Growling is a perfectly natural dog sound by the way he sends a certain message, as much as barking and whining. It should raise some concerns when it happens more frequently than usual and it leads to annoying situations. The first step you need to follow if you’re dealing with pug growling issues is to understand why they do it and prepare a training plan, therefore this article will give you more insight on the problem and useful tips you can try to solve it before it gets out of control.
Why Do Pug Growls?
In order to understand why your pug is growling, you need to look at the underlying causes in the first place. He may try to emphasize that he’s struggling with a serious problem, therefore you should not ignore him completely when he does it. Growling is considered to be a sign of aggression in some cases and can be due to various reasons, which include:
Pain – if he’s going through bad pain caused by trauma, illness, or a body injury, growling can be a way of easing the distress and also make you aware of the incident. If he also manifests other symptoms of a disease, but you don’t know exactly what it is, take him to a vet to diagnose him and prescribe a medication plan.
Territoriality and possession – growling when they are territorial and possessive is more like a sign of aggression, especially when someone he doesn’t know approaches them and perceives it as a threat. A pug can also become offended by someone trying to steal his food or take his toys away – this is also turning into an aggressive attitude.
Fear – When they feel a threat getting closer to them or the noise during thunderstorms. Usually when they face some unpredictable situations where fear is triggered and they don’t know how to react better.
How to stop Pug Growling from becoming a permanent habit
If your pug started growling all of a sudden and he persists in doing it even at night, it can be clearly a sign of a serious medical condition. To rule this option out, a vet is the best person you can reach so as to help you with any health problem. However, if it’s partly related to an aggressive behavior he’s developing, then it is your responsibility to take appropriate actions before it turns into a permanent habit.
Imagine the situation when, you come home from a long day at work and would enjoy spending some time with your pug, caressing him, keeping him in your lap, and cuddling him, but as soon as you approach or touch him all you get back is an ugly growl, warning you to leave him alone – most certainly it is not the best scenario you’re expecting and above all, it is not what owning a pet should be like.
If this episode repeats all over again and he snarls at you and tries to bite you, you should consider another training approach with him. What you can do when your pug growls and how to best react? Well, yelling at him or hard punishment is not conducive to the desired result, so you should better avoid it if you try to make your pug understand that he’s misbehaving.
One reaction you can display in front of him is ignorance and stepping away from him. He’ll get the idea that his attitude did not catch your attention and eventually he’ll get tired of growling. Although, if your dog fears someone entering the house or approaching him, you can move him to another room, so that he won’t perceive any threat around.
Also, when he’s eating, it is best to leave him alone and come back when he’s finished his food. In like manner, you can avoid touching his toys when he’s distressed by something, to eliminate the cause of triggering possession aggression. Correcting this behavior depends mainly on how you respond to it, but if your actions are to no avail, you can call for specialized help. A specialist will know how to deal with each of the causes and prepare an adequate training plan for your pug.
