Toby's Growl - Third and Final Video

Len

Len

All -

Thanks for your patience. This is my third and probable final video of Toby's peculiar growl. It's deep, loud, and possibly menacing. But he is not snarling (mouth), not baring his teeth, wags his tail and leans into us, much like a purring cat. We suspect it's benign; however, someone not knowing Toby as we do might be put off. Toby is now our fourth lab and we've not seen this behavior in our other dogs. So we're a bit puzzled.

Video link
https://youtu.be/Ejv3Y9bxXNE

This is a wonderful forum and we've enjoyed all replies to previous posts. Please post additional comments if you have them.

Best,

Len
 
Lab_adore

Lab_adore

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Sydney, Australia
Awww Tony is such a cutie

I don't think it looks or sounds menacing but I'll leave it to the experts

This really is a wonderful forum - we had such a terrible time with Maxx when we first brought him home we almost gave him back to the breeder. In the nick of time I found these awesome people and now he is a happy (if somewhat naughty) 2 year old and we love him to bits (most days anyway)
 
M

M.F.

Toby is lovely. And it sounds like he’s telling you he is loving having your attention. And he is free to walk away, so it’s not like he might be feeling trapped.

Our boy makes all those same sounds when he’s happy. We love it when he talks to us.
 
UncleBob

UncleBob

Administrator
Staff member
Harvey is a happy growler too :) He has always done it and we've taken it as an expression of happiness.

If you think about it, dogs are quite limited in how they can express themselves vocally (or, perhaps, humans are quite limited in how they can interpret dog vocalisation).

Quick question - does Toby only do this with you and your partner or does he do it for anybody that makes a fuss of him? Harvey tends to reserve his happy growl for me and @Mrs UB :)
 
Naya

Naya

Moderator
Location
Bristol, UK
He sounds just like Harley does when shes super excited / happy. She done it a lot last weekend when we had a friends 10 month old lab x here for the day.
 
Boogie

Boogie

Moderator
Location
Manchester UK
Yes - that’s one happy dog loving his fuss. They are happy moves and contented sounds.

Toby is being very appropriate in his communication of happiness/pleasure. I wish Tatze would - she still bounces like a loony and I have to avoid a bruised jaw!

:nod:
 
Beanwood

Beanwood

Administrator
That is delightful!

Toby has lovely loose body language, and that relaxed waggy tail suggests he is more than happy with your interaction. He is absolutely free to move away, but his choice is to enjoy the fuss and companionship from you. Toby leans into you another clue to how much he is enjoying the moment :inlove:
 
Joy

Joy

Location
East Sussex
Yes that's definitely a happy doggy growl. I think the key thing is that he could get awayif he was feeling protective of his toy but he's choosing to snuggle up to you. And he's just lovely!
 
Cath

Cath

MLF Sales Coordinator
Toby is so lovely and is a happy dog. If he didn't like what you were doing, like @Beanwood said he could move away, but he doesn't. He leans into you and wags his tail. :dug:
 
HAH

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
What a gorgeous boy, Toby is fabulous! As all the others have said, he’s got lovely loose movement, a soft face and is definitely asking you for interaction. I’d also wonder if he does this more when he has something in his mouth? Our boy Kipper does a little gentle growl/moan when he has two toys in his mouth and is in a silly cuddly mood, we read it as a pride/showy off noise too - ‘look how clever I am!’ and his way of communicating when his mouth’s full :giggle:
 
Shaz82

Shaz82

Location
Essex, U.K.
I think he is just loving the attention and I agree with the others, if I were a visitor and he did this with me I would not be at all worried about it.

Hope you will stay with the forum and post more pictures, there are a lot of different threads, some have really helped me with medical, feeding or behavioural worries and others are just fun (there are a lot of arguments about scones :rolleyes:).
 
Rosie

Rosie

Location
South Wales
Len said:
someone not knowing Toby as we do might be put off
Click to expand...
I'm sure it is completely friendly, and he really is the most gorgeous boy!
You're right, someone who doesn't know Toby (or doesn't know dogs very well) might misunderstand. One of our neighbours has a Labrador who is a "smiler" - he runs up to you showing all his teeth in a big soppy grin! She says that most people get worried, and she has a few words rehearsed to reassure them....
 
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