Hi guys! Today’s post is about when you have your most EXASPERATING moments being a dog owner and what to do!
Most dog owners have gone through the ‘disaster days’ or the time period where your dog seems to be on a destruction spree. During this time you’ll be at your breaking point…and (if you are super duper angry and frustrated) may be even considering giving your dog away.
The first thing to do in this situation is PAUSE!!! Right now is a stressful time and you need to pause and think. First calm down. It is very hard to think when you’re super frustrated. Unwind by doing something you love or one of your favorite hobbies.
After unwinding the next thing to do is THINK!!!! First think back to your training. What commands are your dog not so great at? Is this the reason why he/she is disobeying and causing messes? Can it be easily fixed with training and patience? IF the answers to these questions are mainly ‘yes’, your dog’s disobedience can easily be fixed. If the answers are mainly ‘no’ than you may want to observe your dog. When dogs are in pain, it can be hard to detect at first. Your dogs pain may be the reason for this disobedience.
REMEBER: Dog disobedience is also a stage in raising a puppy. Expect to be nipped/bitten at times and ignored. Don’t worry though! Most puppies if trained correctly grow out of this stage.
The WORST thing you can do:
Hitting your dog: It can be tempting to yell and hit your dog when he/she is disobeying. However, this will only teach your dog to fear you and this is something you DO NOT WANT TO DO!
Abandoning your dog: NEVER EVER DO THIS!!! Not only is it traumatizing to your dog, it is INHUMANE! If you really can not take care of your dog anymore, posting your dog on petfinder, adopt-a-pet, or a home to home program is much better than abandoning your dog.
So if you get frustrated during you and your dogs ‘disaster days’, know that through patience, training, and lots of love will result in a healthy and rewarding life with your dog!