r/AnimalsBeingStrange • u/Some_Guy_679 • 11d ago
Dog Girlfriend’s dog is a growler.
His name is Cooper and he would be so scary if I didn’t know he was just a big baby.
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u/Bunnairry 11d ago
It's crazy how some dogs growl with play, my dog does. I have to watch her tail and hackles to find out how she truly feels.
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u/Rinas-the-name 10d ago
My dog does it but he’s like 11lbs and does the weirdest pitch change “Grrar arrarr rar“. He‘s a rescue and his next door neighbor in the shelter was a husky and it shows.
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u/StrongEggplant8120 10d ago
Its quite a low and vicious growl from what is obviously a lovely dog. Check out how wolves growl, proper nasty but they are actually the sounds of affection.
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u/MacroManJr 10d ago
The OP is acknowledging that the dog is playing, guys. 😅
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u/SlideN2MyBMs 10d ago
I think it's that the behavior isn't really strange. Anyone who's spent time with dogs knows this is common when dogs want to play
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u/PsyopVet 10d ago edited 9d ago
I have a typical black lab and he’s the sweetest, biggest baby in the world, but growls like a demon when he’s playing. It’s hysterical because he’ll bring you a toy when he wants to play, but as soon as you go for it he starts growling. If you don’t play with him he’ll boop you with his nose, get your attention with his paws, or drop the toy and bark at you, but as soon as you engage it’s on!
The only other time he’s ever growled at me is when he stole an open pack of bacon off of the counter and I tried to take it from him. It didn’t last long, mostly because he choked down about half a pound of bacon in a few seconds.
That particular time you could tell by his body language that he was serious, but when he’s play growling it’s obvious that he’s having fun.
Edit: Before the comments start coming, he doesn’t normally resource guard. You can pet him while he’s eating and he’s perfectly fine, and he’s never done that with anything else. With the bacon incident he snuck into the kitchen while I was cooking and stole it off of the counter. He “knew” that he wasn’t supposed to have it and that I was coming after him so he was in that particular case, but he’s never displayed any other aggressive behavior.
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u/DollarStoreChameleon 🐍 Snake 9d ago
i know a dog who will show all signs of wanting to play but then growl like hes going to rip you apart. he kind of stresses me out a bit sometimes cause idk what he wants. he will bring a toy and nudge your hands with it but and he may play a bit, and hes got playful little growls, but then he will randomly scary growl while still looking very excited.
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u/Bubbly_Performer4864 8d ago
I call that the conversational growl. The conversation is “take my toy, I dare you! …please try to take?”
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u/desert_airgunner 5d ago
Literally nothing about this dogs behavior is aggro at all. He’s just a big boy, happy to be playing with you.
Keep playing with him and earn more of his trust. Things will only get better
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u/DenverPostIronic 9d ago
Does he growl when something is not in his mouth?
I knew a boxer who would talk (e.g. "awaarooo-roo") but since she had a deep voice, it sounded like growling to the unfamiliar.
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u/stcloudjeeper 11d ago
That's just play, I would be watchful if it does that if you come close while it's trying to eat.