Dogs growl when they feel uncomfortable and a growl serves as a clear warning signal. Growling is often more obvious than subtle signs like tucked tails, looking away, yawning, or lip licking. Punishing a growl can teach a dog to hide its warning signals, which may lead to escalated responses such as air snaps or bites. Any dog can bite, and underestimating that risk increases bite incidents. Stopping the provoking action, de-escalating the situation, and using training and management strategies can help make the dog feel more comfortable and reduce future risk.
To be honest, there are plenty to choose from, but perhaps the most egregious, and the one I settled on in this case, is the erroneous advice that some dog trainers used to give (and sadly, some still do) that you should not let a dog growl at you. Unfortunately, this advice puts people at risk of dog bites and, therefore, dogs at risk of being rehomed or euthanized.
A growl is one of the ways that dogs communicate to tell us how they're feeling. A growl is often more obvious to us than signs such as a tucked tail, looking away, yawning, or licking the lips (when they're not about to get a treat). A growl tells you that you should stop what you're doing and think about ways to de-escalate the situation-and depending on the circumstances, make a plan or hire a trainer to help in the future.
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