December 2, 2008
Do siberian huskies always make this grunting sound similar to a growl?
we want to adopt a husky at the shelter but my mom is freaking out because it made a grunting noise like it was growling..it didnt lunge or snap or anything..should we still take a chance with him?
Lord, it is a dog! Growling is part of its range of vocals!
If it sounded like a growl, it probably was. Huskies only differ vocally in that they make a squealier bark than other breeds of dogs. They don't really have a breed-specific grunt, although it is possible.
The more important thing for you and your mom to understand is that growl does not immediately equal a blood-thirsty, man-eating savage! As I said, it is a dog!
First of all, since it came from a shelter, you do not know what kind of training it recieved. What you should do with any dog is not discourage growling all together (that's what dogs do) but instead, aggressive actions. So perhaps he was not trained to be calm, but what is more probable is that the dog is simply using growling to communicate to people that it is upset about something. And that's it! He is not going to randomly attack you because he was probably trained not to do this. His growls are only a warning.
If you adopted the dog, it is still very new, and very scared of everything. Just imagine how much stress the dog has gone through. Maybe whoever it growled at was getting too excited, and this frightened the dog. You should leave him alone in his crate for a while, and every time you hear a growl. This will let him calm down, and is not a punishment, just some alone time.
Also, I would not expect ANYTHING out of a shelter dog for as long as the entire first two weeks! As I said, they are stressed, but some dogs that are more sensitive than others take longer to settle in and act happily. One of my dogs was a horror when we first got her, but settled down into the most lovable teddy bear. Be patient.
The other possability is that it wan't even a growl, but a grunt. My older dog started doing this when her arthritis kicks in. It may be that he is in pain, but it may also be that he is just expressing something quietly, as he was discouraged growling and barking. In which case you have a very nice, quiet dog.
Anyway, do not return it like a sweater. Give the dog a chance for sure. Remember - patience, and time are crucial 
Filed under Siberian Huskies by Andrew Preston
Comments on Do siberian huskies always make this grunting sound similar to a growl? »
Lord, it is a dog! Growling is part of its range of vocals!
If it sounded like a growl, it probably was. Huskies only differ vocally in that they make a squealier bark than other breeds of dogs. They don't really have a breed-specific grunt, although it is possible.
The more important thing for you and your mom to understand is that growl does not immediately equal a blood-thirsty, man-eating savage! As I said, it is a dog!
First of all, since it came from a shelter, you do not know what kind of training it recieved. What you should do with any dog is not discourage growling all together (that's what dogs do) but instead, aggressive actions. So perhaps he was not trained to be calm, but what is more probable is that the dog is simply using growling to communicate to people that it is upset about something. And that's it! He is not going to randomly attack you because he was probably trained not to do this. His growls are only a warning.
If you adopted the dog, it is still very new, and very scared of everything. Just imagine how much stress the dog has gone through. Maybe whoever it growled at was getting too excited, and this frightened the dog. You should leave him alone in his crate for a while, and every time you hear a growl. This will let him calm down, and is not a punishment, just some alone time.
Also, I would not expect ANYTHING out of a shelter dog for as long as the entire first two weeks! As I said, they are stressed, but some dogs that are more sensitive than others take longer to settle in and act happily. One of my dogs was a horror when we first got her, but settled down into the most lovable teddy bear. Be patient.
The other possability is that it wan't even a growl, but a grunt. My older dog started doing this when her arthritis kicks in. It may be that he is in pain, but it may also be that he is just expressing something quietly, as he was discouraged growling and barking. In which case you have a very nice, quiet dog.
Anyway, do not return it like a sweater. Give the dog a chance for sure. Remember - patience, and time are crucial
References :
3 rescued dogs