A few days ago, Italian dog trainer Debora Segna contacted me about a Facebook posting by veterinarian and philosopher Dr. Roberto Marchesini in which he wrote: “If my dog would growl at me ...

Growling happens to be one of them. Growling is quite possibly one of the most misunderstood expressions in dogs. The behavior isn't evil and it doesn't always mean a dog is unfriendly.

Q: My dog is gentle and affectionate and sleeps with me on my bed. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, if I nudge her, she'll awaken with a low-level growl that sounds like she means serious ...

Image (Image credit: Dreamstime) While it may sound obvious, growling at your dog is not likely to improve its aggressive behavioral problems, a new study suggests. Hitting it is probably worse.

Taylor made the dogs growl defensively by invading the dog's space and staring it in the eyes. She recorded these snarly responses, 30 of which she went to on to manipulate for her experiment.

I recently gave a talk at the Manchester Rotary Club about dog behavior. One of the questions a Rotarian asked was about his dog growling - and what it means and what to do about it.

Growling isn't as simple as it seems, and sometimes it's entirely appropriate. It's not necessarily indicative of a dysfunctional relationship, but rather a time to reassess it.