Stop Puppy Growling As Soon As You Can

Before reading on, I wanted to let you know:
Here is my recommended comprehensive dog training guide which will help you to stop all problem dog behaviors: Secrets To Dog Training.

It can be normal for a puppy or dog to growl when playing a game like tug of war. But in other circumstances it can be a warning that he does not like something and may bite. He may growl if someone is hurting him or if he is afraid of something. You would not want to stop your puppy growling for a legitimate reason.

If the growling has just started, ask yourself what changes have happened in his life - for example in his training or in the home situation. It's also possible that there may be something physically wrong which needs checking with a vet.

If the growling is unwarranted, it may be that he is trying to manipulate you. For example, it should be possible to take away his toys or food without him growling at you.

Growling is one sign of aggression (as is biting, snapping and snarling) and if this is the reason for it then it needs to be addressed before the aggression escalates. You should read the article on "Stop aggressive dog behavior". It is vital not to reinforce any kind of aggression in your dog.

One method to deal with growling is to ignore the behaviour, to turn your back or walk away. This method makes sure that there is no reward or reinforcing for the growling behavior.

As with all problems, it is important that your puppy or dog undergoes basic training to follow commands like "sit", "stay" and "lie" and "come". Training in general will improve your dog's behavior all round and, especially, following the recommendation to be the alpha dog or leader of your pack. Making yourself the alpha dog or pack leader is the first thing to put into practice as the basis of any other methods you may try.

If you don't feel confident about doing obedience training on your own, then take your dog to dog training classes.

You need to be aware that you aren't just training your dog when you decide to have a training session. You are training your dog whenever you are with it. You need to be aware of not reinforcing any undesired behaviors any time you are with your puppy or dog. You must be consistent at all times with your dog.

As well as becoming the pack leader and doing basic obedience training, another important factor is to make sure your dog is socialised by exposing him to different people, different dogs and different environments.

If you want a complete guide to training your puppy or dog, I can highly recommend Secrets To Dog Training by Daniel Stevens. It teaches you everything you need to know about dogs.