If something is being used for punishment, but it does not suppress behavior, it’s ineffective and often just plain abuse. Yes, even if it is “only” a spray of water, if you have to use it a more than twice to try and suppress the same behaviour, clearly something is off.
Spraying With Water Should Not Be For Punishment
Spraying your dog with water in the act of inappropriate behavior should be used for training only. It should not be used as punishment or to “get back at” your dog for doing something inappropriate. It’s not meant to inflict pain.
Prepare a mixture of 50 percent white vinegar and 50 percent water. Stir the ingredients to mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture in a spray bottle. Keep the bottle on hand during training.
If you spray a sensitive dog, he may become fearful of water or any kind of bottle. Bath times and any medical procedures involving a bottle will then become battles. If the punishment occurs when your dog is greeting a specific visitor, you may get a fearful response from your dog every time that friend comes over.
One way to stop a puppy from biting is to say “no” while holding his mouth/muzzle closed for a second, followed by ignoring the puppy. Holding the puppy’s mouth helps to get the point across – “don’t bite” – for some puppies.
In cases where biting is exceptionally strong or persistent, keep a water spray bottle handy. Accompany your firm “NO!” with a squirt of water in puppy’s face to interrupt the behavior.
Instead of giving your puppy time-outs for hard biting, start to give him time-outs every time you feel his teeth touch your skin. The instant you feel your puppy’s teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then immediately walk away from him. Ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds.
When your dog is barking, say “Quiet” in a calm, firm voice. Wait until they stop barking, even if it’s just to take a breath, then praise them and give them a treat. Just be careful to never reward them while they are barking.
Instead, if your puppy is demand barking, give them a firm “No” and redirect them to another activity (like practicing a couple of commands or going to Place instead) and reward them when they follow through and listen. Try to reward your puppy with their favorite food or treat when they become quiet instead.
Vinegar will treat minor skin irritations, help to prevent ear infections and even make your dog smell better. Both apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are helpful but typically are used in different ways.
Once a week, spray your dog’s fur with the mixture. Although not scientifically proven to get rid of flea, the acidic taste of the vinegar may repel fleas and other parasites. If your dog dislikes being sprayed, dip a washcloth into the mixture and rub your dog’s coat. There is no need to rinse your dog afterward.
Call your dog over and let him see the treat in your hand. As you close your hand, say “No!”. Let him lick and sniff, but do not give him the treat. When he finally gives up and backs away, praise him and give him the treat.
You will most likely see an extinction burst with dogs who have previously been reinforced for barking or jumping when you begin ignoring the behavior correctly. They’re working through the process of unlearning the association that barking/jumping = attention.
They can’t hear until they’re about three weeks old. Once their hearing kicks in, they hear about four times better than most people, including hearing a wider range of frequencies.
Never Yell Or Use Your Dog’s Name as Punishment. The Bark Busters training method succeeds in part due to ‘speaking dog’. This is communication using body language and tone to teach your dog new behaviors. Do not scream at your dog as this flies in the face of what you feel like doing.
Yelling at or physically punishing your puppy, as strange as it sounds, is also a type of reward. It teaches them that biting gets some kind of response from you, which is known as positive punishment. This can also make them fearful of being handled. Instead, teach them that biting will get them nothing.
Forgiveness brings stress relief.
Both tended to spend more time together after the conflict regardless of if they had an existing relationship. While it seems dogs do forgive after a fight, there’s still a lot more to learn about reconciliation in dogs. In some multi-dog households, it doesn’t always work out.
Fighting would most likely arise if both dogs have a high desire for the same resource, if the desire to retain the resource is stronger in the more subordinate dog (especially if he or she gets to the resource first), or if the owner supports the dog that is being challenged.
Fighting scars can be found on the face, front legs, hind ends and thighs. Puncture wounds, swollen faces and mangled ears are also tell-tale signs of fighting. If you see dogs with these characteristics, please contact law enforcement or animal control immediately.
Spaying refers to the removal of the reproductive organs of female dogs and cats, while neutering is the removal of the testicles in male dogs and cats. The surgeries are always performed while the animal is under anesthesia.
Your pet may be urine-marking if:
The amount of urine is small and is found primarily on vertical surfaces. Dogs and cats do sometimes mark on horizontal surfaces. Leg-lifting and spraying are common versions of urine-marking, but even if your pet doesn’t assume these postures, he may still be urine-marking.
Doing something to intentionally bother or startle your dog might get a funny video, but over time, it can erode your dog’s trust in you. It can also put you at risk of being bitten or lead to your dog feeling like they need to protect themself from you, the person your dog should feel safest with.
Contemporary experts urge against all uses of physical discipline. Tapping or bopping a dog on the nose can be misconstrued as playful behavior, and being too rough with your dog can actually trigger biting, reactive, or defensive behavior.