Do’s and Don’ts of Disciplining Dogs

If you’ve just bought a new puppy, teaching him/her to be Disciplining Dogs is crucial. It not only will make your dog well-behaved but also increase the bond between both of you and make him feel safe and secure under your watch. 

Many proud dog parents tend to harm their dogs in the name of disciplining them. And surprisingly, some of them even think that punishment is the only way to get their Fidos to behave.

And if you’ve been thinking the same, I have to say that you’ve been wrong all this time. 

Punishments for anything dog-related nowadays are history. There are many ways that you can use to get your dog disciplined, But evaluating one can be tricky.   

And that’s where we come in. In this guide, to help you get started, we’ve listed the Do’s and Don’ts to get your dog disciplined effectively. 

The process can take some time and effort, But if you want the best-behaved pup in the neighborhood, you need to suffer the consequences. 

Don’ts While Disciplining Your Dog 

Don’t Use Dominance Or Force.

This is the method that many tend to use, but it simply isn’t safe. Dominance used to be one of the popular ways of training a dog in the past, but today there are a lot of other training methods that have replaced it. 

Even Though there are people recommending Dominance methods still today, it is not scientifically proven to be effective and can end up making your dog undisciplined. 

Dominance techniques include aversive methods such as “alpha rolls,” punishments, staring the dog down, scruffing and more. 

All of these can cause pain, distress, fear, and anxiety to dogs. It can even introduce new behavioral problems plus make the existing unwanted behavior much worse too, which is not good by any means.    

There’s no point in disciplining your dog through Dominance Or Force. As you can see, it tends to do only more harm than good. 

Also Read:- Why is grooming important for dogs?

Continue Reading To Know What Method We Recommend Instead.

Don’t Scream Or Yell At Your Dog.

This is another huge mistake dog owners make while disciplining their dogs, and frankly, it’s not gonna work.  

Yelling at your furry friend makes no sense. Even though your dog can sense your anger, they simply don’t understand what you are yelling at. 

And the downside to this is that because your dog can sense your anger, every time you yell at them, there is a possibility that they can become scared of you, which in turn can affect the bond between both of you and can make training him more difficult in the future. 

Also, according to this study, your dog can even respond to you in a different way when they sense your anger. 

Yelling at your dog can also get them excited. For instance, if your dog keeps barking and you keep yelling, they’ll think that you’re barking too, which will lead to more barking. 

Screaming can put your dog under stress too, which is not good for health and has a lot of problems in its own right. 

You should avoid yelling at your dog because it can lead to more problems, and they won’t learn anything from your angry words. So, every time when talking to your dog, make sure you use a soft, quiet voice. 

Don’t Ever Physically Punish Your Dog For Any Reason

Just like screaming and yelling, dogs don’t understand punishments either. 

Physical Punishments do not work. Instead, it’ll make your dog fear you, decrease your dog’s trust in you and cause new behavioral problems. 

One punishment popular among many pet parents is that they rub their dog’s nose in its own accident. 

This can create many problems in the future, such as anxiety and fear. Suppose if you find a soiled area inside your house, just clean it.  

A firm “no,” a loud yelp, a tug on a leash, or taking a toy or treat away will do the job. But you have to make sure that you do these right after the problem behavior takes place. 

If you tend to do them after 10 mins of doing that particular behavior, it’s probably too late.

Don’t Allow Anything That’s Not Okay

When your dog is in the learning stage, it’s very much possible that its behavior is not going to be particularly good. They’ll dig, chew, bark and jump, so it’s your job to restrict them from doing those. 

For instance, chewing is one of the most concerning behavioral problems for dog owners. Dogs tend to chew almost everything, and one of them is your shoes. 

If you see your dog chewing your shoes, take it away and redirect it with some of its chew toys.

 To avoid this, next time, take the shoe away and store it somewhere out of sight.   

If you avoid correcting these mistakes, thinking your dog will grow out of them, you’re wrong. The more you delay, the harder it’ll become to alleviate.

Do’s While Disciplining Your Dog

Do Use Positive Reinforcement.

This is the method we recommend instead of Dominance. 

Positive Reinforcement techniques have been the staple of dog training for most present dog trainers. 

This training method presents no harm and is based on rewards such as praise, treats, play or toys.

Every time your dog does a positive behavior, you need to reinforce it with any of the rewards mentioned above. 

As for negative behaviors, you can just use vocal cues, as I mentioned above, to interrupt them or hold out on treats.

This training technique is way ahead of Dominance. Rather than punishing your dog for negative behavior that it isn’t gonna understand, reward them with something they love whenever they do something good. 

Also, Positive Reinforcement techniques are packed with benefits for both you and your dog, such as it helps build a strong bond with your dog based on respect and trust and completely avoids anxiety or aggression.

Positive Reinforcement techniques will for sure make your dog disciplined and well-behaved.  

Do Be Clear And Consistent. 

Being consistent is important. While working on disciplining your dog, make sure you set up some rules and stick to them. And you’ll not be the only person who should stick to it and follow it; every member of your family should be aware of it and follow it thoroughly. 

If you’re not consistent, you’re not going to see the results you want. So, be consistent. It can be good for you, too; it helps you structure your discipline. This, in turn, will be helpful for your dog to learn what to expect and how to act properly.

Do Correct Your Dog Immediately If It Does Something Wrong.

I already mentioned this above. So anyway, here’s another look at it. 

The key to successfully disciplining your dog is to correct the unwanted behaviors right after it happens or while it’s about to happen. 

You can never correct an unwanted behavior that your furry friend did 5-10 minutes ago. Because at that point, the dog would have forgotten what he did and will not know the reason you’re correcting him.  

You can easily correct your dog if you catch him doing something inappropriate. So make sure you keep an eye on your dog every time and respond to his behaviors swiftly and adequately if you’re to get rid of them.   

For example, if your dog’s about to eliminate inside the house, do something to interfere with him like a loud yelp or making a startling noise, But make sure you don’t scare him. Once done, Immediately take your pooch outdoors and let him do his business there.

Once he finishes, praise him, and give him a treat.   

Do Use Praise Treats Or Toys

While using Positive Reinforcement techniques, there is no rule that you should reward this specific thing to your dog. Instead, you can choose how to reward your dog. 

However, if you can take some time to get to know your dog’s favorite reward, it’ll make things so much easier. For example, Labradors are food-motivated dogs and using treats while training them can help a lot. 

Anyways, it does not mean that you can mix it up; you can always do that. For instance, At home, dogs tend to perform well for praise, but once you go to a park, treats might be the perfect reward. The main reason for this is the distractions.     

Do Look After Your Dog’s Health

It’s vital that you look after your dog’s health. Maintaining ideal hydration is crucial for health and energy. Also, make sure to get your dog to follow a diet that a VET recommends, as they will make one according to its nutritional needs.

Also, while rewarding, remember to use high-quality, healthy treats rather than table scraps.   

An Example of a health issue is, If your dog, for no reason, constantly keeps urinating on your furniture and carpets even after being house trained perfectly, it means there’s something going wrong. 

There is a significant chance this can be due to a medical condition, such as urinary incontinence. So make sure you take your Fido to the VET immediately.  

Speaking of VET, make sure to get your dog examined by them on a regular basis.  

Final Thoughts, Don’t Throw In The Towel.

Disciplining your dog is not going to be a walk in the park. It takes time, patience, and consistency. But don’t give up because you’re teaching your dog to become a well-behaved companion, and it’s undoubtedly gonna need some work from your end.   

However, if you think you’re not up to the task, you can seek help from professionals. Either attend online classes like spiritdog training class or hire a certified professional dog trainer, both of these options are more than capable of getting you through the finish line.

But if you’re not ready to spend the hefty amounts that training classes and dog trainers charge or are looking to complete it yourself at home but with a small assistance, you can succeed with online dog training programs, YouTube videos, and books. 

Either way, it’s up to you in the end.