Are your Feeling bad about hitting your dog out of anger? Wondering, Will he bite your back, get frightened or hold grudge against you? The first thing to say is – “You should not hit your dog in any case”. It is inhuman to do. Still, if you did so and feel sorry about it then you must get a chance to correct it.
Hitting your pooch can result in long-term trauma. Canines can become fearful and cannot understand which behaviour resulted in the violent response. Therefore, it is important to stop your habit. If you do not hit your canine again, he will not feel fear in your presence.
What to do after hitting your dog?
The most important thing to do is to realise how wrong you ate. If you have hit your canine, the only thing to do is to reestablish your bond with your canine. If you fail to do that, your canine may feel fear around you.
Initially, try to change your habits and use some positive reinforcement training. You will be surprised to see the forgiveness of your dog. Here are a few ways to help rebuild your bond with your canine.
Play with him or go for a walk
If your canine is scared of you, do things that he loves. For instance, take him for a walk or play with his favourite toy. This will help him feel comfortable around you. Once he starts feeling better, slowly introduce yourself in his life. It requires a lot of patience and time. Therefore, you need to have the patience to correct your mistakes.
Use conditions
If you hit your canine and he is scared of you, then you can do counter-conditioning. This will help your dog to get associated with you for good things. The best way to do this is to play a treat and retreat game with your canine.
Play it consistently for 1-2 weeks and your canine will get back to you again. Just have patience and time to wait for the procedure to get successful naturally.
Be assertive and calm
You should have assertive but calm energy. It is your duty to do your best to gain your canine’s trust back. You can do this just by being there with your canine and making him feel good. Just be assertive and stay calm with your dog.
Create a daily routine
If you have hit your canine and he is now scared of you, the best thing to do is to create a routine. It will help your canine to feel safe around you and give him a sense of predictability.
Your canine can relax when he knows what is going to happen next. For instance, you can start feeding him at the same time every day and take him for a walk. Creating a routine will help your canine feel safe around you and you can build trust again.
Dog Emotions
Canines do feel some emotions but they are less complicated than us. Some emotions that your dog feels include fear, happiness, love, and distress. Science Daily says that canines do not experience deep emotions as we do.
Feeling forgiveness and guilt is new for them. Moreover, their cognitive ability is the same as a kid’s. When your canine gives you a guilty look, do not consider that he is guilty. Your canine is just responding to what you are saying.
Do dogs forgive you for hitting them?
While a canine does not hold any grudge against you for hitting him, it is different if you do it again and again. eurekalert.org says that a dog can recall specific events and emotions connected to them.
Do dogs get traumatised if you hit them?
Canines have a nervous system just like us. Also, they feel the pain in the same manner as we do. Moreover, some canines may not show evident signs of pain, but they can suffer without showing it. Hitting your dog can cause trauma and emotional scars to your dog.
Why does my dog forgive me for hitting him?
It is because your dog is full of forgiveness. He may recall it sometime but it is your duty to love him and correct your mistake. Previously, it was believed that you create an alpha bond with your dog when he is afraid of you. To achieve this, people used to kick or hit their dogs.
How do I gain my dog’s trust back?
Here are things you do to gain your dog’s trust back –
- Talk less
- Play treat and retreat
- Play the plate game
- Slow down
- Offer your side
- Avert your eyes
- Let the dog approach you
- Observe closely
How do I apologise to my dog?
If you feel like apologising to your canine, talk to him soothingly with a high-pitched voice. Also, you do not have to say sorry. However, the words you use to reward your canine when he behaves correctly, such as “good boy” or “well done”.
Do dogs remember their abusers?
While your canine lack of memory can lead to him forgetting abusers a few times, present physical abuse will be there in his long-term memory. Moreover, it can also lead to anxiety issues or aggression.
How do you tell if a dog has been abused?
Here are some signs of animal abuse-
- Avoiding physical contact
- Tucked tail
- Try to bite
- Try to scratch
- Whining
- Whimpering
- Aggression
- Overly submissive
- Unknown limping
Is smacking a dog illegal?
Smacking a dog is illegal in every state of the United States. The laws prohibit various different types of treatments like torturing and not providing food.
How do I forgive myself for hurting my dog?
Here are some tips to help you feel better-
- Talk to your pet
- Embrace your guilt
- Pay forward making amends
- Leave the feeling of shame
- Be specific about your feelings
- Guilt is not rational
- Think about the reason
What is considered an abusive dog owner?
An owner who is violent against his/her dog is considered an abusive dog owner. For instance, throwing things at the dog, slapping or punching him/her, etc are considered abusive. To be honest, there is no justification for hitting your dog or any other animal. Also, an individual who abuses an animal in public can do even worse in the future.
Can you hurt a dog’s feelings?
The answer to this question is yes. You can hurt your canine’s feelings. As we know, canines spend their lives around their humans. As a dog owner, how you treat your dog leaves a significant impact on him physically as well as emotionally. Therefore, there is no doubt that you can hurt your dog’s feelings.
Final words
In conclusion, I would say that it is not acceptable to hit your dog out of anger. By hitting him, you are giving him pain and putting people in danger that they can face when your dog will become aggressive. You can still correct your mistakes by staying calm and giving your dog time to recover.
If you don’t find yourself not hitting your dog again, the best thing is you give him up for adoption. You can find a shelter so that the dog gets a new owner.
I hope you enjoyed the article. I will be back soon with more interesting and informative pieces of writing. Till then, stay connected. Thank you.
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