How to Discipline

A_Sober_Paddy

So I got home after being out all day to see a few towels ripped from the close line...

My dog pulled them off, but I didn't see him doing it and my brother didn't see anything...

How do I discipline him in this situation?

He was supposedly walked today in my absence but very much doubt his been walked as my brother is pretty lazy about walking the dog, which he wanted so we got. Its so annoying as me and my mother walk him and I'm the only one who is willing to discipline him at home, they are afraid to give him a smack on the snot for fear it'll hurt him:mad:

Makes me even more mad, is I didn't want a dog again because I knew this would happen

OhLongJohnson

Er, you've no excuse to hit a dog and particularly not when you're stupidly trying to teach him a lesson for something he did hours before. He won't connect the two things and you'll just teach him to fear you. Fearful dogs end up as nervous wrecks, some of whom will bite and their dumb owners are generally the type that believe a bite is a sign of a vicious dog and get it put to sleep. One giant punishment administered on the dog for its owners failures.

If you think dogs learn anything by beating them, as you seem to imply here, then you're not fit to own one. Your family are actually more suited since they don't believe in acting violently towards it to be absolutely honest.

A_Sober_Paddy

OhLongJohnson wrote: »

Er, you've no excuse to hit a dog and particularly not when you're stupidly trying to teach him a lesson for something he did hours before. He won't connect the two things and you'll just teach him to fear you. Fearful dogs end up as nervous wrecks, some of whom will bite and their dumb owners are generally the type that believe a bite is a sign of a vicious dog and get it put to sleep. One giant punishment administered on the dog for its owners failures.

I know I can't shout at him, or throw him into the garage as punishment or any other regular punishment because he won't connect, thats why I posted the thread. To look for advice on how to deal with him in this situation

Stheno

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

I know I can't shout at him, or throw him into the garage as punishment or any other regular punishment because he won't connect, thats why I posted the thread. To look for advice on how to deal with him in this situation

After the fact forget it. If you catch him doing it, then tell him to stop, distract him etc.

OhLongJohnson

But his behaviour is a direct result of your teaching him, so why punish him? He's just doing what he believes to be right. Beating him, shouting at him, etc isn't going to make him equate tearing up towels with incorrectness, he'll just think you're a d ick, fear you and be less of a friend to you when you want him to be.

A destructive dog is generally a bored dog. What do you do for him that gives him the opportunity to busy himself during the day when left to his own devices? If the answer is "nothing', then what do you expect him to do? Sit there for the day, doing absolutely nothing? Or trying to entertain himself with whatever is around to do so?

A_Sober_Paddy

Stheno wrote: »

After the fact forget it. If you catch him doing it, then tell him to stop, distract him etc.

Thats what I thought:mad:

Really annoyed now, it the second time I've come home to this, and when I ask my brother was he watching him out the back his response is meh

Cherry Blossom

Pick up a newspaper, roll it up tightly and smack said brother around the head with it. Then tell him to start pulling his weight and looking after his dog.

A_Sober_Paddy

OhLongJohnson wrote: »

But his behaviour is a direct result of your teaching him, so why punish him? He's just doing what he believes to be right. Beating him, shouting at him, etc isn't going to make him equate tearing up towels with incorrectness, he'll just think you're a d ick, fear you and be less of a friend to you when you want him to be.

A destructive dog is generally a bored dog. What do you do for him that gives him the opportunity to busy himself during the day when left to his own devices? If the answer is "nothing', then what do you expect him to do? Sit there for the day, doing absolutely nothing? Or trying to entertain himself with whatever is around to do so?

Well the way I discipline him is by telling him no and if after the second time I say no he gets a smack on the snot, This is a technique that I was shown by a dog trainer I know...who has a dog going to krups

In terms of entertaining himself, I've not been at home all day but my brother was and claims to have walked him, but the dog has plenty of toys which normally keep him entertained for most of the day, between the time I walk him and play fetch with him.

andreac

Smack on the snot?? Krups? Troll me thinks...

A_Sober_Paddy

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Pick up a newspaper, roll it up tightly and smack said brother around the head with it. Then tell him to start pulling his weight and looking after his dog.

Reaction I get it is meh...

Really annoys me, Like with the last dog we had, I was the only one who washed him, made sure he was feed every night(mainly a double checking to be fair). He also did everything I told him to do, this dog was a stray we took it, and passed away over Xmas so I knew I'd be stuck taking care of this fella even tho I wasn't totally ready for a new dog or wanted all the hassle to be fair

Stheno

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Well the way I discipline him is by telling him no and if after the second time I say no he gets a smack on the snot, This is a technique that I was shown by a dog trainer I know...who has a dog going to krups

In terms of entertaining himself, I've not been at home all day but my brother was and claims to have walked him, but the dog has plenty of toys which normally keep him entertained for most of the day, between the time I walk him and play fetch with him.

Smacks on the snot as you put it are very very painful to a dog and can cause damage.

Dogs are sensitive enough creatures, catch him doing something bad, send him to bed, like children are sent to naughty corners.

No need for physical punishment to be honest, dogs like small children crave and love attention and withdrawing that by being sent to bed do the job far more.

If the dog is misbehaving when you are not there it's too late.

Your brother sounds as useful as a sack of ****e. Stuff like Kongs stuffed and frozen will occupy your dog during the day or destruction boxes might help

A_Sober_Paddy

andreac wrote: »

Smack on the snot?? Krups? Troll me thinks...

Smack not punch and yes he got invited to krups, believe two of his dogs got invited.

andreac

Eh theres no such thing as Krups. Think you mean crufts. You dont get invited to that. you just qualify for it. I would be changing dog trainers if thats what they do to their dogs....

A_Sober_Paddy

andreac wrote: »

Eh theres no such thing as Krups. Think you mean crufts. You dont get invited to that. you just qualify for it. I would be changing dog trainers if thats what they do to their dogs....

Thats it so, its one of the biggest shows in Europe and either way he will have two dogs at it

andreac

Yes I know what it is, ive shown my own dog there twice and hes also qualified for life, so saying your trainer has a dog qualified means nothing really... As he advocates hitting a dog which is cruel and wrong.

A_Sober_Paddy

andreac wrote: »

Yes I know what it is, ive shown my own dog there twice and hes also qualified for life, so saying your trainer has a dog qualified means nothing really...

Well it shows that his good at training his own dogs doesn't it

andreac

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Well it shows that his good at training his own dogs doesn't it

No, it doesn't, not at all.

bfocusd

Id let you mind my dog for the day, but I don't think she'd get out alive, she's teething and eating absolutely everything and I've not raised a hand to her, hitting your dog will only teach it aggression, if it does turn on you, it's mind will be thinking, sure I can hurt you more..

Id say it's boredom, your brother needs to get his thumb out of his ass and take responsibility, that's pure laziness, the dog is getting the blame because of your brother's attitude.

It doesn't sound like the dog fits into your family and is nothing but a chore, honestly do the dog a favour and get him a home where he's wanted and not just a disposable gimmick when your family feel like it.

I probably come across harsh/hurtful, but im being honest.

rorrissey

When my puppy was around 4-6 months old he used to pull things off the line as well. I think it was because he saw the sheets/whatever blowing in the wind and he thought it was a big game. Anyway, the only thing we could do was to tell him ''no'' if we caught him doing that. He doesn't do it anymore, I think he just copped on from seeing me picking up the sheets and putting them back on the line. Or he's just grown out of it!

are you serious

I'd love to see what you'd have done to my dogs so. . . A hole the size of your fist in the Kitchen wall...Patched up said hole, 2 days later, hole in the opposite wall just not as big as first hole... Patched up second hole... 2 months later, corner torn off bottom step on the stairs!

Great dogs, walked regurlar, kongs frozen, toys/treats you name it they are spoilt brats... Still would not change them for anything, may even think of getting number 3 hahah!!

Look OP having a dog is like having a child, a child who will never fully understand what you say no matter how many times you say it never mind what part you slap!!

I am forever telling my 2 they are not allowed lick my face when i'm trying to have an afternoon sleep on the sofa when i'm on nights... BUT IT NEVER WORKS!!! stupid dogs :rolleyes: (they must think i'm dead) :P

Hooked

Firstly, never correct a dog after the fact. It would confuse it to be scolded when it is no longer misbehaving.

The only correction my dog gets is a very firm and loud NO. Sometimes followed with a tap on the nose. And only ever when attempting to misbehave. Not hours later.

tk123

Disciplining after the event is tough

For you
- get a better trainer who isn't stuck in the dark ages and learn how to teach your dog the leave it command
- provide the dog with more simulation


For your bro
- I'm not sure what the best discipline is for him? What happened when you smacked his nose?

fatmammycat

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

I know I can't shout at him, or throw him into the garage as punishment or any other regular punishment because he won't connect, thats why I posted the thread. To look for advice on how to deal with him in this situation

The only way you're going to be able to address this behaviour is to catch him in the act. He sounds bored, and pulling clothes off the line is probably fun for him, so why would he stop if he has nothing else to do. He has no reason to stop doing something fun at the moment, and it is impossible to correct him hours after the fact.
Perhaps you could hang old towels on the line and spend some time out there with him until he goes for them, then correct and when he leaves them, reward him, repeat until he gets what you want from him. This would take time though, and consistent training. Smacking the dog on the nose is utterly pointless and will just confuse him and make him wonder why you're hitting him. It's not a correction, it's just frustration on your part.
The dogs needs to be walked regularly too; bored dogs will find things to entertain themselves, same as we would.

kylith

I agree with the others. Smacking is always a bad idea in any case; I have a rescue dog who was obviously hit in her previous home and, even after nearly 5 years, still flees from sudden movements even though she has never known anything but kindness from our hands. Hitting a dog teaches it nothing except to be afraid of humans. Period.

If I had your problem I would firstly look at keeping the dog away from the washing, even if it meant keeping them indoors and only letting them out while supervised. When letting the dog into the garden keep an eye and as he approached the line and began to display unwanted behaviour a sharp "AH! AH!" should interupt him, and show him that you disapprove of that behaviour, and then gently but firmly take him away from the line and bring him inside. After a while the habit will be broken and he'll learn that jumping at the washing means he gets told 'that's not appropriate' and he's taken away from the fun garden. As others have said; correcting him after the fact will mean that he has no idea why you're punishing him, and all he'll learn is that you're unpredictable and yell at him for (as far as he knows) no reason.

Toys will also be essential. They will help to redirect his destructive urges onto something appropriate. Things that squeak are generally very well received.

Also, you're brother needs it impressed on him that if the dog misbehaves while under his supervision it's his fault, and he's the one who'll catch hell for it. Your brother is a human with knowledge and wisdom, the dog is a dog and knows nothing but that pulling things off the line is fun.