Four Ways in Which You Can Unwittingly Break the Spirit of Your Dog

None of us like to be told off day in and day out. Our spirits sink and we feel discouraged from ever doing anything. We all know that dogs also feel sorrow, get depressed and feel threatened by their most common predator – man. Here are a few things that pet owners do on a daily basis that destroys the spirit of their spirited pup:

1. Yell/scold/rub his nose in waste – One of the biggest myths is that dogs know whenever we get mad at them for pooping or peeing inside the house. Coming across a puddle of piss in the middle of your living room might not be pleasant for you, but you need to understand that your dog does not feel any guilt when you disapprove. As a matter of fact, they react fearfully to their owner’s emotional response, irrespective of when the incident occurred. Yelling or screaming just reinforces bullying and since it happens long after the incident, your dog will just be afraid and confused. Most importantly, never rub their nose in pee or poo as it reflects a disgusting mentality and is plain mean.
2. Hitting your dog – We are well past the days of dominance and submission. Hitting your dog is an outdated training method. All it does is teach your dog that he needs to be afraid of you. If you really want to hit something, use the punching bag at your local gym or go for an anger management course. Don’t bring a dog into your house. They don’t deserve such treatment.
3. Kennel time out – If a pup is being uncooperative and not behaving the way you desire while you are training him, that does not mean that he is defiant or spiteful. It just means that he is a puppy. You need to modify your behavior first. Stop for a minute and think about your method of training. There are good chances that your pup is distracted or not developmentally ready for the task. This applies to adult dogs too. If they do something that you disapprove of, don’t punish them or banish them to the kennel.
4. Taking their food away while they are eating – This is just plain ridiculous and it just goes to show your dog that you are a grand bully. Although having a pack leader is important, dogs must be left to their own devices when they are eating. If a dog is loving, kind and welcoming of strangers when he is not eating, there is no reason to believe that their aggressive behavior around their food is anything out of the ordinary. A lot of people tend to view a growling dog as a greedy one, but it is important to understand that this is just a dog being a dog.