Scolding Your Dog

Are there times that you happen to scold your dog and on what offense does he/she got into your nerves and how did he/she reacted in your unexpected reproach?

 

When giving command that our dog does not seem to understand or follow, I scold or say it in a louder voice.Like if I am telling him to go inside and if will not immediately follow. And of course when it was louder, the dog will feel that he really need to go inside or else... LOL

 

I tend to use non-verbal ways to reprimand my dogs. I would stare at them and growl. Seems to work better than using words.

 

A "tiger" or angry look can also work for our dog but I have not tried to growl yet. LOL

 

Oh wow! I haven’t tried growling at them or giving them the irate face because some dogs are really wise that even when you express how angry you are, they would just jump at you and tongue-kiss you all over the face which is their way to soften you, or whatever you do they would continue with their foul deed. They only understand that “I’m a lovable creature and you can’t be mad at me” or “I’ll continue doing whatever it is that angers you because I knew I’ve seen that face before but I don’t get it.” But I guess if they know that you’re serious, like, “This is serious (tone louder and stronger). This (show them “the tiger look” or growl) is angry,” they would turn tail.

 

One thing you shouldn't try is to teach a dog who's boss by biting it on the ear. This was a joke in a movie about a city slicker who inherited a team of racing huskies from a mother he had never met. Here's the new owner trying to figure out how to get his team to mush:


If you really want to know what happens when you bit a dog on its ear, watch the movie Snow Dogs.

 

Haha! I actually believed that one but glad I never tried it. I was simply amaze when I was watching it, I was still in college then and fascinated by all this snow dogs especially Demon the leader of the pack and I was, like, “I want to have one like him”. And then Cuba Gooding bit his ear and well, the dog just decided to respect him and I was, like, “So that’s how things work.” But I never tried it on any of my dogs. Luckily, there’s not a need for it.

 

Who knows, if you really tried it, it might actually work. I do know that some older dogs discipline the younger ones by nipping them on the ear.

 

That's funny, but you're right - it might acutally be effective. A dog trainer told me that a prong collar is a very effective training tool because it mimics a dog-bite on the neck (if used properly), which is how the alpha disciplines his pack. I'm not gonna go so far as to bite my dogs' ears (or necks), though. I use verbal reprimands, but they aren't always very effective, so they're probably not the best.

 

Here's something you can try. Hold your dog firmly by the ruff. Shake it vigorously while growling. That kind of simulates what the older dogs sometimes do when they want to discipline the younger ones.

 

I am going to try that. Something's got to get through to them LOL.

 

If that doesn't work, try this. Nothing original actually. I learned it from Benjamin, my senior dog which is a Thousand Way breed.

When he wants to discipline one of the more boisterous puppies, he just puts his paw on it. No growling. No shaking. Just one firm paw on the back, a bit astern of the neck. He lets go after the puppy stops struggling. The puppy gets the message rather fast.

 

That sounds like a kind of discipline you get from an elite force. I wonder how much pressure he puts on his paw to be able to hold that puppy down. And I could imagine him being bored or entertained waiting until the puppy stops struggling under his paw.

 

Doesn't really take much force to keep a puppy down. Benjamin is very smart. He disciplines them when they are just tiny tykes.

Like the way he disciplined Dark Lady, my Doberman. Even when Dark Lady is full-grown and Benjamin can actually walk past under Dark Lady's belly, Dark Lady still won't dare to cross Benjamin. Sometimes, it looks rather funny. Benjamin would just take a nap across the doorway and Dark Lady would not dare to step over him to go out.

 

What would happen if Dark Lady steps over him? And do you call Dark Lady using her whole name?

 

No, Dark Lady does not dare to step over Benjamin. She will just lie down and whimper a bit, that's all. Yes, I do call Dark Lady by her full name all the time. Some of my friends just call her Dark, though. I wonder why they don't call her Lady.

 

Personally, I rarely come across dogs with two names which is the reason why I asked. I guess people are accustomed with calling their pet with one name only.

 

I see. Well, I had another Bangkeaw which I called Black Prince. He's quite an uncommon Bangkeaw because instead of the standard brown and white coloration, he had black and white coloration with a very black muzzle.