Hitting Dogs: A Sinful Act Or Not?

Hitting a dog is never acceptable. Dogs are loyal companions and, unlike humans, they do not have a vindictive nature. When dogs upset their owners, it is likely not because they are being unruly, but because they are acting as nature intended them to. Dogs do not understand our standards and rules, and it is up to the owner to provide guidance and leadership through positive reinforcement training. Hitting a dog induces fear biting, causes behaviour changes, hurts the bond between dog and owner, and is misunderstood by the dog.

It induces fear biting

Hitting a dog can induce fear biting. When dogs are hit, they develop fear towards their owner. The hitting may ultimately backfire on the owner once the dog becomes fearful and resorts to biting back in order to defend itself. This is a major behavioural issue that may be difficult to eradicate. Hundreds of dogs are put down by shelters each year because of being fearful biters.

A survey published by Applied Animal Behavior Science showed that actions such as hitting or kicking a dog, “alpha rolling” a dog, grabbing a dog by the jowls and shaking evoked a defensive, aggressive response from at least a quarter of the dogs on which these aversion-based techniques were attempted.

Hitting a dog is unjust. Dogs are loyal companions and, unlike humans, they do not have a vindictive nature. When dogs upset owners, it is very likely not because they are being unruly or naughty; rather, dogs simply act as nature intended them to. They will not stop engaging in a behaviour simply because they do not understand our standards and rules. It is up to the owner, therefore, to provide guidance and leadership, which can be accomplished effectively in a non-confrontational way through positive reinforcement training.

It causes behaviour changes

Hitting a dog can cause a dog to become insecure and fearful. They may cower, engage in submissive urination, and have low self-esteem. They may no longer walk with their heads high, instead, they will walk with their tail between their legs and their head carried low. They may become particularly apprehensive, nervous, excessively submissive, and live their life in fear.

It hurts the bond

Hitting a dog can have a detrimental effect on the bond between the dog and its owner. Dogs are loyal companions, and unlike humans, they do not have a vindictive nature. When dogs upset their owners, it is likely because they do not understand the rules and standards that their owners expect of them.

Owners should provide guidance and leadership to their dogs, which can be accomplished through positive reinforcement training. This type of training focuses on praising good behaviours and ignoring bad ones. If an owner resorts to hitting their dog, it can damage the trust between them. Dogs that are hit will not trust their owners, and too much of their energy will be spent living in fear of them. Owners should be the ultimate source of trust and guidance for their dogs.

Hitting a dog tells the dog that its owner does not have the skills to train it in a positive, more acceptable manner. Owners who hit their dogs put them up to fail as the dogs do not understand what is wanted from them and will grow in a fearful, unjust, and often misunderstood world.

It is misunderstood

Hitting a dog is misunderstood as a viable form of punishment. Dogs are loyal companions, and unlike humans, they do not have a vindictive nature. When dogs upset their owners, it is likely not because they are being unruly, but rather because they are acting as nature intended them to. They will not stop engaging in a behaviour simply because they do not understand our standards and rules.

Owners who hit their dogs are confirming their lack of knowledge about dog training. Hitting a dog is telling the animal that you do not have the skills to teach it in a positive, more acceptable manner. It also puts the dog in a position to fail, as they do not understand what is wanted from them and will grow in a fearful, unjust, and often misunderstood world.

Owners should provide guidance and leadership through positive reinforcement training, which focuses on praising good behaviours and ignoring the bad ones. Hitting dogs induces fear biting, causes behaviour changes, hurts the bond between owner and dog, and is simply unjust.

It causes physical harm

Hitting a dog can cause physical harm to the animal. Dogs are equipped with a nervous system, just like humans, and they feel pain in the same way. Some dogs may not yelp when they are hurt, but they can suffer in silence. Hitting a dog may also cause serious injuries and emotional scars.

Hitting a dog can induce fear biting. When dogs are hit, they can develop a fear of their owner, which may cause them to bite back in self-defence. This is a major behavioural issue that can be difficult to eradicate. A survey published by Applied Animal Behaviour Science showed that actions such as hitting or kicking a dog can evoke a defensive, aggressive response from at least a quarter of the dogs.

Hitting a dog can also cause behavioural changes. The dog may become insecure, nervous, and excessively submissive. They may cower, engage in submissive urination, and have low self-esteem. They may walk with their tail between their legs and their head carried low.

Hitting a dog can hurt the bond between the dog and its owner. Dogs that are hit will not trust their owners. Owners should be the ultimate source of trust and guidance for their dogs. Battered dogs may cower when being petted and may get scared of sudden movements. They will not grow to their full potential because too much energy will be spent living in fear of their owners.

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