Why Does My Afghan Hound Growl At Me?

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Mostly an Afghan Hound has quite a dignified personality full of aloofness while some might be just silly and goofy. This breed of dogs is highly athletic and very gentle with people, animals, and other fellow dogs.

They need a good amount of socializing and personal attention without which they might grow destructive, shy, or suspicious. These hunting dogs can, however, be really notorious and slow to learn.

Thus, the owners must be highly patient with their stubbornness and take things gentle and slow. One of the major areas of concern is the fact that these dogs are very emotionally sensitive to abruptness or strain.

Actions like leash jerking can frighten them and increase the feelings of rage in them. This is one of the reasons why they might growl at you. Many other reasons can make them growl at their owner.

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What can cause my Afghan Hound to growl?

Following are some of the reasons that can make your Afghan Hound growl at you:

Fear

As this breed has high emotional sensitivity, a harsh action of yours can instill fear in your canine friend. Unfamiliar places, uncertain situations, can also naturally instigate a sense of fear or uncertainty in them. Thus, in situations that might trigger fear can make them growl.

Territoriality

An Afghan Hound can be quite sensitive to territoriality. Even for its particular spots on the couch, room, or the bed, it can act territorially and thus aggressively. This aggressiveness can be another reason as to why your dog growls at you.

Defensiveness

This breed of dogs is quite resistant to training and can brace their legs defensively. In the case of leash jerking, pushiness or hitting them can thus make them highly defensive or fearful. This must be thus avoided as much as possible.

Owners of Afghan Hounds must be very patient and understand their standoffishness.

Possession

One of the very common reasons why dogs growl is when they display possession of certain objects like toys, chewing bones, etc. This action is called resource guarding and can be controlled with proper training.

Other Reasons

Other than the above-stated reasons, an Afghan Hound can also growl because of pain, illness, ache, or a wound. Thus, every time you find your dog, growling, you must immediately stop the ongoing activity and check on your dog.

Also, excitement, rage, and discomfort can be some of the reasons that can cause growling. For unclear causes, the behavioral issues might be at play, which can require proper attention.

How to stop an Afghan Hound from growling?

Mostly there is always a trigger or reason behind the growling of a dog. It is a hint that indicates your pet’s warning that things can get dangerous if the trigger continues. To stop your dog from growling, you must:

Step back, ease-out, and in case you were midway an activity, then immediately stop it.
Analyze the trigger and try an alternative approach to accomplish your activities that do not trigger the Hound.
Eliminate the stressor or trigger from root to get rid of the growling and aggressiveness quickly.
You must make sure that you do not aggravate or worsen the situation.

If the reason is unknown and such behavioral patterns continue, you might require properly training them. Smaller puppies are much easily moldable to behavior modification, and thus such training at early stages can yield better results.

Summing up

While the physical/natural traits of Afghan Hounds are quite common and inherent to them, their behaviors might be uncertain. It mostly depends on the environment and the way they are raised or treated.

While the above tips are certain to be effective, but if they don’t help, then you must consider professional help. A dog behaviorist professional or veterinarian can aid in understanding your Afghan Hound better and establishing a strong bond.