i have to punish my dog alot and im strict and harsh, but i feel bad. What do i do?

Question

my dog grew large and now lives in the backyard and has grown rather rowdy from the quiet cute dog he used to be. whenever i do have to punish my dog for the things he does (barking all the time, chewing up things), i lock him up in his cage in the garage and leave him alone, and i scold him ALOT and i get really mad. sometimes i throw my shoe near him but close enough not to him, and he gets so frightened and looks helpless. i know i need to punish him but the thing is, he's not getting it! so i have to punish him over and over again and it doesnt get anywhere and it gets harder for me to look at him cringed up and helpless and pathetic! i dont know what to do! how do i punish him so he understands and i dont have to be so mean to him?

and i would like to add that my dog has been living inside the house with us since he was a puppy and as soon as he got big he's lived in the backyard.
I give him LONG walks everyday and play with him in the backyard ALOT!
i have been training him alot and it is only those two problems that he is struggling with!
i dont need scolding because it seems to me everybody has judged me and scolded me for the wrong reasons.
I Need To Find A Better Way To Improve The Way I Teach My Dog To Behave Properly.

Answer 1

you sound really frustrated..and frustration doesnt help. i suggest you jog your dog in the mornings to drain some energy and get him socialized by maybe taking him to dog parks or to places like a dog beach. insted of yelling at him and locking him up when he does something wrong try approaching the issue calmly and assertively. use a leash to correct his mistakes(this will take time). for example have a few friends help you out to create a situation where he would bark. stand with your dog on a leash and if your dog shows any signs of anxiety or aggression just simply give the leash a tug(repeat) if things get too out of hand try laying you dog on his side or back to calm him(a leader in a pack of dogs will do this to other dogs for corrections or punishments as you would say) after a while let him up and continue with the training. remember this takes consistency and that you must be clam and assertive while doing everything. exercise before training!

oh! for more info i suggest you look up Cesar Millan. hes an amazing dog rehabilitator on National Geographic.

Answer 2

Well at least you're admitting that you have a problem - that's half the battle won.

Firstly, you need to address the issue of Leadership. This can be nicely dealt with simply by WALKING YOUR DOG. By this I don't mean letting your dog sniff all over the ground and walk in front of you dragging you in the process.
No, I mean a well structured and intentioned walk where the dog follows you.
This will effectively put into place YOU - as the leader and THE DOG - as your follower.
You have a lot of trust & respect to build with your dog considering your past behaviour but the great thing with dogs is that they always move on. They are able to live completely in the moment. Humans have much to learn from animals.

So - seize that opportunity to ensure you make your place as a well balanced Pack Leader to your dog and you will have a happy & balanced relationship with your 'best friend'.

Enjoy your many walks!

Answer 3

Everything your dog is doing is because he is bored. A dog that "lives" in the backyard is not getting a lot of attention, exercise, or stimulation. You need to be trained first, then your dog. A dog is not going to register the things you are doing as punishment. Please go to your vet, a dog trainer, or a local animal shelter and learn the appropriate way to handle this or give your dog up. Why do you even have a dog if it lives in the backyard away from the family? You chose to let the dog join your family, now treat him that way.

Answer 4

Sharr, I have to level with you. If you can not take the time to take the dog out of the back yard and take him on long walks while practicing his obedience ("Heel" at your side, "sit" when you stop, "stay" here and there just for practice---Go to your local library and take out books that train YOU how to train HIM) then you need to re-home the dog to someone who HAS the time to work with him.

Your dog is misbehaving because he is a social pack animal and he is bored to DEATH living in your back yard all alone! It is truly like a jail sentence that you have imposed on him.

He needs to either be trained to live IN THE HOUSE or he needs to be somewhere out on a farm where he can get some mental stimulation and hopefully some job that he can perform to work his brain. You are only punishing him for doing what any normal dog WOULD DO under the circumstances that he finds himself in and that truly IS NOT FAIR.

Dogs that are not working dogs need to be INSIDE the home, WITH their people. Not left out, alone 24/7 and the only attention they receive is an angry owner coming out to yell or throw stuff at them. They don't ever associate what you are so pissed off about with their behavior.

Answer 5

You cannot use "Negative Reinforcement"...to train him. Positive Reinforcement, rewards him for his good behavior rather than punish him for the bad. Dogs remember the "good" things that happen to them. Looking forward to something special, is a larger motivator than being afraid of punishment. The best thing for you to do, since you have set the stage for your dog's "rowdiness" by your unsuitable training techniques, is to take him to a Obedience class. At this point you need a professional to "retrain" your dog and redirect his focus. Your doing more damage than good. It would be much better to do absolutely nothing, when he's bad, than what your doing. You raising your dog to dislike humans, fear people, and worst of all, not want to be around you!!....Get some obedience training ASAP!. You need to get rid of the anger inside of you, that makes you lash out at a poor defenseless dog, that doesn't understand. You gave this dog a home, and claim to love him, so act like it, and shape up eh??

Answer 6

Have you tried obedience school? Trainers are more familar with dog behavior and could possibly recommend better discipline measures for you. Some obedience training includes "parenting skills for dog owners" to help the owners get a better grip on the problems and solutions. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Hello:

I must say some of the things I read here, disgust me completly. First of all you should not have a dog, how would you like to live in the back yard, the poor dog is going out of his mind. Get of your but and take him for a good walk, play with him. You say you need to punish him, I think the one who should be punished is you, it is very clear you are a cruel and selfish person, you dont deserve a dog.

Answer 8

I wish I knew where you were because I would report you for animal abuse. What the hell are you thinking, throwing things at it. Or locking it up in a cage in the garage, that's where you belong. Hopefully someone will notice what your doing and do something about it. It looks scared , because it is . Talk to the vet and ask for advise if you care about this animal at all. SHAME ON YOU, TREAT YOUR ANIMAL BETTER!

Answer 9

You do not need to punish your dog. You need to exersize and socialize your dog. You need to provide enrichment and mental stimulation in the form of training and games for your dog. Everything your dog is doing wrong is a direct result of you being a bad owner.

Answer 10

"He gets so frightened and looks helpless". What is the matter with you, it's making me cringe to think that you're doing this to your poor dog. You should feel bad, you're mean and shouldn't own a dog.