All dogs from time to time will have behaviors that bother or displease us and that we would like them to stop, and eliminating bad behavior is part of some training programs. The most important thing in these cases is to correctly identify the reason for the behavior of our dogs and work gradually and with sensitivity to reduce the behavior in question, always respecting the physical, emotional and social integrity of the animals without harming or affecting their welfare.
So check in this post some consequences that punishments can cause to your dog!
Appearance and aggravation of insecurities, fears and phobias
In many cases, what we consider bad behavior is nothing more than a natural reaction of the dog to something that generates some uncertainty or scares him and he has no other way to deal with it. If you as a guardian punish, the anxiety can get worse (or appear if you didn’t have it before) and end up developing a major phobia that will seriously affect his emotional health.
Increased frustration and feelings of confusion
When a puppy comes home, it is very important that all members of the family agree on coherent rules for living together and follow them consistently, because if this is not done, the animal can become confused and develop stress problems. This can happen if, for example, the dog’s guardian yells and threatens some days when he climbs on the couch and other days reinforces this behavior.
It damages the bond between the dog and the guardian
One of the most obvious consequences of systematic and abusive punishment is the destruction of the bond between the dog and its owner. A dog that does not feel understood and is frequently punished will not trust its owner and will have an attitude against him. For example, for fear of punishment, many dogs avoid returning to their owners when called or perform certain actions without knowing they are being watched.
Development of stress and anxiety problems
One of the biggest mistakes that can be made when punishing the dog is to make it take into account that the dog understands the reason for the punishment as if it were a human being. Dogs don’t speak our language, so they often don’t understand why they are so angry, which causes them a lot of stress and frustration.
So digging, running, chasing cats is normal for dogs, as they are completely natural.
Physical injuries caused by punishment tools
When punishments are physical and carried out with tools, they can cause damage to the animal, which in many cases may require urgent veterinary care. This is the case with electrical discharge collars, which can cause severe burns, or collars among others that can cause tracheal collapse and asphyxiation in your dog.
After reviewing these 5 consequences when punishing a dog, we can deduce that it is useless to punish our dog, because this action will only develop fear, frustration and distrust in your pet.
