# I could not believe my eyes and ears....



## Stela12 (Mar 1, 2012)

Yesterday I went to a nearby park with Stela. This is not an official off leash Dog Park, but there is an area where people come with their dogs and let them be off leash.
At one point one of the dogs decided that it would be fun to chase a kid on a scooter, other dogs accepted the idea and all of them started the chasing game. We all started to recall our dogs, but they were wildly involved in their game, except for a 4 month old puppy who promptly listened to his owner that was shouting in a very strict voice for him to stay. The puppy froze in place, while everybody else was leisurely coming to their owners on their own terms. The angry puppy owner then came to his puppy (who seemed terrified of him) and would not let the dog move and proceeded to tell us how you just have to yell at your dog and they will listen. He also said that in his country this is how you deal with dogs-you yell at them and smack them because they don’t understand words!!! I was appalled and so sad for the little puppy.  On the other hand I was a little ashamed that my dog who is almost a year old would not listen to me instantly. 
What does everybody else think????


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

I would rather my dog listened to me because he wanted to rather than being too petrified to disobey. Poor thing.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

I believe there is no room for physical, or verbal abuse towards any animal in your care. It's unnecessary. Saddens me to see a down trodden animal. I have witnessed the bonds between wild animals that are free to come and go and their human carers. Jessica the Hippo for one. That bond would not be there if she had been abused.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

difficult one, I have seen some fantastically well behaved dogs that you could tell were slightly afraid of their owners then others who had equally strict owners who just seemed to adore them, I think you can probably be very strict and shout if you do not actually beat them and as long as you generally treat them kindly they will be ok, of course the best way is all kindness and reward,but you can tell your dog off if you have to go get them (when ignoring a recall) or if you catch them doing something they shoudn't. A dog trainer and breeder near me is very strict and aloof with his dogs and they adore him, but he is never cruel, in fact he said he sold a puppy to someone that tried training using cruelty and complained the dog still refused to do what it was told, he said his dogs would probably die taking a beating before they would work for someone using cruel methods. I think his way is probably best, but of course our dogs are family members and its VERY hard to be aloof round them! but this guy you saw shouting and hitting a pup is just wrong and will never have a fantastically close relationship with a dog that is happy to do whatever he asks. -sorry, waffling a bit!!


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

No need to ever hit a dog, there are so many things that you can do to train your dog, and bond with your dog, there is no need to hit, or harm, or cause fear, that is really great that his dog stopped running, but will his dog ever show him the affection that mine shows me. I highly doubt it.
Hitting an animal is the same as hitting a child in my book.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Once when Nacho ran off and then I saw him 10 or so minutes later on a road (a few mins from my house) (not a busy one but still with passing cars) and called him back, he just looked at me, then carried on trotting in the opposite direction. I think I was so scared he'd get hurt and angry he ignored me that when I did finally get him back I went nuts at him (just shouted manically at him and tapped him on the nose). I regret that so much and have never done it again. It doesn't work!! A couple of times when calling him back after this incident on walks, he was more inclined to ignore me because he thought he might be told off - dogs minds don't always work in the ways we expect them to and he was confused to why he was told off in the first place. 

I am a strong believer in ignore the bad and go to town on treats and rewarding when they do as they are told and are good. It is a quicker and much more effective training method AND my boy loves me and he knows I love him.


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## Stela12 (Mar 1, 2012)

Yes, his dog might be the best behaved dog in the world, but I could never do what he does with his dog and don't think it's the right way. I would much rather have my dog listen to me because he was properly trained using positive reinforcement. Maybe-I just have to get my clicker out and up my training!!!


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

I am not proud of the fact that my dog is not the best behaved dog and my kids are not the best behaved kids, but I am proud that they are the most loved in the world. They know it too. They are safe and happy and in return I feel like the most blessed mom in the world.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

wellerfeller said:


> I would rather my dog listened to me because he wanted to rather than being too petrified to disobey. Poor thing.


I agree with this.

Any sort of behaviour which involves obnoxious humans throwing their weight around completely disgusts me. Abuse is no joke whether it is directed at humans or animals.


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## KCsunshine (Apr 16, 2012)

Awww, that poor puppy. I'd hate Coco to be scared of us. That owner sounds like a bully.

I think you can be loving and strict at the same time, it is a matter of teaching boundaries and being consistent, in my mind it's just the same as teaching children. I'd never hit my children, so I'd never hit my dog. We don't "yell" at Coco, but when she is doing something we don't want her to do, we do shout a specific thing, it's just "AH aH aH". 9 times out of 10 she stops what it is she is doing. She is supposed to connect the sound we make with her making a wrong choice. (lol, sounds good huh, the trainer taught us that one!). 
It seems to work for Coco.


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

KCsunshine said:


> Awww, that poor puppy. I'd hate Coco to be scared of us. That owner sounds like a bully.
> 
> I think you can be loving and strict at the same time, it is a matter of teaching boundaries and being consistent, in my mind it's just the same as teaching children. I'd never hit my children, so I'd never hit my dog. We don't "yell" at Coco, but when she is doing something we don't want her to do, we do shout a specific thing, it's just "AH aH aH". 9 times out of 10 she stops what it is she is doing. She is supposed to connect the sound we make with her making a wrong choice. (lol, sounds good huh, the trainer taught us that one!).
> It seems to work for Coco.


That's exactly what I do......and the trainer taught me that too! x


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