Is hitting an effective training/behavior mod tool?

[Kelly]

Let me be more specific. The selective nature of the moderation is the problem. Sharon receives a hand slap for expressing shock over shocking behavior, but some one else equates hitting a dog with vulgar references to bodily functions and nothing is said. Hmmmmnnmm

Passing judgement on the moderators when you have limited information about the situation isn't constructive. There is a lot more going on than you can see. Sharon did not get her hand "slapped". She took Tofupup's reminder to everyone as a personal affront.

From that point on, she decided to cross a line and exhibit unacceptable behavior that resulted in her banning. The moderators are then put in the uncomfortable position of having to enforce the forum rules.

We do our best to remain impartial and to keep threads on track and civil. There is never a hidden agenda. We expect the membership to behave in a similar manner with ALL members.

OP, please know that our core base of members are kind and welcoming. We hope that you will continue to ask questions that will help you best care for your Sheltie!

 

[mimiretz]

Thanks for your post. That is exactly what the forum is here to do.

One correction to the above post, Tofu, is one of our dedicated Moderators, NOT the original poster (OP) who asked the question.

Calling a Moderator (or any member for that matter) names will never be tolerated on this forum.

Carry on....

I apologize for my error

 

[Sullivan]

Yodachoda87, hitting your dog is never an acceptable form of training, especially a Sheltie. Sheltie's are commonly known as soft trainers, all they really want to do is please their humans and you usually only have to tell and/or show them 2 or 3 times what you want before they get it. Actually, you don't even have to raise your voice to them, these baby's are really gently souls and want only to please. As others have stated, please continue to ask your questions and there will always be someone on this site that will have the knowledge you need to get you over your rough spot. Good luck with your baby and please keep us posted as to your progress.

 

[HopeShelties]

Hitting is a cruel, old school training method. Dog training has evolved, and hitting is not going to accomplish anything but to shut a soft dog like a Sheltie down. It is also unfair to use physical punishment for something that is not the dogs fault. Dogs can only reflect what we teach them. If our training is lacking, we aren't going to get the results we want. Not the dogs fault. It's not like a dog is intentionally trying to be bad. They don't work that way. Shelties are smart. Put in the time and train them right and they will do anything for you.

 

[jomuir]

Hitting isn't going to work on a Sheltie, and your friend with the mastiff is doing something very dangerous. An aggressive breed like mastiff should not be treated roughly, if it retaliates, the results could be severe or even fatal.

If you hit your Sheltie, it will be really hard to get it to trust you, and it's so young, why make training any harder? They truly do want to please us, let him learn through loving gentle correction. I think you'll find better results in the long run, and you'll have a stronger, deeper bond with your dog if it doesn't fear you. Love always works better may be sappy but it's true.

 

[lasheltie]

I am involved in dog rescue & my focus is on shelties. Never would I try to change behavior by hitting. I have seen & dealt with the results of bad discipline decisions & it's hard to undo. Most dogs will stop what they're doing if hit. It's the shock of it & wouldn't you if someone hit you? How can you trust a hand that hits you? A fearful dog is almost as bad as on that has bad habits.

There are videos & enough resources to learn the proper way to motivate a pet. My shelties do it for approval & food treats. A stern tone of voice lets them know they did something wrong. I have 4 rescue shelties now & all have quirks but none need fear that my hand means anything but kindness.

Maybe suggest to your friend that the 2 of you take classes. That way no one looks bad & both pets benefit. Many local humane societies have workshops & may be able to offer advice. A pet is (or should be) a lifetime commitment so having both owner & pet happy makes life happier.

 

[alonsoe]

You couldn't hit a sheltie....it's impossible, if you see their eyes you'll see there is a great soul inside....

And in general behavourists now tend to educate by positive reinforncements better than hitting or other negative things.... and shelties are always expecting what you want them to do because they always want to please their owners

 

[Katagaria]

Hitting a dog only teaches them that you're unpredictable and not trustworthy, aka you might need to be bitten eventually.

In order to get the best out of a dog you must have them trust you and in order for a dog to trust you they must know that your presence and interaction is awesome.

Hitting a dog like a sheltie is the absolute worst thing you could do. Shelties are very sensitive by nature, you can easily break a sheltie's spirit by harming them.

 

[Mignarda]

Hitting is not generally constructive, particularly with a Sheltie. However, I've given this quite a bit of thought, and based on my personal experience, some mild cuffing I believe is effective for making a puppy associate your stern voice with an unpleasant consequence. It's difficult to associate corporal chastisement with a particular act, because in order to do so you've got to apply the chastisement directly in conjunction with the act, and that's almost impossible to do. But it's far easier to associate the chastisement with your alternative voice and demeanor, thus establishing in the dog's mind a clear connection between the harsh language and an untoward aftermath. Repeat two or three times, and if your dog is anywhere near normal in intelligence, it won't be long before your NO! is taken seriously, without the need for anything physical.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

Ask yourselves if its okay to hit your children or any family member just because the neighbor does.
Violence begets violence, its awful to think that we have to ask such a question even, in this day and age when good information is finally available, doing something just because somebody else is doing it is a bit naive indeed.

Goes to show how much work has to be done in order to stop this madness to equate brutality but diguise it as training, but maybe too many still feel the end justifies the means, it really is wrong.

Also it makes no sense, because we all know or SHOULD know that the dog that has been hit really does not learn anything, other than learned helplessness! It will never truly know what to do, but simply shut down and do nothing, if that's the type of dog people want well I guess then go ahead and buy a stuffed toy instead of a living sentient being!