# Growling while playing



## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

Do your dogs growl when playing? Does it sound similar to a serious growl? Rookie growls a bit when we play tug of war, but it sounds VERY different from a serious growl. Does anyone have a dog that SOUNDS serious when playing, but is really just making a lot of noise?

It wasn't my dog doing the growling today. It was another golden that we encountered at the dog park today.

We run into this dog from time to time at the park. He's 18 months old and a bit rambunctious. I've seen him jump on people, and get a bit possessive over tennis balls. He's never bitten another dog, but he has made a lot of noise and snapped a bit. His owner is one of the very rare owners at this park that seems a bit oblivious to her dog's behavior. Most owners and dogs there are REALLY good.

Today I just didn't like the noises this dog was making while he was playing with Rookie. The other dog plays pretty rough, which Rookie can deal with, but I really didn't like the noises coming from this dog. Rookie seemed okay with the other dog, but it just felt like the dog was right on the edge between playing and going over the line. So I asked the woman to call her dog, I leashed up Rookie and left.

The owner was a bit bewildered and kept telling me "they're just playing." I said "Well, I just don't like it." and she seemed a bit confused by that. Maybe that's the way her dog plays, but it made me uncomfortable and my rule is if I'm uncomfortable AT ALL, we leave. I don't know if I overreacted. I'm not sorry I left, and will continue to avoid this dog, but I'm just curious to hear whether there are well behaved dogs that make that kind of noise when playing.


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

My dogs growl all the time they play. Sometimes it gets pretty loud, but they are always wagging their tail and having a good time.


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

Nicole74 said:


> My dogs growl all the time they play. Sometimes it gets pretty loud, but they are always wagging their tail and having a good time.


But is it a different noise than you would expect them to make if they were serious about it?


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

Kirby has "ALWAYS" growled or made "wookie" noises. Sometimes they were just scary and I would stop the play because I could tell she was seriously intense. Darby has never growled while playing, he is very quiet just active. Darby rarely barks or vocalizes, he has to be very excited or anxious. Kirby has always been very vocal and will growl, whine, bark or make strange noises when excited, angry or anxious. Dogs are as different as people!


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## GoldenJona (Apr 3, 2010)

my puppy growls when playing tug of war. But I dont think he's playing because his nose will wrinkle and then he will look at my hand out of the corner of his eye and the second he gets a change he will lunge at my hand


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

It can be hard to read the growl of someone else's dog. I know for sure what my dogs growls sound like, but Danny's can sound ferocious. If another dog growled at my dogs like Danny does, I would be worried unless I knew them. I have had fosters who were very noisy in play and it took me watching my dogs for their reactions to know that they were just playing, noisily.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

GoldenJona said:


> my puppy growls when playing tug of war. But I dont think he's playing because his nose will wrinkle and then he will look at my hand out of the corner of his eye and the second he gets a change he will lunge at my hand


He really is playing. He is just looking for the "weak" spot. It's typical puppy play. LOL


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

mdoats said:


> But is it a different noise than you would expect them to make if they were serious about it?


I was very nervous at first and always stopped it from happening. Then I saw how much fun they are having and I let Annie growl as much as she wants. It's Annie that growls, she can get pretty loud. It's actually a higher pitched growl and it does sound like it's coming from deep in her belly. Bailey loves it and goes after her with all her teeth showing.LOL


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## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

Enzo always growls when he's playing with his tug toys. =)


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## JessiBessi93 (Jun 11, 2010)

Sandy growls when someone comes to the door, but she always has a toy in her mouth or she looks for a toy to have in her mouth as an excuse to growl. We often have to tell peole she just wants to play, and her tail is wagging fast  Sometimes she growls without a toy in her mouth is when my dad comes home because they play together a lot. I've never heard her growl seriously and she has never shown her teeth at anyone.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

I think you did the right thing by listening to your gut. I used to take chances with other dogs/owners but not any more.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Tucker rarely growls if playing with me. Occasionally he will if I get him worked up, but his tail is always wagging so I know it is ok. It is different than his growl to alert me of something. 

When he plays with other dogs he is much more vocal with short bursts of grunting/growling again, different from his alerting growl. Again, his tail wags thru the whole time playing.


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

It's very possible that it's just the way the dog plays and I overreacted a bit. But at the dog park, I figure it's always better to be safe than sorry.


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## Loboto-Me (Nov 13, 2008)

Duke is my growler but only when he plays with Sophie. I still can't interpret his growl after having him for a year (Darn I missed his gotcha day  .. what a bad mommy!) Anyway, his growl is fierce but the reason I can't interpret it is because I have always only had Sophie's reaction to the growling to base it on.

Sometimes it's so bad and they play so rough that Sophie will whine when he grabs her with his teeth and he often pulls on her too... all while fiercely growling. She's got scabs all over her neck and ears from their rough-play. The thing is, she will whine, he'll *sometimes* release, but then she goes right back at him, nipping his neck and the back of his legs. I call her a bratty sister because she does this then she'll run behind one of us for cover sometimes.

So unfortunately I can't gauge his growl. I just stop the play when I feel Sophie's had enough.


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## GoldenSummer (Mar 26, 2010)

Tyson hasn't shown any real signs of being a growler yet. He gets a little yappy if hes worked up. 

Bear (the GR I grew up with) now he was a growler! We didn't get him till he was around 4 months and he never made any noise so my mom thought that was wrong so she would growl at him when they played tug-a-war and then eventually he started doing it too. Then he would walk up to anyone and start growling while wagging his tail saying he wanted to play, but Bear had a deep growl/bark and use to scare a lot of people even family that would visit! But he was a huge softy at heart. There is really only one time that I can remember where the growl was different showing he meant business, the growl was a lot deeper, more mean and his ears were back, tail down and fur raising a bit on his neck area. If you see signs like that then yes something is definitely wrong! In Bear's case an older teenage male approached me when I was younger and in the street walking him and I guess he just didn't like the guy, I'd never seen him react like that before but then the guy backed off so thinking back on it I think he was in protective mode so maybe thats what makes it different? 

My motto in life is "its better to be safe then sorry" for everything. If your gut was saying get the heck out of there, then thats what you should do. But on the other side dogs can get vocal, especially when they are young... look at young girls, when they get together their scream and sequel and pierce ear drums lol.... you just need to watch the body language of both your dog and the other. Whatever you do, don't panic though! Thats generally my moms first reaction because she saw her little dog growing up get attacked 3 times. I say don't panic because if you do then your dog will sense it and go on the defensive without knowing why and that might cause problems. 

Anyways, thats my take on it


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## goldengirl09 (Jul 23, 2009)

Harvey always greets us at the door growling with a toy in his mouth. It's so funny, it's sounds like he's talking or complaining that we were gone. Too cute.


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

C's Mom said:


> I think you did the right thing by listening to your gut. I used to take chances with other dogs/owners but not any more.


I agree with this 100%!


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## Bell (Jan 23, 2010)

When Bell was a puppy he used to rough play a lot.He'd growl,even showing his baby teeth.I was even a bit worried,but at 6 months he stopped.He started chasing sticks and balls,or playing chase with other dogs.So the more he grows,the less impact there is in his play with other dogs.Now,he does something very strange-he likes to roll in the grass,in a very intensive manner,and then he growls to himself,that strange dog...A couple of times other males were passing by while he was doing that and looked very suspicious,but i say to them''don't mind him,he's only growling to...himself...
It really is better to be safe than sorry at the dog park,though...


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

I have one who is a big growler when she plays. She has a lab friend that she plays with sometimes and they sound so loud that if you didn't know them you would be scared. Their tails are still wagging and they run and play for hours. They are older and have played this way since they were pups. My older girl has taught some younger pups here to growl or be vocal when they play. I have never seen them act in any negitive way when they make these horrible noises but when playing with a new friend I will always be careful to make sure the friend doesn't take it the wrong way. My one perticular growler never barked.....I mean never and I think the grumble, growl sound is how she talks. I do believe trust your instinct and keep them safe. Reading a strange dog can be difficult and you made the right decision not to play at that time. You never know when the animal inside our sweet kids can be pushed to far.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

If somebody saw my dogs playing, they would think they were killing each other.

Brady's growls differ depending on the dog he is playing with.

His best friend at our old house, was a golden, and they would each start growling the second they saw each other, and as they were running toward each other. Then when they were done playing, would just lay down next to each other.


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

Sadie picks up her toys and shakes them around and growls, very loudly.


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## Doodle (Apr 6, 2009)

Brady is a big-time growler when we play with him, but he rarely growls when he is playing with other dogs. When he play-growls, you'd swear he was vicious and about to rip your arm off. How do you tell if a growl is in play or serious? I believe you have to look at body posture. A seriously growling dog will have a tense body posture, hackles up, tail out straight. I agree with others that you did the right thing. If you don't know the other dog well enough, better to be safe than sorry.


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## Lestorm (Feb 25, 2007)

When they make the noise in play ints not a GRRRRR! its more of a RAH! Well in my house anyway!


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