Is swatting on the but acceptable discipline for puppies?
Ariel D asked:
Sometimes when our puppy misbehaves, we will swat him lightly but firmly on the but along with saying no. Is this good/effective discipline for puppies? Also, he will sometimes growl a little when we do this. What should we do at that point to get the point across that he cannot growl at us?
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Sometimes when our puppy misbehaves, we will swat him lightly but firmly on the but along with saying no. Is this good/effective discipline for puppies? Also, he will sometimes growl a little when we do this. What should we do at that point to get the point across that he cannot growl at us?
February 27th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Hitting your dog is NEVER appropriate. At least, not in my opinion. And swatting him on the (the?) and shouting “no!” does absolutely nothing. Your dog does not speak English.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
A leash correction is so much more effective to teach your dog what ‘no’ means.
Swatting with the hand is so personal and has so much emotion attached that it can often cause fear, submissive urination, or other problems.
February 28th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
i don’t believe you should have to smack your puppy, they learn better by positive reinforcement. Then again i don’t believe in smacking children either, which i know alot of people don’t agree with.
Take the pup to training for good advise!
March 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pm
No. You could seriously hurt his hips.
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Maybe you should have gone to the library and bought a dog book before getting the dog.
March 5th, 2009 at 2:55 am
hitting is wrong just tell them in a firm voice no
March 5th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
No…make eye contact with him, scowl and say no or another negative noise. This will usually get the point across (if you’ve established you’re the leader of the pack). Then, immediately correct the behavior and praise him. If he growls, tell him no…then as soon as he stops, praise him for being a good boy. They remember getting praise and rewards a lot better than punishments!
Add: Have you ever read the 10 commandments for dog owners? It has a really good line in there about hitting your dog..I heard this before I got my dog and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever come across. It’ll make you think twice before you do things to your dog: Read #7 for your case
1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I understand your voice when it’s speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I’ll never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I’ve been out in the sun too long, or my heart may be getting old and weak.
9. Take care of me when I get old. You, too, will grow old.
10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, “I can’t bear to watch it”; or “Let it happen in my absence.”; Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.
March 7th, 2009 at 8:59 am
abosolutely, show him who is the pack leader.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
You should not hit ur dog to have it obey u. The best step to do is put it on a time out say no get up and put the pup in a different room or in a dog crate. The dog will start to understand if it dose not listen it will not be allowed to be with u. Just like a child No is No and you are the master. Hitting is just making the dog fear u and that is something you don’t want to have. Good Luck
March 11th, 2009 at 11:27 am
We did that to our shepard when she was a puppy and she was/is fine. She’s not scared of us and she behaves very well. A momma dog sometimes goes as far as biting a puppy when it won’t listen. Spanking is our way of biting. As long as you don’t do it too hard or too much it’s perfectly fine.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
i dont think that swatting on the butt is appropriate behavior, when the puppies are being raised by their mothers if they mis behave the mother kdog will tug at the extra skin on their neck with their teeth to tell them that they did smomething wrong, if you tug at the back of their neck lightly and tell them no, this will get the message across and they wont growl ejither because they are used to it from their mother
March 13th, 2009 at 11:29 am
NO. don’t hit him, tell him no. WHatever he is doing, get him away from it, never hit him or one day he’ll turn against you or deny you. Give your puppy a reason to LOVE you not hate you.
March 15th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
It’s very simple if you just think about it for a second. When you “swat” your dog, what have you taught him? Have you taught him the correct way to do whatever it is he’s doing wrong?
No? Well, if you haven’t taught him correct behaviour, all you’ve taught him is that he can’t trust you and he should be ready to defend himself when you come too close.
March 17th, 2009 at 1:23 am
No, do not hit your dog ever. A firm NO is all that is needed.
Aggression begets aggression. Why do you want to force your dog into submission with negative actions, when it is so much more humane to discipline them with positive reinforcement? Perhaps you should research some training techniques on line. Most dogs respond better to positive reinforcement than negative.
Of course he growls at you when you mistreat him. I would too.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
never never ever, do that!! you make him handshy, and could be prone to bite you or anyone else later in its life!! here’s what to do:: rolled up newspaper, whack it in your palm with as much noise as possible followed by avery loud and firm NO! and remember later on all you need to do is show the rolled up paper and a firm NO in normal voice it will learn fast but you must keep it up for quite sometime. it works better and you won’t get a nervous dog, you can’t touch at the risk of mangled fingers
March 20th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
When training your puppy, you are ineffect teaching him. What do you think the swat teaches him? Perhaps that you hit and can’t be trusted not to do so again?
Teach positive lessons with positive methods for positive results. Show the puppy what you want, praise him for that behavior. Much more effective than swatting.
If you don’t want him to growl at you, don’t swat him. Treat him with respect. Look for some books that can explain positive reenforcement and proper training methods. Or sign up for a class. You’re guaranteed to get better results if you try to understand what drives the little guy, and how to motivate him into doing/being what you want.
March 21st, 2009 at 12:37 pm
No, absolultely not!!!
You will make him aggressive by hitting him - and “swatting” is another name for hitting. He growls because he is a puppy, they do that, and they “mouth” (bite) - your hitting him like that will just make him aggressive.
Get a book on puppies, their care and training.
That t.v. actor Millan has done more harm with his “pack leader” nonsense - every uneducated wanna=be top dog quotes him without understanding a thing about dogs.
We BOND with our dogs, we are not wolves, neither are they - we have both evolved quite a bit and do not form “packs” under normal conditions, especially not when we have one dog - that’s so dumb it makes me want to laugh.
Bond - show your dog he can trust you, hitting sure won’t do that.
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 am
When you lift your hand, do you want your dog to cower in fear? Or do you want your dog to welcome your touch? And I agree, hitting your dog doesn’t teach it the correct behaviour.
I do *tap* my dog to get his attention when he’s not pay attention (he can get very distracted). However, it’s the difference between someone giving you a nudge and a punch in the arm. There are a lot of good puppy training books out there - look in your local library!
Good luck, and always keep training positive!
March 24th, 2009 at 1:48 am
no a leash correction is more acceptable