Striking an animal
Lots of experts in the field of psychology speak out daily about discipline. Most of what you read is about handling children and many people now believe in using time outs and other forms of punishment instead of a swat on the behind.
The sad part is this practice has not carried over to our pets. It continues to amaze me the number of animals who hit on a daily basis for whatever transgressions their owners' believe they have committed.
When animals like this are turned in to a shelter, they have lost all trust in humans and expect to be hit for anything they do. Many will cower in a corner, submissively urinate when approached, or in some cases growl or snap. Reading a dog's body language is very important when you get a reaction like this.
These are the animals which take the most time to find appropriate homes for. They must learn to trust all over again and it is a slow process. You never know what may remind them of a bad situation so you start at the beginning and move slowly forward.
My hope is people will begin to treat their pets with some dignity and not with a raised hand. There are other ways to discipline that don't include hitting.
The sad part is this practice has not carried over to our pets. It continues to amaze me the number of animals who hit on a daily basis for whatever transgressions their owners' believe they have committed.
When animals like this are turned in to a shelter, they have lost all trust in humans and expect to be hit for anything they do. Many will cower in a corner, submissively urinate when approached, or in some cases growl or snap. Reading a dog's body language is very important when you get a reaction like this.
These are the animals which take the most time to find appropriate homes for. They must learn to trust all over again and it is a slow process. You never know what may remind them of a bad situation so you start at the beginning and move slowly forward.
My hope is people will begin to treat their pets with some dignity and not with a raised hand. There are other ways to discipline that don't include hitting.
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