How Yelling at your Dog can make it Worse

Sometimes wildlife pass by at the back of our property and our dog notices very quickly. I have taken to personally going down there and claiming the space if I see neighbour’s or wildlife catching his attention.

If I called from 30m away it’s too easy for the dog to blow me off and I need to weigh up when there is a chance he may not respond by immediately returning to me. Repetitively calling out from a distance is the worse approach as it only confirms to a dog that he might as well tune out from you whenever it suits him. If his hearing is great there is probably no need to yell anyway. Yelling and frustration can in fact help to escalate a dog’s aggression because if he’s already aroused, he can find your aggressive reaction confirmation that he should be aroused. He also may take it as you ‘barking’ and not necessarily at him. If I take myself down there to the back fence, he knows I mean my directions and follow through with my requests. In any given situation I can quickly weigh up how exciting he will think the distraction is. What is it? How big is it? How close to him is it? Is it still or moving? Then I can respond accordingly. Recently he was down there, at least 50m away from me when I spotted two wandering dogs in the property directly behind. Here is a distraction that might be just as interested in him. I didn’t have time to determine the intentions of the other dogs as they were partially covered in the scrub. I called my dogs name in the happiest, most enthusiastic voice I could muster. To to my delight, he came…running. As he arrived I gave him the most joyous greeting. I was thrilled and I let him know it. The number one thing your dog needs to know is that ‘every’ time he comes to you it is pleasant. Never give him reason to doubt it.

So I would use my voice with my dog if I thought it was my only choice. I have done and I still do but I am selective with it. Wherever possible I use my body to direct or block and I don’t even have to physically touch him. If I use my voice it is not a rant but more of a sharp ‘uh’ and it has to be impeccably timed.

Remember that dogs experience the world with their senses in this order… Nose, eyes, ears. Your dog is very attuned to noticing what you are doing with your body language and gives a higher priority to it than what he hears you say. If your dog is locked in focus with something that interests him, what you do matters more to him than what you say. Of course this doesn’t mean he won’t take any notice of a vocal warning, however the degree of notice he gives you depends on the interesting stimulation and his current relationship with you.

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)