Some words about dog behavior

Question

What is the difference between " snap" and " bite" ?

Here is my guess, I don;t know if I'm right or not: When a dog snaps at me, he bares his teeth and opens his mouth a bit, looking like he's trying to bite me but actually he doesn't bite me at all?
When he bites me, he uses his teeth and causes real physical harm to me?
and ..what is the difference between "growling" "snarling", and "barking" ?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]What is the difference between " snap" and " bite" ? Here is my guess, I don;t know if I'm ... his teeth and causes real physical harm to me? and ..what is the difference between "growling" "snarling", and "barking" ?[/nq]
Definitions from MSN Encarta unless otherwise mentioned: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx

growl
verb

1. transitive and intransitive verb make hostile sound: tomake a low nonverbal sound in the throat that expresses hostility, or communicate something by means of this sound
3. intransitive verb make rumbling noise: to make a lowrumbling noise
noun

1. animal's hostile noise: the low throaty noise made by ahostile animal, especially a dog
snarl
verb

1. intransitive verb growl: to growl threateninglyalso from
bark
noun

1. dog's sound: the characteristic loud abrupt sound madeby a dog or fox
verb

1. make dog's sound: to make the loud abrupt soundcharacteristic of a dog or fox

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]and ..what is the difference between "growling" "snarling", and "barking" ?[/nq]
[nq:1]Definitions from MSN Encarta unless otherwise mentioned: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx growl verb 1. transitive and intransitive verb make hostile sound: to make ... dog or fox verb 1. make dog's sound: to make the loud abrupt sound characteristic of a dog or fox[/nq]
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snarl noun
growling noise: the sound of somebody or something snarling

also from http://www.onelook.com/?w=snarl&ls=a
snarl
noun
a vicious angry growl

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

Usenet · Answer

@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
[nq:1]What is the difference between " snap" and " bite" ? Here is my guess, I don;t know if I'm ... doesn't bite me at all? When he bites me, he uses his teeth and causes real physical harm to me?[/nq]
When a dog snaps at you, he misses! 'Snap' is the sound of his jaw closing quickly on thin air. "His jaw snapped shut". BUT...

Once, when I was four, I blew a whistle loudly into my sleeping dog's ear. The dog sprang up and I clutched my face, wailing, "He bit me!" My parents, unaccountably, sided with the dog. "Didn't bite you. He just snapped at you", they said.
Maybe they were right. When it's an immediate reflex action I think it can be called a snap. Or when it's a warning. A dog snaps at another to chase it away. It isn't trying to kill it: simply to warn it off.

It isn't just a matter of intention though. When a dog snaps at flies it is trying to kill them. But you'd never say a dog bites flies. A snap is sufficient.
You're right about biting.
[nq:1]and ..what is the difference between "growling" "snarling", and "barking" ?[/nq]
Growling="Grr"
Snarling="Grr" with the teeth bared.
Barking="Woof"
There's also baying ("How-oo"), which is, I think, the same as howling. And there's yapping (the barking of a small dog).
And there's yelping ("Ow!").
And there's whining ("Nyer")
I don't know if there are any more.
And I don't know where the dog buried the whistle.

Pete

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What is the difference between " snap" and " bite" ?[/nq]
Mainly . . .
when a animal (e.g. dog or cat) catches in its mouth a flying insect, we say it snaps at the insect. We never say the animal bites the insect. (We might say the animal swallows or eats the insect, but never bites.)

Dogs can also snap at people, with or without
success. If the teeth close on skin and bone,
we call the action a bite: if they close on nothing we call it a snap, or say "that collie snapped at
my child."

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Some words about dog behavior

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