We should NEVER hit our dogs
This is a subject, I find myself having to return too, all too frequently.
Should we hit our dogs? The simple, unequivocal, answer is no.
I have now met a chap with his two dogs on a number of occasions while out with Ziggy. One dog is off the lead, the other is, permanently, on a long lead. The reason for this is that the dog on the lead ran off once and he had to spend some time getting her back. The first point here is, dog owners must make the effort to train their dogs in the basics. One of these being recall. Not always easy but, essential,
I stray off the point. The dog on the lead is very lively and, jumps up a lot. This, of course, is pure excitement and, a consequence of not being allowed off the lead to exercise and socialise properly.
So, this dog jumps up, the owner shouts at her and then raises his hand to strike her. I, of course, stop him from doing this. I then demonstrate the simple exercise of getting his dog to sit, calmly and, then be rewarded, positively, with a biscuit for its’ behaviour.
Further discussion reveals that this chaps’ wife, regularly, hits’ this poor creature when it gets a little lively. He compounds this behaviour by threatening to put a muzzle on the dog. I have to appraise him on the errors of their approach.
- NEVER strike a dog
- NEVER threaten a dog
- ALWAYS use positive training to influence the behaviour of a dog
- Ask the dog to respond as you desire
- Reward it, positively, when it does
The owner behaviour described above is all too common, unfortunately. IT is NEVER acceptable to threaten or physically punish a dog to force it to do what you require. This is, simply, cruelty.
All dog owners, HAVE to take the time to learn how to train and socialise their dogs. They need to understand that the ONLY way to train dogs is by positive reinforcement methods. There is no place for the cruel approach outlined in this article.
If you are unwilling to invest the time needed to give your dog the best life possible, free from cruelty and fear, here is my recommendation. DO NOT get a dog. If you already have one – REHOME it.