Lightly Smacking Dogs: Ok or Bad?

[ekfishlover2011]

Ive had dogs and cats all my life, and all my life ive seen my family hit them (not hard, just a light tap on the muzzle or head) when they are bad. When i got old enough i was taught also to do the same, and i did, with great results. Now i read online that it does nothing but make the animal fear you or hands, but that was never the case for my dogs or cats. The smacking taught my dogs and cats the same as the shock collar teaches the dog where the invisible fence is.

Ive always had this technique used for dogs that destroy things or bite people or animals, and cats that pee on the floor or scratch or bite. Its not used for barking, being rambunctious, or not following a simple command. Its not overused. They always only got smacked if caught the action, or while they were held down looking at what they did (like for peeing or destruction). Never after the action has passed. Within no time at all i had very well behaved animals that werent afraid of hands or me.

In the wild, alpha wolves will slash open a shoulder or grab the throat of a misbehaving pack member to teach them to stay in line. Lightly smacking a dog is not nearly as bad as that, but the owner is the alpha and animals in nature learn through pain, and that is why its always worked for me i guess.

So based on my experience i think it is okay to lightly smack misbehaved dogs or cats, and its not abuse if not overused. Online i see lots of different views as well, almost split 50/50 between a useful punishment and useless abuse. What do you all think about lightly smacking bad pets?

[Demjor19]

I treat dogs and cats similar to young children. When they do wrong, it's fine in my eyes to give them a swat on the rear. Our society has become soft and people just want to be their kids/pets friends and not the authority figure that we are supposed to be. Just my .02 w/out getting too far off topic.

[ekfishlover2011]

yea i think the not punishing children right nowadays is horrible and i see horrible children everywhere because of that, and i feel same way about my dogs as i would a child. my neighbor screamed at me for hitting my dog today when he was outside and attacked a cat that was in my yard. so i wanted to see if it really was all that bad.

[Aeonflame]

There are other far more effective ways of training and controlling your dog than hitting it. This coming from someone who has kept dogs all his life. Also, making a dog look at something its done while punishing it achieves absolutely nothing. They cannot make the connection between pee on the floor or something they have destroyed with being hit for it.

[Cliff]

When it comes to training dogs, I have found that the most effective method is one that best reflects their natural / instinctive behaviors. That is why I won’t give them a smack, but I will grab a little bit of their scruff and give it a tug. By no means will I do that in any way that will hurt the dog, only get his attention. If you watch a mother dog correct the behavior of one of her puppies, that is how she will do it. But that has to come right after, or during, the bad behavior (as Aeonflame has already suggested)

If you use that method combined with a firm and authoritative “NO” in a deep voice, pretty soon you will only have to say the word “NO” in that same deep voice and they will listen. That will make you the dogs “pack leader” making it almost instinctive for the dog to obey you.

That has always worked for training my dogs. And believe me, the last thing that I want is a 200 lbs St Barnard that won’t listen.

[Scrup]

I use the scruff technique. I was also showed one method when you are absolutely serious, pin the dog down and don't let it up until it submits fully (goes limp, totally relaxed, licking lips and not making eye contact). Works like a charm. I would not advise trying this on a dog over 100lb.

That being said, I have used rolled up newspaper or magazines for the noise, and I have on occasion swatted them on the backside with my hand. I don't use it as a regular training technique, but when your dog gets into hump mode one swat is all it takes to remind him of his manners. Not hard...I don't hit to cause pain. I swat to make noise. It works.

And I must admit I did recently buy a shock collar. Only had to use it once. Our dog would not stop eating apples. To the point he would vomit. Every time we let him out, he would run down and eat apples. (he is a pug and pugs are just stupid with food) It was a game, and he knew we couldn't catch him. One zap with the collar accompanied by a "Drop it!" and he realized we could now reach him and the game was no longer fun. Hasn't touched an apple since then (except when friends let him out...rrg).

Lots of different techniques. Not one is more right than the other. Just use common sense and don't hurt the dog. And remember that they do not in fact understand what you are saying. So you have to make it very obvious. Catching them in the act of doing something wrong- GREAT time to punish or scold them. 20 minutes afterwards...they aren't going to make the connection.

[William]

Dog training to no small degree is dependent on the type of dog you keep. You can not train a toy breed in the same way you train a rotweiler. They are completely different beasts. Yes there are similarities but the final execution has to be different. As an example i can get very physical correcting one of the rotweilers (allthough i do not hit or cause damage) but I never get physical with the great dane because they think in another way.

Dog should not be made to feel pain but you might have to show them who is the boss. In most dogs this is easily achieved but with rescues or dogs that has been handled the wrong way this can mean getting very physical with them. You should however think wrestling not hitting them. The goal is to show them you are stronger without causing them pain. if you buy a puppy and train it from the start this should never be needed.

In everyday training there is no need to hit gods as far as i see it. as aeonflame says, there are more effeicient methods.

[pjoo1120]

I've always given smacks on the rear end (never the head/face/muzzle) of my dogs while at the same time yelling "NO!". After a while, just the "NO!" makes them stop because they associate that word with a smack. Just my experience...

Also, I only smack when they are actively misbehaving. After the fact, as someone pointed out, does nothing because they have already forgotten what they did.

[metal-otaku]

I had a phobia of dogs. but i felt bad for my bf so i let him get a dog. since he pointed out i baby sat my brothers dog just fine. as long as the dog didn't do things to cause me to panic. like growling, barking and biting. (even play versions of these cause me to have a panic reaction though not as bad as before.)

when our dog bites at me play wise (he never has out of meanness) he gets smacked with my hand if that's all i have. if he doesn't stop after no. or if it's closer i have padded pool noodle on pvc pipe sword. and i smack him with that. cause it makes a loud noise and doesn't hurt him. but it scares him. usually just picking it up is enough to make him stop his bad behavior. the other thing he gets hit with it for is when i'm walking him and he pulls me. he is much stronger than me. and he's pulled out both my shoulders and pulled me down a flight of stairs. so it's our training method so he doesn't hurt me. he ignores the choker collar completely.

even when i hit him with my hand he's not afraid of my hand. but i don't hit him for potties in the house which is hardly ever. and it's usually our fault. or for biting stuff he's not supposed to. he gets yelled at and then we pry it out of his mouth and take it away. and i find when he does bad things denying cuddles and pets and ignoring him is as effective as spanking for those things. cause he knows he's done bad when i won't play or cuddle with him. but i also see nothing wrong with spanking. i'm not abusing or hurting him. i'm scaring him. the same things he's doing to me when he does the things he gets spanked for.

[Suda Nim]

I would never hit a dog on principle.

I have had giant breeds (Neapolitan mastiff, Rottweiler mix), as well as medium-sized dogs, and I grew up with Boston terriers (dumb as house plants, bless their hearts).

Two of my dogs were rescued strays with apparently abused backgrounds. The Neo, who I raised from a puppy, was a big lunkhead who never had a bad thing happen in his life.

So I've had a huge range of size and temperament to work with.

A correction works only IN THE ACT.

What works with all of them is the "Ankh!" noise. It's nasal, harsh, and penetrates right to the limbic system. It means "No!" in any animal language.