Dogs are our furry friends that accompany us in our lives. Sadly, they are not always friendly or disciplined, or “My dog is scared of me because I hit him” are typical dialogues. The painful part is that your puppy continues to adore you, even though you were very mean to it. What should we do in these cases if we were to face them? Here below are some ways.
Identifying the signs that my dog is scared of me:
Identify the signs my dog is scared of me to make sure we are not mistaking them for something else. Some symptoms include :
- He recoils, hides or crouches.
- Pulls back his ears.
- Tuck his tail tremble.
Another common sign is submissive urination. It is a subconscious and uncontrollable reaction. When it happens, it might be that the dog is excited or scared.
What to do in such a case :
- Please ignore it. Clean it once the dog is not seeing.
- Don’t impose any punishment. That will make it worse.
- Do basic obedience training.
- Familiarize the dog gradually with other dogs or people. Please do not rush into it.
Why is my dog scared of me?
If my dog is scared of me suddenly, then it may be because of kennelosis. What is it? It is a syndrome that happens when puppies are confined during the socializing stage. That causes the dog to be afraid of other dogs or people.
To deal with it, we can do :
- Give him space.
- Not make abrupt movements that might scare him.
- Let him come to me and not vice versa. In short, don’t approach him.
- Speak to him in an intimate soft voice.
If none of the above work, seeking professional help will be significant for the dog.
Another reason why my dog might be scared of me:
Another reason for our pets to be scared of us might be that we hit them. If my dog is afraid of me after I hit him, then we need to stop. It will make the dog fear us.
Raising a hand on my dog will cause him to lose his trust in me as an owner. He will end up :
- Fearing me even more
- Bite me in that fear to protect itself
- Won’t come near me and hide itself
- Have low self-esteem
- Grow more aggressive
Beating worsens the condition of the dog. That is why it is necessary to find alternative solutions that are not hitting.
If we see that we cannot handle my dog, it is best to give him up for adoption.
That will be a better case scenario for both the dog and me. The dog will get a better home to be happier and among people who can handle him. The dog’s happiness should be our priority.
Why should I stop hitting my dog?
A dog does not understand why we may strike him. He sees a pattern of when we do so. He is not like us, neither does he know the way we do. Hitting a dog will only make him scared of us, give him insecurities, or make him aggressive.
He might end up developing severe self-esteem issues. That will inevitably cause more problems. Develop submissive urination or bite in fear. He will live a miserable life, and so will we, and he will stop trusting us. In short, it is better to discipline a dog without hitting him.
Other times a dog might not realize we are beating him to discipline him significantly if it does not hurt him. He will see that as a play and, in turn, hit me. That will cause more problems.
The dog can even develop anxiety and stop loving us.
What to do instead?
Instead of striking my poor dog, we could discipline him since he was a puppy.
Use a stern voice and say “no” to let him know what it should not do. Dogs and puppies understand our vocal tone and also know when we say no. If that does not work, then professional expertise in dogs could help the poor dog. There is always a way that is not striking. Otherwise, a new home will be better for the dog.
Bottomline
In conclusion, as a pet owner, we should not raise our hand on my dog. If my dog is scared of me because I beat him, then we should stop. It only makes things worse for both the dog and me. The dog will lead a sad life and become aggressive, which will make the situation worse. He will not love us then but be afraid of us. I hope you got the desirable answer.
FAQs:
Is it okay to beat your dog?
No, it is not. Beating will make a dog’s behavior even worse or makes him fear the owner. He will turn into an aggressive dog, and we, the owners, will be at risk of getting bitten. The dog might even end up “fear-biting” us.
If he doesn’t bite, he will live in fear for the rest of the time or become aggressive as he sees us as a threat.
Do dogs forgive when you hit them?
Dogs emotional capacity is like a toddler, so they only understand basic feelings like love, happiness, getting hurt, fear, etc. So they cannot forgive in a sense we know. But they can forget the beating and love us just the same.
Unless the beating becomes a pattern that the dog will become aggressive, dogs are surprisingly good at understanding body language. It means they can detect our body language and so will understand when we will punish them.
Can you hurt your dog’s feelings?
Yes, we can. Their feelings are essential, and getting emotionally hurt is one of them. They can even be traumatized, just like us.
The good thing about dogs is that they feel like a child. It means that they are like children, do not think much about the past.
