Can You Tell If a Dog is Giving a Play Growl or a Stress Growl?

If you’re a woman, probably; a man, maybe not.

Published: October 24, 2024

Dogfight — MichalAB | Bigstock Sometimes it can be hard to tell if the growl is for fun or for real. If two dogs are growling at each other while they go at it but pause frequently to make sure everything’s okay, it’s probably a play growl. When dogs really fight, they don’t pause. They feel they can’t stop because they must continue to protect themselves.

Dogs may growl to express pleasure while playing, and they sometimes growl when they are stressed. They may think someone’s going to take one of their resources (like food), or perhaps they feel endangered by the approach of someone they don’t know or feel uncomfortable around. Can you tell the difference?