My own HAIRY Hunter growled at a man over the Park tonight and I couldn’t be happier
Hunter growled at a guy over the Rec tonight.
He's never, ever done that before - Not *just* a growl, on its own.
It's either been a full on growl / lunge / snap or, more recently he's opted to avoid all together if he's decided he doesn't like you for whatever reason but tonight, he gave the guy a beautiful & delicious growl for reaching his hand out over his head. I'd clocked the guys error and in the same split second I asked the man to back off, which he did.
I called Hunter away with me and he trotted off with me in his happy, swishy walk.
We had a little treat party and I told him what a good boy he is.
I haven't reinforced him for growling.
I haven't taught him that growling earns him some treats.
Will he be more likely to growl again in the future, the next time someone tries to fuss him? Will he think he'll earn a treat again if he growls at people?
No.
Because the growling doesn't come from a behaviour. It comes from an emotion. It's a communication. It's Hunter, being super polite and asking the man not to approach him.
And it worked.
Hunter learnt that *just* growling is enough for his human to move him away.
Hunter learnt that he doesn't need to escalate it up to a lunge or a snap .... Just a little growl is enough.
Hunter growled at a guy tonight for the first time ever and I couldn't be happier!
Three years in and he's still learning how to communicate in more subtle ways but the full on lunging & snapping is a thing of the past now.