Teaching A Dog To Growl?

[Shakti]

without causing the dog to go into the corresponding mindset?

At a dog training class the other day, (NOT AT THE K9 COMPANY !!) two trainers were discussing teaching their dogs various *tricks* One said they had taught their dog to growl on a hand signal. The other trainer said they would never do that as for a dog to growl it had to enter either a fearful or aggressive mindset which she believed was undesirable. the other trainer pooh-poohed this idea and said it was just another means of vocalising such as barking and pointed out taha a bitch can growl at one of her puppies when they *step over the line* and seconds later be happily licking that puppy.

What do you all think? Has anyone here done it?

[jesomil]

Yes, it is very possible to teach without dog going into a different mindset.

I taught my last dog to do it. It is just another varient of speaking. She would bark on command but then also learnt to growl on command. All done with a swiftly wagging tail waiting for her reward.

[Cosmolo]

I used shaping to teach my JRT to bark and during that process i could have taught a lovely happy growl. Dogs don't only growl when they are unhappy.

[stormie]

Orbit will growl on command sometimes. As others have said, it's just a variation of 'speak'. He's certainly not in an aggressive mind set at all. I don't think dog's only growl when being aggressive, I've heard plenty of dogs make a growl sound during play.

[anniek]

I taught my big lump of a greyhound to growl and bark on command. He doesn't "do" anything physical in the way of tricks etc, but he growls, barks and clacks his teeth at me when he is very happy/playful and wants me to join in.

So I just added a word and a hand signal and took it from there - party trick for when people say greyhounds don't bark do they? and I can say "only on command"

[cornell]

My older dog sings joyfully.

I tried to teach my new dog to sing but all he can manage is a joyful growling sound. He looks totally and utterly adorable when he does it.

His body language and his beaming eyes tell me that his thoughts are consumed with nothing but love and wanting to please.

Dog aggression is a far more complex issue that just encouraging a dog to be vocal.

Would I teach a dog who had already shown aggressive behaviour to growl? Probably not.

[Leelaa17]

Max and Jenna growl and bark at each other when they play - and you can clearly tell they're happy because they're jumping around and wagging their tails and rolling over each other. They also bear their teeth at each other but it isnt aggressive.

How DO you teach a ndog to growl or bark on command? My dogs are very vocal so I would like to teach them something!

[kelpiekaye]

Max and Jenna growl and bark at each other when they play - and you can clearly tell they're happy because they're jumping around and wagging their tails and rolling over each other. They also bear their teeth at each other but it isnt aggressive.

How DO you teach a ndog to growl or bark on command? My dogs are very vocal so I would like to teach them something!

There will be a lot of other DOLers that know more about teaching a dog to bark on commandthan I do but I think you need to teach them the "be quiet "first then ask them to speak, at the slightest noise you reward them. I taught my Kelpie to speak on command and its very handy when Im trying to move some stubborn stock. She is not a barker normal times. German Sheperds are a very vocal breed as a general rule so you shoudnt have too much trouble.

[Aidan3]

How DO you teach a ndog to growl or bark on command? My dogs are very vocal so I would like to teach them something!

If they are already very vocal then you can capture it and put it on cue with clicker training. You have to do it properly though, follow through so that it's properly on cue.

Changing a bark to a growl is not a lot harder, you shape through selective reinforcement. I taught my Golden to bark at the door when he wanted to go out. This was a terrible mistake, once he figured out he could ask he would come in and out a lot more often. It was also quite jarring, having him bark inside.

So what I did was shape him to "whisper" by ignoring the loudest barks (at first), then rewarding only progressively softer barks until we got down to a whisper. He figured out what I wanted very quickly, mercifully. After I had taught that, I conditioned another cue (known as an "S-delta" if you want to look it up) that meant that I wasn't going to reinforce for some time. So he might ask, I would say "shush", then he would go do something else until I had finished what I was doing.

[Leelaa17]

How DO you teach a ndog to growl or bark on command? My dogs are very vocal so I would like to teach them something!

If they are already very vocal then you can capture it and put it on cue with clicker training. You have to do it properly though, follow through so that it's properly on cue.

Changing a bark to a growl is not a lot harder, you shape through selective reinforcement. I taught my Golden to bark at the door when he wanted to go out. This was a terrible mistake, once he figured out he could ask he would come in and out a lot more often. It was also quite jarring, having him bark inside.

So what I did was shape him to "whisper" by ignoring the loudest barks (at first), then rewarding only progressively softer barks until we got down to a whisper. He figured out what I wanted very quickly, mercifully. After I had taught that, I conditioned another cue (known as an "S-delta" if you want to look it up) that meant that I wasn't going to reinforce for some time. So he might ask, I would say "shush", then he would go do something else until I had finished what I was doing.

Thats amazing! haha very cool! My dogs are normally pretty good with needing to go out - the back door is kept open most of the time anyway but if it isnt they just come and sit next to me.

[JoeK]

It depends what mindsetting the growl is reinforcing, If you using the aggressive growl reinforcing is good boy to growl in aggressive mindsetting then commanding the growl on this basing will lead him into aggressive state yes. If you training from the play growl, no worries the dog hes not switching aggression and nothing to with aggression in the dogs mind.

I train on the personal protection dog the growl as first in the warning for aggression response and we train is in the english language "watch him" command and the dog focus and growl then we training to switch off the growl "leave it" or relax something like this and he stopping the growl for giving example on the aggression growl.

So is important what you basing the growl for teaching how the dog he sees what you wanting from his growling, yes?

Joe

[Diva]

Changing a bark to a growl is not a lot harder, you shape through selective reinforcement. I taught my Golden to bark at the door when he wanted to go out. This was a terrible mistake, once he figured out he could ask he would come in and out a lot more often. It was also quite jarring, having him bark inside.

So what I did was shape him to "whisper" by ignoring the loudest barks (at first), then rewarding only progressively softer barks until we got down to a whisper. He figured out what I wanted very quickly, mercifully. After I had taught that, I conditioned another cue (known as an "S-delta" if you want to look it up) that meant that I wasn't going to reinforce for some time. So he might ask, I would say "shush", then he would go do something else until I had finished what I was doing.

Oh I made that error - have now got her so she makes a barking mouth shape but only a little tiny sound. Small house so I can hear it from anywhere anyway. I've been trying to teach the response that yes I heard you and I will let you out, but just wait a minute I'm busy - didn't know it had a name, LOL, will have to go look it up now. She hasn't got that bit yet, she'll come find me in the house if I haven't come and let her out within a minute or so of the bark. :D

As for the growling, I agree with others that capturing the play growl is a good way to go, it can still sound the part.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Diva

[Fatsofatsoman]

I can honestly count on one hand the amount of times I've heard Boonie bark - but he 'talks' to us heaps. Will also growl away when happily playing.

[OSoSwift]

My Dobe used to Speak- bark on command, talk- sounded somewhat like a Wookie!, and quiet talk - growling. All was done with a happy tail and demeaner.

When she growled she also stared straight into your eyes, so if she did it to someone and they were not 100% sure they would ge freaked out by the hard eye contact.

When we were teaching it and getting it properly on cue my mum was visiting. I went into a shop, Angel was in the back of the Stationwagon, mum in the front seat. She turned around to talk to Angel who was so porud of her new trick which was not yet properly on cue only that she happily sat there growling at mum who had never heard her growl before and was very confindent around her. It rattled poor mum a bit and she turned around sat very still and wouldn't talk to her or look at her.

When I came back she said ummm Angel growled at me. I was like oh did she, mum said yep I wasn't sure what was going on. So it clicked and I said oh a bit like this?? gave her the command - she growled. Mum said yep but how the hell was I supposed to know she had been taught that!!!

Made me a little more cautious with what I taught and how it would be percieved by other people.

Rommi does a roo-rooing sound that lots of Whippets and other sighthounds make but many people think she is growling although she is just so pleased she has to vocalise.

[Fatsofatsoman]

Rommi does a roo-rooing sound that lots of Whippets and other sighthounds make but many people think she is growling although she is just so pleased she has to vocalise.

my dad has always owned greyhounds and I have to say they have been the most vocal dogs I've ever know - sound like they are really talking to you.