Ways to Punish My Dog

Punishing one's dog tends to evoke images of swatting a canine with a rolled-up newspaper. While technically doing so is a form of pet punishment, many experts don't recommend it. Reinforcing punishment via violence warps a dog's attitude, which can cause problems later. Instead, other means of "punishment" can be used. But be careful; violating local pet humane laws can result in criminal charges.

  1. Deprivation

    • Keeping a dog from what makes it happy can be as effective as it is on little children. However, the connection to the bad behavior needs to be as clear as possible. Otherwise, the dog won't understand why it's being punished. Deprivation can include loss of treats, loss of comfort, such as being inside a house, or loss of attention. Again, the punishment must be immediate and obvious to the dog or it won't mean anything.

    Bad Taste Programming

    • Dogs use their noses and mouths for just about anything in terms of interaction. So if the problem involves the dog getting into something it shouldn't, then making the object taste or smell bad to a dog tends to have a strong reaction. Experiencing an undesirable taste or smell enough times and the dog will stay clear of the treated object every time the pet sees it.

    Retraining

    • The U.S. military uses boot camps to break down individual interests and mind-frame recruits into proper behavior. Dogs learn the same way. When a dog commits undesirable behavior, it needs to be exposed to heavy regimen of ongoing training as punishment. Aberration needs to be stopped immediately and desired behavior forced through repetitive training. By understanding the trainer is the alpha, over time, the dog will recognize acceptable behavior and change its actions.

    Confinement

    • As a form of deprivation, confinement can be really uncomfortable for a dog that enjoys running around or being social. If done properly, confinement to a unlikeable location that is not harmful can clue a dog into punishment being associated with bad behavior. Again, the confinement needs to be immediate so the dog understands the relationship between the behavior and punishment. Too much, and the confinement can hurt the dog.