It’s natural for a dog to show aggression if it feels its family is in danger itself. You should consider how to teach your dog to growl on command, so that your dog understands that he is in deed threatening the object of his aggression. Some people are quick to use a sharp stick to punish a dog when it shows aggression; others use a muzzle, which is a good deterrent but does not teach the dog any form of etiquette. The best way to teach your dog to growl on command is to treat it with respect, enforce training, and be patient.
The root cause of how to teach your dog to growl on command is to make the dog understand that you are the leader of the pack. A dog is not an animal that obeys orders blindly. It has its own personality and behavioral patterns, especially when it is owned by an owner. It will not hesitate to display aggression if it senses any form of disrespect from the owner. Dogs do not respond kindly to bad-tempered owners who do not take care of them properly.
If you want to know how to teach your dog to growl on command, start off by establishing control over the situation. Have the dog sit or lie down and ignore the person until he stops barking. When the dog finally stops barking, scold it with a stern “NO.” Repeat this procedure a few times, then reward it with a treat and a hug.
Another good method on how to teach your dog to growl on command is to distract it with another dog. Put a ball or something that it can chase around the house until the dog gets tired or bored. Then entice it with treats and affection by rubbing its belly or playing with it. Eventually, the dog will start to see the ball as a game and will release its inhibitions. Reward it profusely for this. This will surely train your dog how to obey even in public, as it can now distinguish the sound of other dogs from that of its master.
If you have a friend who knows how to teach your dog to bark with a command word and is willing to help you out, go the extra mile. Try asking the friend to say the command word while you hold the dog by its collar with your free hand. Then you can begin to instruct the dog, either by telling it the word or by letting it see your friend’s open mouth. Do this several times to see how the dog learns to bark without your prompting it.
It is very difficult to instruct your dog to bark on command if it is not comfortable with doing so. One good way around this difficulty is to let your dog go wild for a bit as it is learning the command. This way, it will be forced to bark when it wants to and not when it does not want to. You can also use treats and rewards while it is doing this, which will make the dog eager to please you.
You may also try to get your dog to stop growling when it is not wanted. To do this, you will have to get your dog’s attention by calling its name or by handling it in an enticing way. Once the dog has focused its attention on you, then you can call the command word and say it slowly while your dog is looking at you with those big, dog-like eyes. Do this several times until the dog understands that it has to stop growling when it is not wanted.
While these methods are good for teaching how to teach your dog to growl on command, there is a more effective method that is gaining in popularity. This is called the “come” command and it is a lot easier to teach. To begin, you will need to hold the command word in your mouth while your dog is close by. Once you have your dog’s attention, say the command word and look him straight in the eye while extending your hand in a beckoning gesture. If your dog looks back at you, then say the command word again and give your dog a treat as a reward. Repeat this exercise between 10 and 20 times per day and soon your dog will understand what to do when you call his name.
