How to Deal With a Small, Yappy & Growling Dog

Bonding with your pooch is tough -- he growls and yaps nonstop. In his mind, he's doing the best he can to communicate with you, although his behavior is clearly not appropriate. With some extra care though, you'll be able to nix his annoying behavior in no time and make him a beloved part of your family.

  1. Put Something in His Mouth

    • Every time anyone comes to the door, Monster starts growling and barking loudly. He is too short to see out the window to get a good look at who is there -- friend or foe -- so he makes all kinds of noises to alert the stranger that he is protecting the house. Leave Monster̵7;s favorite plush toy in a basket near the main entrance along with a bag of goodies. As someone approaches the house, offer him the toy or toss a few treats across the room to divert his attention. This way you will be able to sign for the package or invite your guest in, without worrying about Monster jumping all over her right away.

    Ignore It

    • Your little fur-ball loves sitting in your lap, but you are busy and don̵7;t have time to play at the moment. He gets bored when you are working on the computer. So he sits and stares at you, making all kinds of noises. Naturally, you tell him to stop or pick him up and put him in the other room. Even though you are giving him negative attention, it is still attention. That is all he wanted and consequently, you just encouraged the behavior. Now he knows anytime he wants his human to play with him, all he has to do is yap away. Just ignore him, walk away or close the door. As soon as he shuts his mouth, then pet him or pick him up and relocate him. He has to learn that being quiet and sitting still get the attention reward, not barking at his owner.

    Make Time for Exercise

    • Your fur-covered companion is like a wind-up toy, always full of bottomless energy. If you know you have family coming over for dinner, take Benny for a vigorous long walk ahead of time. Get out all of his pent-up excitement beforehand, so he doesn̵7;t growl, whine and howl at every visitor who comes through the door. He will be too tired to open up his mouth during dinner and spend his time curled up on his bed instead. If you don̵7;t have time to exercise him, hold off on his evening kibble and wait until your guests arrive. Then give Benny a treat ball filled with his dinner. He will be too preoccupied pushing that ball around and getting to his entree to pay any attention to those new humans who just came into his house.

    Avoid Punishment

    • As much as you may want to punish your pint-size companion for snarling uncontrollably, it is the last thing you will want to do. If Oscar̵7;s growling and yapping stems from fear, yelling at him will scare him even more, enhancing his aggressive behavior, according to The Humane Society of the United States. You are better off teaching him a good behavior, like silence gets attention, rather than grounding him for being too loud.