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Growling but tail wagging

20 replies

Papergirl1968 · 17/06/2023 10:17

Hope someone can advise. I have a rescue Staffie. My first dog and although I didn't really want her, I've come to love her dearly. She hates certain other dogs but loves others, tolerates some and ignores some! Great with people including baby granddaughter, and sleeps in my bed cuddled up to me. Needless to say that from the little we know she had a pretty crap life before coming here.
She will bring me a toy but then turn her head away with it in her mouth. I say give it to momma and she'll sneak a little look at me but then turn her head away again. If I give the toy a gentle tug she will growl but her tail is wagging. She might then trot off with the toy but returns with it and we do it again. She doesn't actually let go of the toy.
She will also growl and sometimes bark when looking out of the window , which is at other dogs going by, or neighbours putting something in their wheelie bin or whatever but again her tail wags.
She used to growl when we walked behind her when she was eating although that stopped a long time ago. She will occasionally growl and chase off one of our cats if he gets too close to her food, but other times she sits and watches him eat it! Cat is a greedy buggar and very dominant and 9/10 times puts dog firmly in her place.
So that's the background but the question I'm really asking is about the growling and tail wagging, and what it means.

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CamelCaseLetter · 17/06/2023 10:20

The growling when playing with a tug toy is completely normal. My staffie used to sound like a dinosaur when playing. They are quite a vocal breed and will growl, chuff, whine and bark to communicate. The tail wagging is a good sign, but maybe read up on dog body language to be sure it's a friendly growl.

Pegsmum · 17/06/2023 10:31

Have a read about resource guarding. She may be playing but if your granddaughter goes to take a toy away from her when she’s older things could turn nasty. I would start ‘exchanging’ toys for a treat or a different toy just to get her used to letting go, so she knows there is a reward for letting go. And obviously once your granddaughter is older teach her not to take toys away from your dog.

IBetGordonRamsayDoesntHaveTheseProblems · 17/06/2023 10:39

She will bring me a toy but then turn her head away with it in her mouth. I say give it to momma and she'll sneak a little look at me but then turn her head away again.

Head turning is a "calm down please" signal. She's come to say hi and has a toy in her mouth but doesn't want to give it to you. That's ok! Perhaps she'd prefer a bum scratch for instance.

Calming Signals by Turid Ruugas is a fascinating book that covers these sorts of things.

If I give the toy a gentle tug she will growl but her tail is wagging.

The biggest myths in dog body language are that growling is always unfriendly and wagging is always a happy dog. In reality it's hugely context dependant.

Growling can be a "fuck off" (and should always be respected, never punished, else you are likely to create a dog that goes straight to biting). Growling can also be part of play - such as a game of tug of war.

Wagging tails can be a happy dog (especially if a relaxed wag) but can also mean emotional arousal, and a dog that isn't very happy at all (eg reactive dogs will often wag tails very fast while scared and reacting)

Tug of war is a good game for building bonds - they can only play with you - but let your dog initiate - they usually present it to you - let them 'win' often and then bring the toy back for another round if they want to. It's possible your dog isn't ready for a game of tug yet and will only experience it as an attempt by you to take away something valuable, rather than as a game.

She will also growl and sometimes bark when looking out of the window , which is at other dogs going by, or neighbours putting something in their wheelie bin or whatever but again her tail wags.

Ditto what I said about the context of growling and wagging; this is guarding behaviour - normal but undesirable. I would keep the curtains shut or use frosted window film so that she can't see out and doesn't feel the need to guard her safe space.

She used to growl when we walked behind her when she was eating although that stopped a long time ago. She will occasionally growl and chase off one of our cats if he gets too close to her food, but other times she sits and watches him eat it! Cat is a greedy buggar and very dominant and 9/10 times puts dog firmly in her place.

Like most of us, your dog likes to eat in peace. I would ensure that she can eat away from humans and cats, for everyone's comfort and safety.

Likewise feed your cats in a high space the dog can't access.

IBetGordonRamsayDoesntHaveTheseProblems · 17/06/2023 10:41

Absolutely everyone who comes into regular contact with dogs should have a baseline understanding of dog body language - this is one video to start you off

Canine Ladder of Aggression

A video on the body language of dogs when faced with a perceived threat

https://youtu.be/tY2kVlLL54w

NashvilleQueen · 17/06/2023 10:43

A wagging tail does not always indicate happiness. You'll come to see that it wags differently depending on the situation. Happy tails are usually a more perky wag.

Papergirl1968 · 17/06/2023 10:50

Thanks guys for the speedy responses. I suspect she was me at played with as a puppy, and was kept chained up a lot with previous owners (travellers).
She will also occasionally take things she's not meant to have like a sock and trot past me with a sneaky little side eye as if to say look what I've got, so I give her a dog biscuit as an exchange to get her to drop it.
I will do more research into dog behaviour and how to read their body language.

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Iridescentsy · 17/06/2023 10:51

Look at the rest of her body language. Is her body stiff? Is the tail wagging freely or is that stiff with a slow wag? Are her ears back and tense, or relaxed? Is she showing you the whites of her eyes (whale eye). Generally I’d say if she’s turning her head away she’s probably not inviting a game. I’d definitely work in being able to switch out whatever she’s holding for a treat

Papergirl1968 · 17/06/2023 10:51

Wasn't played with as a puppy, that should say...

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Itsanotherhreatday · 17/06/2023 10:52

Then she’s wanting to learn how to play -
My dog would greet his favourite visitors with socks! It showed he really liked then - like bringing a gift

Iridescentsy · 17/06/2023 10:53

I think I would probably avoid tuggy games for now and work on getting her to drop the toy (for a treat) and throwing it for her - then nobody is wrestling anything off anyone and she can end the game more easily and walk away with her toy if that’s what she wants to do

pickledandpuzzled · 17/06/2023 10:54

The presenting the toy and turning away is the doggy version of peekaboo. You're supposed to pretend to try and take it so she can turn away and win the game!

Don't actually touch it just reach towards. She'll likely gradually progress to letting you touch before she retrieves it, maybe even tug a little.
Eventually you end up with a game where you genuinely get to tug of war, or grab the toy and throw it for her.

Mine gets really irritated if I don't play. But I only need to half heartedly reach so he can snatch it away and parade triumphantly around the room toy in mouth, with head and tail held high. Basically he enjoys winning as much as playing and is easily pleased!

Training for serious 'drop it' moments is important, but playtime is fab.

Papergirl1968 · 17/06/2023 10:56

Iridescentsy · 17/06/2023 10:51

Look at the rest of her body language. Is her body stiff? Is the tail wagging freely or is that stiff with a slow wag? Are her ears back and tense, or relaxed? Is she showing you the whites of her eyes (whale eye). Generally I’d say if she’s turning her head away she’s probably not inviting a game. I’d definitely work in being able to switch out whatever she’s holding for a treat

Her tail is wagging freely. She seems quite relaxed but I haven't noticed her ears or eyes, I'll take more notice next time.
If it wasn't a game for her I don't know why she'd keep bringing the toy back to me though. It's like the head turning is part of the game, her showing the toy to me but not being willing to give it up.

OP posts:
pickledandpuzzled · 17/06/2023 10:56

And lots of chat while you play, so she knows it's all light hearted.

'Can I have it? Is that yours? Wow that's great! What a lovely girl!'

The contrast with your voice and body language when you are 'drop it' mode will be distinct.

Normative · 17/06/2023 10:58

My dog growls in a few different contexts! Usually just being cheeky and asking us to play with him or to ask if he can take some food!
previous dog only growled to say piss off so it was a bit of a surprise to discover a whole new vocabulary of growls.

Papergirl1968 · 17/06/2023 10:59

pickledandpuzzled · 17/06/2023 10:54

The presenting the toy and turning away is the doggy version of peekaboo. You're supposed to pretend to try and take it so she can turn away and win the game!

Don't actually touch it just reach towards. She'll likely gradually progress to letting you touch before she retrieves it, maybe even tug a little.
Eventually you end up with a game where you genuinely get to tug of war, or grab the toy and throw it for her.

Mine gets really irritated if I don't play. But I only need to half heartedly reach so he can snatch it away and parade triumphantly around the room toy in mouth, with head and tail held high. Basically he enjoys winning as much as playing and is easily pleased!

Training for serious 'drop it' moments is important, but playtime is fab.

Yes, this is what I was thinking but was confused by the growling.

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Munchyseeds2 · 18/06/2023 17:00

Honestly, staffies are VERY vocal, it sounds to me as if she wants to play, ours loves a good game of tug but also likes to run off with the prize, she is happy for us to take it at any point
She makes weird little snorty noises if ever she is not sure about things or just to let us know she is there

SirVixofVixHall · 22/06/2023 15:38

Papergirl1968 · 17/06/2023 10:50

Thanks guys for the speedy responses. I suspect she was me at played with as a puppy, and was kept chained up a lot with previous owners (travellers).
She will also occasionally take things she's not meant to have like a sock and trot past me with a sneaky little side eye as if to say look what I've got, so I give her a dog biscuit as an exchange to get her to drop it.
I will do more research into dog behaviour and how to read their body language.

This is all normal terrier play, it is basically teasing you into tugging the toy so that she can then growl loudly and play tug. This sort of play growl is really different from a proper warning or aggressive growl .

Doje · 22/06/2023 15:57

Ddog does exactly this too! I love the little 'do you want it...? No! Haha no you can't have it!!' game he plays! I make sure he 'wins' 90% of the time and we work on keeping it controlled.

My rules of tug are:- keep it short and sweet, tie it in with practicing 'out', and ALWAYS have a treat in your pocket to reward behaviour / deescalate when needed. Oh, and the kids aren't allowed to play it without me.

Tootsietwo · 22/06/2023 17:55

Our boy sounds like a rabid beast when he's playing, he's very very vocal but it's all play.

Papergirl1968 · 22/06/2023 19:24

Thank you all, that's really reassuring.

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