what is the best way to discipline a dog?

Question

I have an indoor dog and indoor cat.
The cat growls at the dog and then the dog barks at the cat and gets upset. Is spanking the dog the best way to discourage this behavior or is there another method? I have tried spanking but it doesn't seem to solve the problem and makes the dog more aggressive. She is a queensland/german shepherd mix.

Answer 1

Just be stern I dont think hitting dogs are good to do.

Answer 2

DO NOT EVER HIT YOUR DOG! Dogs do not understand what you are doing and it just makes them hand-shy (afraid of hands) or afraid of you, and it can lead to the dog turning on you if the dog feels threatened enough. There is no reason to ever hit your dog.

Do something that the dog doesn't like that doesn't involve physical violence. You can spray him with a water bottle or throw a can full of pennies near him (NOT AT HIM) to associate the bad feelings with the barking. Try not to let him see you spray the bottle or throw the can. You want him to associate the noise or the water with the barking, not with you. When the cat walks by and the dog ignore her, immediately give him a YUMMY treat. Even if he's about to bark, treat first to distract him for every time he hesitates or stays quiet. Is this a new situation or have they been doing this interaction for a long time? If it's new, it can be pertty easy to fix, AND once they get used to one another, they will likely just start to ignore and tolerate each other much better.

Also, do not yell at your dog. That's like having a noisy kid and screaming "NO YELLING IN THE HOUSE". Uhh, hmm. They don't understand what you are saying, and YOU are raising your voice to join in the fun! So the dog will just continue or just be totally confused. Dogs associate a raised voice with being out of control. You just need to be firm and use a deep voice with your commands. Perhaps once he gets the spray bottle or penny can thing down, you can combine it with a firm deep NO and he will learn the NO command better.

OK, more edits: The kennel should NEVER be used as a form of punishment. You want the kennel to be a safe, secure place that the dog enjoys, or at least feels apathetic about. If you kennel the dog when you leave the house but you are also using it as punishment, the dog will associate you leaving the house and being kenneled with bad things. He will be confused and develop separation anxiety. If possible, you can isolate him in another room or outside when he barks at the cat, but not in his safe place.

Answer 3

Try this , when the dog is acting up throw something at it which is a harmless object while at the same time in a stern voice say no ! The dog will recognize by the tone of your voice your unhappy with it's behavior . Throwing an object (again not one which will harm it ) will get more than the usual attention from the dog because it will realize it can't do that feat you just performed , and it will realize your the one in control around the house or in animal terms the alpha .

Answer 4

You are definitely going to make your dog more aggressive that way. You're only teaching her that you can't be trusted - she doesn't know what it is that you're getting so aggressive about.

How long have they been together? Is this dog a puppy? You don't say anything about the dog trying to attack the cat, she's just barking. If she's not being aggressive, you may need to give them time to get used to each other. And if the cat's the instigator here, why would you punish the dog for defending herself?

Answer 5

i can't have faith particularly some the solutions right here the two. Sheez! do no longer yell, do no longer hit, do no longer muzzle, do no longer squirt, etc. this is only ignorant/lazy training strategies that would artwork,,, yet you will create extra problems than you will remedy. First, something you're saying potential no longer something in case you have no longer have been given the domestic dog's interest (and it somewhat is totally, very small, and annoying to hold). utilising it somewhat is call is stable (IMHO). protecting a cookie in front of your mouth (at a distance from domestic dog - S) enables. And the biggest rule? ALL training would desire to be exciting or play appropriate (or grew to become into play). in the previous you even attempt to coach to maintain out of something, to no longer do something, or visaversa, you % a stable elementary foundation of "down, no, stay, take a seat, lay, right here", mutually together with his call and the names of the others. then you definately get the attention, distract from what the domestic dog is proceeding to do with something extra "unique" with the command in ref. to what replaced into being completed. puppies are very,,,, basic, somewhat distracted, and non-focused. that's what makes it annoying and extremely time ingesting (ussually yet no longer consistently). sufferers is the foremost. As for the others, in the event that they do as you ask the domestic dog,,, supply them interest for a job properly completed. optimistically the domestic dog willbe focused on you and the different canines and % to take part on the rewards. Use the older canines to tutor the hot domestic dog a thank you to rewards. the extra youthful the domestic dog,, the extra time that perchance required as much as a element. Then at some point don't be shocked if all of sudden it variety of feels like the domestic dog took a "clever pill' and a manner or the different very almost in one day is familiar with each little thing,,, (close to) completely. yet do no longer squirt, yell, hit, or "punish" a youthful domestic dog that somewhat only does not comprehend something. they'll in no way affiliate the crime with the punishment. they'll basically affiliate you as being a depressing previous SOB this is inconsistant together with his affections.

Answer 6

speaking from experience with German Shepard, they are smart dogs...they just need direction. Maybe the problem isn't the dog, but what makes the cat growl at the dog? There are pheromone plug ins they sell at pet stores to calm aggressive and territorial cats, they work wonders! if that doesn't help, try taking the dog to an obedience class or two, to help her resist her aggressive tendencies. but i do agree that spanking the dog is no way for it to learn.

Answer 7

I use voice comands with my dog if he does something bad I use a growling type voice to say no! He was abused by his previous owners and if you hit him he cowers and cries! Some dogs will retailate when they are hit(bite back) and since you have a big dog I don't recomend hitting her ! Try a voice comand or even a shaker bottle(put some small stones in a bottle and shake it when the dog does something bad)

Answer 8

I dont know, I've never had a problem with my dogs before, they've just always behaved, but you could use a spray bottle full of water or I know some people that hit there dogs with a newspaper, but I dont think thats right.

Answer 9

Get rid of the cat.
Seriously, watch the Dog Whisperer on tv. He knows dogs.

Answer 10

try telling it no growl in a stern voice and kenneling it for about 1/2 hour to show it will lose it's privleges for being bad.

also when my dog wouldn't stop growling when she was younger after telling her to stop a couple times, we put bitter apple in her mouth and repeated the command. It only took one time to solve that.