# Growl on command?



## Norboo (Feb 18, 2008)

After reading “FURIOUS! Altercation at dog park” inspired to teach my puppy to growl on command. Would this make her aggressive or any down side? If not, how would a go about such task? 


FURIOUS! Altercation at dog park
http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/25887-furious-altercation-dog-park.html


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

If you used physical aversion to make the dog growl, that would make her aggressive. If you could mark and reinforce a growl during play, however, you could put it on cue.


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## Alpha (Aug 24, 2006)

I think this is just asking for trouble to be perfectly honest.

You happen to be put in an awful situation like that, your dog growls, and BOOM, before you know it your standing in a court room defending your dog who's spent the past three weeks in doggie jail because some kids lied and said your dog attacked them viciously.

Also at a recent aggression seminar by Kerry Vinson, he states that dogs that growl often, (at their owners) are more prone, in his professional opinion to agression and dominance issues.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Alpha said:


> Also at a recent aggression seminar by Kerry Vinson, he states that dogs that growl often, (at their owners) are more prone, in his professional opinion to agression and dominance issues.


There's a difference between a dog that growls with unintentional provocation and a dog that is intentionally taught growling is rewarding.


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## Chelsea and Oskar (Feb 18, 2008)

I read something a little while back about training your dog to be an "attack dog". I totally wouldn't do that, but because Oskar is part german shepard it interested me to read about it.
It is actually the same training when you train your dog to be a "watch dog", if you are really interested in the growling, look up stuff on training to be a watch dog. There are steps in the training that can lead all the way up to biting and holding then releasing. I'm not suggesting you do that... but early steps of training might be what you are looking for.

So why do you want your dog to growl on command?


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Chelsea and Oskar said:


> So why do you want your dog to growl on command?


Despite what Norboo will tell you, he's really going to use it as a party trick.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

I can make my dogs growl on command....

The command is "I have me balls and ye don't ha-ha!"


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## Norboo (Feb 18, 2008)

Alpha said:


> I think this is just asking for trouble to be perfectly honest.
> 
> You happen to be put in an awful situation like that, your dog growls, and BOOM, before you know it your standing in a court room defending your dog who's spent the past three weeks in doggie jail because some kids lied and said your dog attacked them viciously.
> 
> Also at a recent aggression seminar by Kerry Vinson, he states that dogs that growl often, (at their owners) are more prone, in his professional opinion to agression and dominance issues.






Chelsea and Oskar said:


> I read something a little while back about training your dog to be an "attack dog". I totally wouldn't do that, but because Oskar is part german shepard it interested me to read about it.
> It is actually the same training when you train your dog to be a "watch dog", if you are really interested in the growling, look up stuff on training to be a watch dog. There are steps in the training that can lead all the way up to biting and holding then releasing. I'm not suggesting you do that... but early steps of training might be what you are looking for.
> 
> So why do you want your dog to growl on command?


All I have to say is LEARN to read before you bark


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## Chelsea and Oskar (Feb 18, 2008)

Before I bark? I'm not saying anything nasty. You can't tell my tone by the words I write. I was interested in why you want him to even with the thread. I'm not making a judgement on it or anything. Jeeze.


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## Alpha (Aug 24, 2006)

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> After reading “FURIOUS! Altercation at dog park” inspired to teach my puppy to growl on command. Would this make her aggressive or any down side? If not, how would a go about such task?


I can read thank you. And I have read the post. If your intentions are NOT to teach your dog to growl at annoying teenagers, then what are they?

*And perhaps YOU should learn how to convey your intentions rather than I learn how to read.*

Whatever. Waste of my time. Good luck to you, and I hope your dog makes out alright.

Curbside, not to say that I agree with one side or the other.

I was just stating what a well known Animal Behaviourist stated at a recent dog seminar. Not that I agree. There's a lot I don't agree with when it comes to professionals, just thought that what a professional had to say might be food for thought.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Yes, but the context should be clear. Imagine making this statement in front of Hollywood dog trainers. They'd have this behaviorist for lunch, LOL. 

BTW, Norboo tends to be flippant.  So don't be offended.


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## John Bono (Apr 4, 2008)

Norboo said:


> After reading “FURIOUS! Altercation at dog park” inspired to teach my puppy to growl on command. Would this make her aggressive or any down side? If not, how would a go about such task?
> 
> 
> FURIOUS! Altercation at dog park
> http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/25887-furious-altercation-dog-park.html


I think trying to teach a dog to make a real, angry, lip-curled growl on command would be asking for trouble. I think this is different from just making a growl type sound. When we first adopted Queenie, for some reason, it bothered me that the dog wouldn't vocalize when playing tug of war. So, whenever I played tug of war with the dog, I'd growl. In a few weeks, whenever we played tug-of -war, I'd growl, and she'd growl back.* She wasn't being aggressive nor was she being dominant, nor was she being mouthy or nippy in the least. She just made a sound that was like a growl. She also learned the difference between loud bark, and soft bark. So you can teach a dog to vocalize to a degree, but I have to think that training a dog to growl, really growl, is tantamount to training a dog to be angry, and that is a dangerous road to go down. Even attack dogs don't get angry.


*Some are going to say by playing TOW, I was teaching the dog to be dominant, or aggressive, or something. If I was, I failed utterly. The dog dropped the ball at the word drop pretty instantly, the dog asked for permission before jumping on any bed or couch, and jumped off without undue prodding, and had zero, zip, zilch toy/food aggression issues.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

John Bono said:


> I think trying to teach a dog to make a real, angry, lip-curled growl on command would be asking for trouble. I think this is different from just making a growl type sound.


Oh put Hollywood dog trainers do this too. If the dog is capable of curling it's lip, barring its teeth and growling, he can be taught to do it on cue. 

I would disagree with the implication that if the dog does it on cue, it means he's also in that state of mind. The consequence will dictate why he behaves, and if that consequence is a liver treat, well, I'm inclined to believe he's hungry and not aggressing.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

I can't even GET my dog to growl. Fact is, reading this thread it suddenly dawned on me that I have never heard this dog growl. Not once. Not in play and not at the cats and not at anything. 

Fact is, she barked twice at strangers and that was not aggression barking (it was two woofs because she was surprised). 

She WILL bark and I have actually gotten her to bark on command (finally).. but honestly.. the ONLY time this dog barks is when we are doing something new with the clicker and she has offered 3-4 behaviors in a row and heard "that's not it" as many times.. and then she will bark at me as if to say, "What do you MEAN by THAT'S NOT IT! Look at all I just did lame brain.. and you say THAT'S NOT IT??!! What is WRONG with you. ONE of those things HAD to BE IT! You missed it.. " Then she starts the offer sequence again.. 

But I have no idea how to GET her to growl. If I did, I would have gotten a cue on that baby by now and have her growl on command. 

So much for the "Dominant Aggressor Pack Leader Alpha" stuff "they" say about German Shepherd Dogs.... 
*sigh*

Well, if you all can figure out a way to get her to growl in the first place, I bet I can teach her to do it on command and not have to worry about aggression or any of the rest.


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## LMH (Jan 2, 2008)

I would love to teach this command. I used to have a doberman when I was younger and some how he knew the sik'em command. I don't know how he learned it because my parents were never interested in training them. He was a backyard dog. But a great dog, friend and watchdog. Anyway, if you pointed to something and said sic'em, he would snarl and growl and act as if he was about to pounce on whatever you were pointing at. It was so funny, we would point to flower in the yard and he would do this to the flowers. We were told to never point at anyone or another animal when we did this. 
I thought it was the coolest thing though. And he never bit anyone or got aggressive with us.As soon as we said okay spike, he would return to normal.


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## French Ring (Mar 29, 2008)

I never take my dogs to dog park because I do not trust people, kids, and dogs that go there. I never know what will happen and I refuse to put my dogs in a situation where they have to make a deicison on fight, or flight. I know if Elisa has a chance, she will fight and Roo prefer to flight. 

After something bad happens, they will change how they see me as their pack leader. Because I have failed to protect them, they expect me to stop somethings before it happens. Honestly, it is the pack leader's job to protect everyone within their pack. I can't control people, kids, and their dogs, but I can control mine. 

A good example someone in here posted about their two dogs getting into fighting. http://www.dogforums.com/3-dog-training-forum/26139-my-dogs-fighting-s.html

I chose not to make any comments on that thread because I don't know if the OP is going to reply again. The reason Op's dogs are fighting, they are fighting over pack issues. When Shelby is getting so afraid of Molly, it was obvious that Shelby went to her OP for help. She knew that the OP is supposed to be her leade rof her pack, but what did she do? It bothers me so much so I prefer not to say one word.

Shelby expected that her mom will protect her and her mom failed to do that. Well.. I'm wondering what did the OP do when both dogs are fighting. There are obvious signs where we can stop before something worse happen. 

Why do you still want to take your dog there? Even if you taught your dog the growl on command. How will that help you or the dog to keep them safe from other people or dogs? I don't think it is a very smart choice. I suggest you don't go there and I'm sure you don't like that advice.


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