The following are some good albeit basic articles on dog growling. Mainly explaining that dogs may growl for a variety of reasons including fear, pain, or possesive/territorial aggression. Also that usually the growling is an action that warn of a possible bite.

The second article explain why its never a good idea to punish a growling dog, regardless of what we think of the issue. By punishing the dog, we tell are suppression the warning to a bite and thus we sometimes get dogs that bite without prior warning. Also reminds the reader that the solution to growling is no actually supression the growling but fixing the underlying cause.

Happy reading!

http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/a/understand-dog-growling.htm?nl=1

http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/a/dealing-with-a-growling-dog.htm?nl=1

Have you ever heard a Rottweiler growl during play? I'm sure any breed does it, but some sound a little more ferocious than others. I LOVE hearing my dogs growl, and I know when it's play and when it's not. Body language and growling put together make the complete picture and determine whether it's serious or not.

Ann wrote:

Have you ever heard a Rottweiler growl during play? I'm sure any breed does it, but some sound a little more ferocious than others. I LOVE hearing my dogs growl, and I know when it's play and when it's not. Body language and growling put together make the complete picture and determine whether it's serious or not.

I agree ... when Patchs and Keta (The rottie next door) play they always growl. They also get their hackles up. But it's out of excitement not aggression. Every dog I have ever played with since the age of 9 has growled at me when we played tug-o-war, and they never meant me any harm.

Like Ann said, Body language is the key here. That's why we need to learn to "speak dog" and understand what they are telling us. Way to many people try to humanize dogs. They are the one's getting bit and attacked!

Speak dog....I like that. Growling is just one of several noises dogs can make. My Hannah (now at the Bridge) was the noisiest dog I've ever had. She made these gutteral " arr arr arr" sounds as a GREETING, and most people backed away from that noise. She growled during belly rubs and back scratches. She had been rehomed 3 times before I got her and all I can say about that is that her previous owners don't know what they missed out on. She had 8 wonderful years as a family member here and was fabulous at teaching the grandkids to "speak dog".

Thank you for sharing knowledge about when dog growling.. what's behavior, action possibilities of dog..