You love your dog and you want to be kind. So how do you let him know when he does something that you don’t like, or worse, he does something that is dangerous for him? You may ask yourself, “is it cruel to correct a dog?”
The fact is, correcting your dog is NOT cruel. Actually, allowing him to make the same mistake over and over, then punishing him when you get angry, is cruel. That just confuses a dog and stresses him out. When a dog doesn’t know what you want, it’s cruel to punish him. You need to take the time to teach him what you want. Guide him using his leash to teach him all the command words that you want him to learn. Once you’re sure he knows what you want, but is disobedient, it’s fair to correct him. That same leash that guides him, can also teach him an effective but appropriate correction. Correction helps a dog learn; punishment does not! https://pawsiloveyou.com/course/3minute-walking-politely-on-a-leash/
It’s not cruel to correct a dog; it helps him learn
When your dog makes a mistake, correct him to help him learn. Don’t get angry; get patient. Teach your dog what each command means with treats and repetition. When he gets it right, reward him. And when he doesn’t, correct with a verbal command, like “no”, then help him get it right. Don’t forget to give him a treat.
If you are absolutely sure your dog is deliberately disobeying you, you may need to learn how to use training equipment to find a correction that is effective for your dog’s age and personality. That way he clearly understands, “oops I made a mistake”. https://archive.triblive.com/news/use-mother-dogs-technique-for-correcting-nipping-puppy/
Teach your dog what you like and what you don’t like. It not only makes EVERYBODY happy, it keeps your dog safe! In our next blog, we’ll go over how to make those kind but effective corrections.