Angelique
Posted : 1/11/2007 11:03:37 PM
All depends on what message you are sending (through your energy) to the dog at the time.
I hit my dog all of the time. I grab her tail and smack her butt (the sweet spot just above her tail) sharply, tell her she is a "baaad dog" (in a humorous voice), and when I let go she spins around and positions her butt for more 'cuz I made it all tingly and she doesn't want me to stop!
(This was an adult dog who was very insecure, confused, mistrustful, and wary of humans when I got her)
If I did this very same thing in
anger or
frustration, and with a harsh tone, I would be sending a very different message to my dog.
A tap of the foot to redirect a dog like a tap on the shoulder to say "Uh, pay attention" is not the same as kicking or hitting the dog to administer punishment.
I would never want a dog to feel attacked by me or corrected unfairly. Lose trust, and you lose it all. IMO
It all depends on what message the sender (owner's intent and energy) is sending, and how that is being interpreted by the dog (receiver of the message).
Harsh physical punishment because the dog "knows" what he did and "has it coming", I need to vent, I'm angry, I'm frustrated, my dog embarassed me, I had a flat tire on the way home, etc...does nothing to communicate compassionate leadership or instill trust in the dog towards their owner.
Hit a dog, and you might as well be shooting yourself in the foot if you want your dog to follow your direction as their trusted, predictable, and fair leader.
Many people who hit a dog are completely oblivious to the "submissive" signals a dog is sending to their attacker
before they even receive the first blow. The dog may be saying "I give!", and yet the attack continues. Sad.