – when a dog becomes tense and stressed, they usually appear rigid and stand in a stiff-legged stance. Their face is another indicator, so look for muscles tightening or furrowed brows. Freezing – when a dog becomes tense or rigid, they may enter a state of nervousness and freeze up. Direct stare – another indicator of a stressed pup is when they intently focus on another dog without blinking or engage in excessive and aggressive stalking. Snarling – often ignored by humans, tiny muzzle movements associated with a lip snarl may be an indicator of an uncomfortable dog. Dogs will often lift their lip in a snarl before they growl or snap.
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