dogs with no decipline?

Question

my boyfriend doesnt dicipline his dogs right he just gets a little annoyed when they do bad things like chew slippers and shoes they are 3 and 4 years old . yesterday when we went out they went up on a table and ate a whole chicken. I was furious. he thinks i am overreacting. what do you all think... Jennie

Answer 1

you should be furious. dogs with no discipline will never learn. if a dog has never been shown discipline he will continue to do bad things. The more he does it and the less he is disciplines the more hes going to do it. the fact about eating the whole chicken could be a problem. Its a problem because the dogs could have eaten bones and gotten slivers in there throat which could kill them. Advice for you is that you should help train your boyfriend to give the dogs discipline. With no discipline, vet bills are going to get mighty expensive because they will have to start doing surgery to get some of the hazardous stuff out of the dogs stomach and throat.

Answer 2

In my opinion dogs are like children, they have to be disciplined in order to learn what is acceptable and what is not. If you don't teach them then they will not know. If they are 3 and 4, they should definitely know better. I have a dog that is 5 and she knows what she can and can't do. She knows that she isn't allowed in the kitchen when people are eating, but she can go in there when they're not. She knows when I tell her to go get on her bed, she does. Dogs are extremely intelligent, and they need us for guidance and love. Try implementing some sort of reward system for them when they are good or do what they're told. If they are bad tell them that in a scolding tone and let them know you aren't happy. You are not overreacting at all.

Answer 3

Well, your average dog is (according to research) about on a level, developmentally, with your average toddler. Really bright dog = kindergartner, more or less. So here's the real question, one every dog owner should ask himself/herself -- would you let your child run around loose, without trying to teach it how to get along in society? (If so, PLEASE tell the rest of us you're sterile).

Of course not - you would teach your baby, your toddler, not to grab food off of other peoples' plates, not to yell at people, not to pee wherever and whenever. Dogs aren't born knowing etiquette any more than babies are. In the wild, older canines teach the younger ones what's acceptable behavior within the pack. Like all mammals (including humans, and especially predators), the young depend on the adults to teach them what's expected, and acceptable.

Getting annoyed is natural, but doesn't do any good at all (think about it - if you just yell at a toddler, but don't teach him what you want him to do, the yelling just confuses and upsets him). What your BF, and you, need is to learn how to teach a dog what you want from him/her. Obviously, the present system isn't working, and isn't fair to you, him, or the dogs - the number one reason dogs end up in shelters, or abandoned (God forbid!) is behavior problems - which is ridiculous, because we know how to fix almost all of those.

Time for obedience class, and practice. The good news is, once you learn how to teach your dog what you want, if you're consistent, it works. Make sure it's a "positive reinforcement" class, please, no choke chains (they just make the dog anxious). No physical domination - that just teaches the dog to be afraid of you. Learn how to teach your dog what you want, reward the behavior you want. If you can't get to a class, there are a lot of good videos and books, and the big thing is practice, and being consistent. Rewards (praise, affection, treats) turn the training into a game you play with your dog.

Chewing - dogs need to chew (they do it for stress relief, to relieve boredom, and because it feels good). NEVER give a dog anything to chew that's like what you don't want him to chew - give him an old sneaker, and he'll chew on your new ones, what else would you expect? Make sure he has appropriate chew toys - when he chews on something you don't want him to, clap your hands and say something sharp, like, "EH-EH!" to get his attention, take the "no" thing away and give him a "yes" thing.

Might not hurt to get some bitter apple spray at the pet store (test iin an inconspicuous place to see if it's okay on the fabric), spray the sneakers (it tastes awful so the dog learns the smell of bitter apple means "don't chew").

No, you're not overreacting - your BF is underreacting, and being unfair to his dogs. You don't say if they're big or small dogs, but it doesn't matter -- they're still going to be nuisances until they're taught otherwise. Kids are like that. Good luck!

Answer 4

It is reaally important to give your dogs discipline so they will know if they are misbehaving. Of course not like doing any violent actions or maybe just smacking them but just firmly say "No!" and point at the accident or put their nose next to the mess. You are soo not overreacting your boyfriend isn't strict which isn't good. The younger they are the better. Good luck!

Answer 5

well you could just get rid of the boyfriend and his dogs but seriously, I tihnk he needs to know that dogs can still be trained even though they are adult dogs. Obedience training might help. Keeping food like chicken away will also help. I once had a dog that ate 2 whole turkies ready to eat for thanksgiving.....

Answer 6

Your bf is irresponsible. Untrained dogs are a danger to themselves and others. Also, their owners are legally responsible for everthing they do, including destruction of property, noise and attacks. Plus, untrained, rude animals are not pleasant company.
I would take his irresponsible attitude toward his pets as an indication of how he would treat any future children. If he can't even control his pets, how would he discipline a child! He'd be appearing on Nanny 911 before you know it.

Answer 7

First of all, those dogs may have serious health issues if they ate chicken bones - they shatter and splinter and can rip up their intestines. As a pet owner you MUST train your dogs to be well-behaved. That does NOT mean hitting them. Since the dogs are older, it will be very difficult, but it can be done. I strongly suggest obedience lessons for them. If you are truly that concerned, offer to pay half and go to the lessons yourself.

Answer 8

I think it is already too late to react. Dogs are hard to educate once they grow older

Answer 9

your not overreacting. dogs need to be disciplined so they won't do it again

Answer 10

i think your right, dogs need to know right from wrong too.