How to Stop Your Puppy From Growling at You

Puppies growl for a multitude of reasons. If your puppy is constantly growling directly at you, it is not respecting you as its owner and leader. Even if it growls only in playful situations, the behavior needs to be stopped, because growling is often a precurser to aggression. There are several ways you can identify the cause of growling and stop this behvavior in your puppy before it leads to a more serious problem.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog crate
  • Treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the cause of your puppy's growling. It is important to know why your puppy is growling at you before you can try to fix the problem. Look for certain actions that cause your puppy to growl at you. In many cases, puppies growl at their owners when they think their food or toys are threatened, when they are playing, or when they are scared or upset.

    • 2

      Address food-related growling immediately. If your dog growls at you when you approach its food bowl, you need to address the issue before the dog begins biting. Start by handling the food before putting it in the bowl and hand feeding food and snacks. This will make your dog more comfortable with the idea of you touching its food. Then test your dog's comfort level by handling its food while it is in the bowl. Continue handling your dog's food this way until the growling stops. Then give lots of praise.

    • 3

      Assert your dominance as your dog's leader. Dogs should view their owners as their "pack leaders"; otherwise they think they are in charge and stop listening to and respecting you. One of the ways that dogs try to show they are in charge is by growling. If your dog growls at you. make sure you are always showing the dog you are its superior. Walk through doors first, eat before your dog does, and make it sleep on the floor instead of your bed. As your dog begins to understand that you are the dominant one, it will stop growling at you.

    • 4

      Punish your puppy accordingly when it growls at you. If your dog begins aggressively growling, you should give it time to calm down by crating it or placing it in a restricted area. Do not yell at or scold it, because this aggressive and angry behavior can make your dog think it is okay to continue to act aggressively. Wait until your dog has calmed down before releasing it.