Is it possible to beat a dog, and if so, in what cases? How to properly punish a dog: recommendations from dog handlers Is it possible to beat a shepherd dog for training purposes?

I have a very stupid and disobedient Airedale dog. She's already eaten away all her brains with her quirks.

To begin with, she constantly steals food. As soon as you leave the house, the garbage can will immediately be torn open, and everything she can reach will be gobbled up. However, she is not shy in our presence either.

One day, practically before our eyes, she ate a whole fat goose and lapped up a pan of fat! Not only didn’t she die, she didn’t even pass diarrhea!

The husband says that she can be beaten for misdeeds, otherwise she won’t get it. In principle, I agree with him, since there is no effect. We always return home with a heavy heart - it is unclear what she has done again.

Of course, we don’t hit her too hard, but we don’t hit her with a newspaper either. Using a leash to hit your butt a couple of times is just the thing. She already feels guilty - it’s immediately obvious that she’s done something wrong. On the street, she puts everything in her mouth, and the only way to distract her from getting drunk on something is to apply the leash again. Other methods simply don’t reach her!

Those. I see that in some cases physical punishment helps, but in others it is useless. Some walking friends say that we are doing the wrong thing, that we only need to educate using positive means, but I’m not very sure that this is realistic for us.

Please tell me, are we doing the right thing, is it possible to beat a dog in our situation?

Yes, “former” hunting breeds and “demoted” service breeds (and Airedales fall into both of these categories at once) often present surprises to their owners. Just in case, I’ll explain: historically the Airedale Terrier was bred for hunting, in the era of the USSR it was already only a service breed, and in the 90s it officially became a decorative breed.

So the craving for food has understandable roots; many hunters are guilty of this (you can read). We discussed mischief in the absence of owners in a recent question - check it out too. Here we will talk about whether it is possible to beat a dog, and under what conditions.

The essence of the phenomenon

1. Firstly, physical punishment for puppies is a completely natural process; they are first introduced to it when trained by their mother. It is important to understand that this has nothing to do with beating.
2. Few trainers of the DOSAAF school (about which many now sigh nostalgically, as well as about the Brezhnev era) did without at least one strong thrashing. Again, here we are only talking about hard service breeds when training ZKS (protective guard service).

It is a fact that it is impossible to correct a puppy’s behavior that is inappropriate to the situation with words alone. Another thing is the choice of your reaction.

In the usual understanding of this term, hitting a dog is not only unethical, but also useless.

Even if you (conditionally) kick her in the butt at the moment of the “offense”, this will lead to the fact that she will understand: within the reach of the owner, I should not do this anymore. Moreover, if you come and whip her with a leash - in this case it will simply not be clear to her why she is being beaten.

There must be punishment (correction), but it must be carried out wisely.

How to punish a dog correctly?

Remember the rules

• The main thing in punishment is not the force of the “blow” or their number, but the exact timing (that is, everything must happen at the moment of the crime).
• Our task is not to hurt the pet, but to distract him from performing unwanted actions. At the same time, the application of force must be unpleasant.
• It is enough to take the puppy by the scruff of the neck, press it to the floor and hold it in this way for several seconds. That's exactly what his bitch mother does.
• The best option is when the dog does not associate the physical trouble with you. For example, an adult large breed can be discreetly corrected with a gentle kick to the chest during row training. Your trainer should show you how to do this.

As for small breeds of dogs, they require a different approach. No kicks, etc. and there should be no talk. In the old days, a newspaper rolled into a tube was used - you can lightly slap it on the baby's back thigh.

Still, let's talk about whether you can beat a dog or not.

Most of the dog’s types of behavior are classified as instinctive, i.e., they obey some kind of instinct (food, defensive, etc.). This behavior, in turn, consists of two phases: the search phase and the instinctive phase. The search phase is characterized by the activation of the dog's search reaction, for example, it is looking for where to go to sleep, or looking for something to eat, or someone to fight with. The instinctive one is already characterized by the completion of this action, i.e. the dog is already sleeping, or already eating, or fighting. These two phases can be seen almost always.

So - the impact on the dog with the subsequent effect for training is advisable only at the search phase, i.e. at the level of its desire, its thoughts.

Based on the above, punishing a dog for something, and more often after something, will not have a pronounced positive effect on education, but it can have a huge negative one. The most common example is that a dog is punished after it ate something and then approached its owner, who naturally became angry with it. So, gentlemen dog breeders, try to keep your emotions to yourself, otherwise you will long and persistently catch your cute child throughout the neighborhood, and considering that you have two legs, and the dog has four, this, apparently, quite problematic.

I repeat once again that punishment in itself does not have the desired effect, but it does have the reinforcement of any action, be it positive or negative. That is, if, according to the above theory, the dog is weaned from picking up food from the ground, and praised when approaching, then we will get a much more favorable model of its behavior.

But this was about the expediency of punishment, but what about beatings. There is such a thing as

pack hierarchy

I will not touch upon the pack organization of dogs here, you can read about this in books, but I would like to say that a dog in a pack family should be at the lowest hierarchical level. At the same time, she will in no way, as many say, be complex; on the contrary, she will feel at ease. That is, the dog has an owner who must be obeyed, who will make the necessary decisions himself, but he will also feed and water it and make a rookery. The rest of the pack family also needs to be obeyed, because they are stronger and more important than me. However, it is precisely this pack family that the dog successfully protects from strangers, so there can be no talk of complexes.

So how can one subjugate a dog, lower it to this lower rank, which is so necessary for everyone? Naturally, you should start from puppyhood, where this can still be easily achieved. To do this, you need to know about some behavioral reactions of dogs. Firstly, that the bitch takes naughty puppies by the scruff of the neck with her teeth and throws them to the side, or bends them to the ground; secondly, she simply bites the cubs and treats them quite harshly. This is exactly what you should do, since you have already taken on her responsibilities.

The puppy must define strict limits of behavior, i.e. eat there, sleep there, etc. This already leads to the dog’s subordination.

But what about an adult dog that shows aggression towards its owner or family members at home? Such victims most often become children and the elderly, so if these or those are present, you should generally reconsider once again the advisability of buying a large dog, and especially a male.

And even with such aggression towards family members, it is not advisable to simply beat the dog; you should purposefully influence it.

That is, the scheme is simple: they put a muzzle and collar on the dog, provoked aggression, suppressed it and took the dog to its place. Easy, isn't it?! Thus, it is necessary to calculate and work out all the situations in which a beloved animal can show even the slightest aggression. Examples of provocations include: taking away a favorite treat or toy, examining ears, fur and teeth, and other situations.

By the way, when used correctly, an electric collar has an excellent effect. But such work should only be carried out with a specialist dog handler.

So, gradually we came to the following conclusion: that beating a dog is inappropriate and inhumane, but it is necessary to influence it, even physically.

In conclusion, I would like to say that you should not immediately euthanize or give up an aggressive dog, because in almost any case something can be done. It’s even better to avoid this kind of problem by consulting with a competent specialist from a very early stage. Those who have not yet bought, but want to buy a dog, think a thousand times about what breed and gender you want to have a four-legged friend. And remember that an obedient and beloved dog means useful communication and pleasure.

A dog has accompanied a person from time immemorial, sharing shelter and food with him. There is no one more devoted and selfless; this is man’s best friend and companion. However, it is still an animal, with its own habits, pack instincts, etc. Therefore, conflicts often occur between a dog and a person, the essence of which mainly comes down to the question of who is more important? A person, not finding other ways to educate, raises his hand against her, making an irreparable mistake. And when asked whether it is possible to beat a dog, you almost always have to answer “no.”

Moreover, the understanding of new methods of education came not so long ago. Cynology of past years followed the path of physical suppression of the animal. These methods were based on the pack feeling of dogs, which assumed dominance as their basic instinct. It was believed that power over an animal could only be achieved through violence. However, sometimes this led to the opposite effect - terrible fear and aggression from animals. Now the situation has changed radically. Modern research has been able to prove that the method of motivational and incentive action should become dominant. This method is gaining momentum and has already produced undeniable results.

Consequences of an aggressive attitude towards an animal

What happens if you hit a dog?

The dog will lose trust in its owner. The person to whom he entrusted his life suddenly causes him pain, and it is usually accompanied by abuse. The dog cannot understand what happened because he only understands a clear cause-and-effect relationship. For example, if he stole a piece of sausage from the table, the owner immediately scolded him, then the dog knew why. If it suddenly happened that the dog did something wrong in the morning, and the owner hit him for the offense many hours later, the dog will be completely bewildered, not understanding or remembering why. The point here is the animal’s lack of logical thinking; a dog is capable of thinking only with its “reason.”

The dog may become embittered, and this is already a danger. A small dog can be dealt with, but a big one is not far from trouble. The dog's response to aggression is to respond with aggression is quite understandable. In such situations, the “dog-human” relationship simply reaches a dead end, and they sometimes have to part ways.

On a note. Experienced dog handlers never hit a dog with their hands. Their measures of influence are strict collars, special batons and other means. However, they know the extent of the pain, calculate the force, and see the reaction. At home, a non-professional will not be able to cope with such tasks.

The dog may become very frightened, which will further lead to a breakdown of its nervous system and, as a result, to concomitant diseases. An owner in anger can cause unbearable pain to his friend. The dog will remember her for a long time, and at the slightest offense he will become afraid of a new attack from the owner. However, this will not lead to obedience and strict execution of commands, but will make the animal uncontrollable.

On a note. A dog is an individual with its own position in life. One of its postulates is peace, when it is disturbed, the life of the pet and the owner is also disturbed.

From these truisms it becomes clear Why can't you hit a dog? How does a person react to such conflicts? Of course, aggression also affects his psyche, he becomes angry and irritable, and sometimes he develops feelings of guilt and pity, which are aggravated by new aggression.

For example, the answer to the question why pregnant women should not beat animals is explained not only by superstitious approaches (the birth of a defective child). It is also taken into account that aggression that occurs between a pregnant woman and a dog can negatively affect the health of the baby and mother. And the point here is not only in the psychological aspect, the dog can simply attack and severely bite the expectant mother.

Pet training methods

What should owners do if their pet behaves too freely, does not obey, does not follow commands, and interferes with others? Parenting methods have been developed and time-tested.

Firstly, timely training of puppies should not be missed. This is the period when the basics of behavior are laid in the dog. By raising a puppy correctly, the owner will later receive an easy-going, intelligent friend. Training should be based on unquestioning recognition of the person as the master and leader. Methods of gentle education:

• do not allow the dog to go ahead of the owner during a walk using the command “Near!”;
• stop the pet’s attempts not to respond to commands using a leash, collars, etc.;
• stop the pet’s attempts to growl and rush at the owner with the command “Place!” and staying on the sunbed for a while.

Secondly, use all the methods accumulated during the development of cynology: mechanical, food, play, etc. The question often arises: is it possible to hit a dog on the nose? Sometimes the owner is simply forced to spank (but not hit!) the dog. For example, at the moment of development of strong aggression, a light slap on the nose is quite suitable. The dog will remember it for a long time, since its nose is a sensitive and painful place.

Thirdly, follow the basic rules of training:

• make sure that all opportunities for raising the dog are present;
• train an alert and hungry dog;
• do not let your pet get too tired;
• play more with the dog;
• make activities positive.

Violence against anyone, including animals, is unacceptable. The issue of beating a dog should become a thing of the past, because it is necessary to understand that violence and aggression do not bring the desired results, but only cause the opposite effect. The consequences of an aggressive attitude towards an animal can become irreparable. The dog, not understanding the reasons for the violence, defends itself, shows aggression, does not listen, etc. In this case, there are only two ways out of the situation - invite a specialist to help or break up forever.

A dog is a family friend, protector, companion. Only gentle methods of education, love and friendship, will help establish relationships based on the rules of coexistence between animals and humans in the same home.

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american bulldog puppies

Let's discuss today such a topic as “Is it possible to beat a bulldog or thrash it with a belt as a child?”

I was interested in this topic and give below examples of answers to this question from the owners of American Bulldog dogs. If you have your own opinion on this topic, then you are welcome, don’t be shy, write in the comments) I would like to see live communication)

» I was taught to hit and condition the American Bulldog in every possible way from small puppies. She stopped when she was four months old - the bulldog immediately began to snap and at the same time be afraid and not respect the owner. He can still jump at any of my random swings (the bulldog is 2.9 years old), but he can rush at someone else’s. I am now better able to change the tone of my address, stop communicating (“I’m not talking to you”). Disobedience may not be in our human sense at all. And lack of understanding of what a person wants, the inability to carry out a command - stress, fatigue of the dog, inconsistency of the owner’s behavior. Just playing and pampering - testing our reaction. There are many options. Describe situations in which a dog has to be bludgeoned (!!!). I will note, however, that I am in favor of recognizing the psychology of dogs (naturally, zoopsychology), and not meaningless harsh training, with which, I think, the majority will not agree.” - writes Irina Petrunina

“There were many cases, here are a few:
1) when the dog climbed onto the table, we weren’t in the room, we didn’t see it, we only heard the clink of glasses, so that’s what we got... it still only climbs when we’re not at home
2) we categorically do not allow ours on the bed since childhood. He climbed in and got
3) He chewed on his boots, got it, but won’t take it anymore
In general, when and how, when a bulldog understands and when he doesn’t. Anyway, I don’t like the “tyrant” method at all!
We don’t know how to wean him off the table(((
So that means many people still beat their pets?!!! "- Catherine

Kseniya Akhmatnurova
I believe that there is no other way to explain to a dog who is boss in the house and who should obey whom. As a child, we also sometimes beat our Gina with a slipper or a belt for creeping onto the sofa and other “pranks,” and when she tried to snap back, we pressed her head to the floor (lightly pressing on her neck). But now (she is 2 years old) she understands everything by intonation, it’s enough to raise her voice slightly and she stops doing what she was doing, we can easily put our hand in her bowl when she eats. And he doesn’t even try to climb onto the sofa, he sleeps in his place, he listens, he’s not afraid of us, but on the contrary, he loves us very much and treats us with respect.
By the way, before buying a puppy, we read the characteristics of the breed on some website about American bulldogs (I’ll post the link later) and it said that in childhood, bulldogs try to show their superiority by snapping at their owners, biting, etc. This should not be allowed under any circumstances. In any attempts, you need to slightly lift the puppy by the scruff of the neck (of course, not completely his weight, but by lifting his front paws), or by throwing him to the floor to choke him (again, not half to death), this way in dog packs they show who is the leader.
P.S. As for my bulldog, this approach to education had a positive effect, because... Today, the character and behavior of my dog ​​suits not only me, but also those around me. Although, of course, it’s a pity when you look into those cute eyes and think, well, he’s just little, he’s just playing, he’ll grow up and stop doing that, but when you start to realize that such games will happen with a dog weighing 50-60 kg, it immediately becomes not funny...

Victoria Vadimovna Tepysheva
Under no circumstances should you hit a dog with your bare hands - then the dog may become angry with its owner. You can hit your butt with a newspaper - and even beat you, it’s said loudly... Spank! Everything else, sorry, is the owner’s TROUBLE. The owner shows his powerlessness - he does not know how to raise the dog. This is tyranny. I find this behavior from the OWNER unacceptable. In general, it’s a question of upbringing... It’s the same with children. This is practically the same as a child - a dog needs to be trained not with a belt, but with commands, obedience lessons, suggestions, etc. YOU bought a dog, and you don’t know how, or don’t want to do it right. You are making fun of the dog. Sorry for being harsh, but I am categorical regarding such issues.
My dog ​​was brought up with TEAMS, not with a belt. While I was a puppy, yes, they could slap you on the butt with a newspaper (BUT NOT HIT YOU EXACTLY). She still knows that this is a punishment, and that she did something wrong, although cases of such use are rare now. It is enough to scold - to say that “BAD”, “IMPOSSIBLE”. If time has not been lost yet, maybe YOU can still raise a dog with a normal psyche. But you need to start WITH YOURSELF!

As a child, I spanked my butt with a newspaper, but once I beat him very badly for disobedience (so many years have passed, I’m still ashamed), after that the dog and I lost complete contact and mutual respect!
Then we learned to understand each other in classes with a dog handler! Now the American bulldog is six years old and we have been making each other happy for many years, the dog understands me instantly!
Now I understand that a dog’s disobedience is the mistakes of their owners, it is very important to find an approach to the pet, as soon as you do this, everything will be fine, and with physical force you once again prove to the dog that you are not a leader and not the “owner”!
P.S. Dogs are very smart animals and understand everything perfectly, but sometimes it’s easier for the owner to hit or humiliate the animal than to learn mutual understanding with his pet!

Julia

Whipping dogs, especially bulldogs, is absolutely useless, because their pain threshold is such that they do not easily tolerate the pain of torn muscles, what is this belt for them? How long have I kept these dogs at home, how much have I worked with them, I realized that it is with bulldogs (and a couple of other breeds) that we need to find mutual understanding. My Terminator for about a year decided to disobey and did not spit out some garbage on command. I caught up with him (or rather, made me wait), wanted to poke his muzzle into the floor and press him down a little. When she sat on top of him, the dog sprawled on the ground, closed his eyes and began to wait for punishment (she had never hit him before - there was nothing for it yet). I felt so funny that I didn’t even raise my hand to him. From then on, it was enough to raise your voice. But it was my dog. But it was more difficult with my husband’s bulldog. He believed that my commands could be carried out according to his mood, he first looked at “Come to me”, why am I calling, maybe there is someone to fight with?, and only then he approached. I solved the problem simply: I gave a command, as soon as I started to look around, I shot him in the head with a twisted canvas leash with a huge carbine. I hit him twice, the dog became more obedient))). But I had to work with him more to find a common language, and with my husband they understand each other perfectly. In general, I learned how to punish dogs from my bitches: either press the dog with its muzzle to the floor from above, just hold it until it lies flat, which means it recognizes you as the leader, or (if your hands are strong) grab it from above by the upper jaw and squeeze , give a command (such as “Sit”), hold until the command is executed. Also, then the dog listens much better (I tested it on trained dogs, which before that didn’t give a damn to their owners).

Puppies of any breed are just children who love to play around, make puddles and heaps, do not listen to adults and can thoroughly ruin the situation in the room in a few hours. When raising a baby, we must remember that all subsequent coexistence with an adult dog for ten to fifteen years depends on the first few months of life together. It is during puppyhood that a trusting relationship with the owner, respect for a person is established, and true devotion and love are born.

Puppies of different breeds have different temperaments, some of them are timid and extremely vulnerable, some have a strong, strong nervous system. Therefore, the approach to education should be strictly individual. For one baby, a stern shout will be the first traumatic factor that makes the owner afraid. For another, even a slap with a newspaper or a slap on the withers will make him despondent for only a couple of minutes.

Taking these factors into account, we must remember that a puppy of any breed is obviously weaker than a human. You cannot beat a weak, frightened child. In most cases, in the baby's antics the man himself is to blame: did not remove things that the dog could chew, did not take them out on time, and did not play with the pet, so he.

There are several basic rules to remember when punishing a puppy:

1. Punish only at the moment of commission of an offense.
2. Never hit a dog with your hand - your hands should only bring pleasant sensations.

Is it possible to hit an adult dog?

You can’t beat an adult dog for two reasons: firstly, it destroys the animal’s trust in its owner, and the second important reason is that an adult dog can become embittered and attack the owner. And if a person can cope with a small dog, then in a fight with a medium or large dog, the victory will remain with the animal.

Typically, adult dogs do not give reasons for punishment, since they fully understand the rules of residence and the requirements of the owners. But if an animal commits an offense, then it is dictated either by physiological necessity, or by the desire to dominate in the family, or by winning instincts. In all cases, there will be a severe reprimand and isolation of the pet for some time, deprivation of attention and person.

Some educational moments

Of course, the owner must balance the severity of the punishment, and often during the training process, a hit or jerk with the leash will discipline the animal. Raising a dog as it grows or practicing certain elements of obedience sometimes simply requires forceful techniques. When and how to use force?

To hit or not to hit?

You can really hit or even beat a dog only in one case: at the moment when the animal really threatens the health or even the life of the owner or family members. When a dog’s aggression is directed at its owner, the dog must be defeated, and good for victory by all means. Otherwise, you will have to part with the dog, since the first attack will certainly be followed by a second, and the dog will begin to dictate its terms. This situation is, in principle, impossible for a well-bred pet, but exceptions do occur.