Grrrr!

On the Dogster blog today, there is a post about dog growls and their different meanings. The Dogster blogger then asked if readers knew their dog's growls. It got me thinking about Toby and his growls. When I thought about it I counted three situations where he growls and the more I thought, I realized that they all sounded different.
The easiest to distinguish is his play growl. I have only heard it a couple times when he was really into a game of tug. It is a much lighter growl and sounds a lot like my "grrrrr" (yes, I play growl when I play with my dog). His other two growls are more similar, and more intense. One is the growl he uses when he hears someone else in the house at night (I think he thinks we live alone), or when someone comes in the front door unannounced day or night. This growl is more intense, and deeper than his play growl, but still short and to the point. The last growl is the most intense. Toby doesn't like strange dogs, this is something we have been working on since I got him, and though he has improved he is not a social butterfly, yet. His third growl is the one he uses before he goes after a strange dog who has come too close. It is deep, loud and intense.
Toby is definitely an example of why puppies need to be well socialized and adult dogs need to keep being socialized. It has taken a year to get Toby to a point where I can introduce him to a new dog. Even now it takes time and preparation to get him to sniff a new dog long enough to realize they are not a threat. But it is all worth it every time he makes a new friend. He loves his dog friends so much! Once he makes a friend he is always ready to play with them, he shares his toys, and waits patiently for his turn for a treat. My goal with him is to get him to a point where he can go to the dog park and play fetch, and I believe it is possible, with more work and time.