Getting frustrated with your dog and raising your voice happens to all dog owners at some point. But yelling or shouting at your pup will only make them more stressed out. So what can you do instead of losing your patience and yelling?
Here are some quick tips: Reward good behavior with treats and praise. Dogs respond better to positive reinforcement than punishment. Take a timeout by separating yourself from your dog until you calm down. Then try training again with a level head.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover why yelling doesn’t work, alternative training methods, tips to stay calm, and when to seek professional help for chronic dog behavior issues.
Why Yelling at Your Dog is Counterproductive
Scares and Confuses Your Dog
Yelling or shouting at a dog is extremely frightening and confusing for them. A dog’s hearing is much more sensitive than a human’s, so loud noises are alarming. They may not understand why their owner is suddenly so angry and making these aggressive sounds.
This can lead to anxiety, fearfulness, and damaged trust between an owner and their dog.
Dogs communicate through body language and tone of voice more than words. When you yell, your dog hears the anger but likely doesn’t comprehend the exact reason. This makes it very difficult for them to understand what they should be doing differently.
Yelling often startles dogs, interrupting any training being attempted. It’s counterproductive to correcting behaviors.
Damages Your Bond
The bond between owner and dog depends on mutual trust and respect. Dogs look to their people for safety and guidance. Yelling violates that bond by making the leader figure unpredictable, scary, and unable to be trusted.
Dogs aim to please their owners. Yelling at frustrated behaviors will make your dog shut down. They may become hand shy, cowering, or reactive when yelled at repeatedly. This damages their confidence and the ability to learn better habits.
Setting dogs up for success with positive reinforcement maintains a healthy human-canine bond.
Makes Behavior Worse
Yelling usually occurs because dogs engage in unwanted behaviors like jumping, barking excessively, or having accidents. Unfortunately, yelling often makes these issues worse instead of better. The loud noise rewards your dog with attention for the bad behavior.
This makes them more likely to repeat issues that get a dramatic response.
Punishment like yelling also fails to teach an alternative good behavior. Dogs don’t know what exactly they should be doing instead. It just makes them anxious, confused, and unable to learn the proper habits you actually want them to exhibit.
For example, Victoria Stilwell, renowned dog trainer explains, “Yelling at a dog for barking is like someone yelling at you in Chinese when you don’t understand Chinese… He doesn’t understand ‘bark, bark, bark’ means ‘stop barking.’ He just thinks you’re joining in.”
Positive reinforcement with treats and praise for quiet moments works much better.
Use Positive Reinforcement Training Instead
Yelling at a dog is ineffective and can harm your relationship. Instead, use positive reinforcement training, which focuses on rewarding good behavior to increase the likelihood that it will be repeated.
This type of training is highly recommended by veterinarians, dog trainers, and other experts as the most humane and effective approach.
Focus on Rewarding Good Behavior
The key to positive reinforcement is providing rewards like treats, praise, or play when your dog demonstrates the behavior you want. For example, if your dog sits when asked, immediately give a treat and enthusiastic praise.
This will teach your dog that sitting results in rewards, making them more likely to do it again. Punishment like yelling should be avoided, as it only teaches dogs what not to do.
Be Consistent and Patient
Changing behavior takes time and consistency. Set up regular 5-10 minute training sessions and stick to them. Continue rewarding desired behaviors every time they occur. Be patient during the process – progress may seem slow at first, but putting in the effort will pay off.
According to the ASPCA, it takes an average of 50-100 repetitions for a dog to reliably learn a new behavior.
Make Training Fun with Games
Incorporating games into training keeps it positive and fun for both you and your dog. Play hide and seek with treats, scatter kibble around for a search game, or use interactive puzzle toys. This strengthens your bond while reinforcing the reward system.
According to dog behavior research published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, dogs trained with more play have better focus, confidence, and ability to overcome stressful situations compared to traditionally trained dogs.
Tips to Stay Calm and Composed
Take Deep Breaths
When you feel yourself getting frustrated with your canine companion, stop and take some deep breaths. Slow, controlled breathing triggers a relaxation response in the body and can help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Try breathing in for a count of 4, holding for 2, and exhaling for 4.
Repeat this breathing exercise 5-10 times until you start feeling more tranquil and centered. This simple act of briefly disengaging can be enough for you to regain composure before interacting with your pooch again.
Separate Yourself From the Situation
If you need more than just a few deep breaths, physically walk away from the source of frustration for 5-15 minutes. Go to another room or even step outside for some fresh air. This short time-out allows your emotions to settle so you can address your furry friend in a calm, kind manner later.
Leaving also models good behavior for your dog, showing them it’s okay to walk away when emotions run high rather than act out.
The ASPCA recommends keeping pet interactions brief and positive if you are already feeling irritable or impatient. Limit training sessions to 5-10 minutes, then let your dog relax while you go do something relaxing as well. Coming back with patience refreshed sets you both up for success.
Get More Exercise to Reduce Stress
Incorporating daily exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, or hiking with your dog can make training easier. Along with physical activity releasing feel-good endorphins, it also tires out your pet so they are less apt to misbehave from pent-up energy.
As little as 30 minutes per day of heart-pumping movement can drastically improve mood and behavior in both pet parent and fur baby.
Exercising solo is also beneficial. Yoga, weightlifting, cycling, dancing, or other workouts give an outlet for any stressful energies. This can prevent taking frustration out on innocent pets later. As always, discussing concerns with a therapist, doctor, or trained dog behavior specialist provides helpful perspective as well.
Staying calm when interacting with pets takes mindfulness, removing yourself when upset, and adequate self-care through relaxation and exercise. With practice, you will be better equipped to handle situations rationally rather than emotionally.
Your four-legged friend relies on their human’s clear guidance, patience, and affection. Make it a priority for both of your well-beings to react in a composed, understanding manner.
When to Seek Professional Help for Dog Behavior Issues
For Aggression or Extreme Anxiety
If your dog is showing signs of aggression, anxiety, or other extreme behavioral issues, it’s important to seek help from a professional dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist. Aggression can be dangerous, not just for other pets or people, but for your dog as well.
Extreme anxiety, such as separation anxiety, can also cause destructive behaviors and health issues for dogs.
A certified professional can help identify the root cause of aggression or anxiety and create a customized training plan. They have the skills to safely manage and modify aggressive behavior. For anxiety, they can recommend management techniques, medication if needed, and counterconditioning training.
Their guidance can help improve your dog’s quality of life and prevent injuries or legal issues.
If Positive Reinforcement Isn’t Working
Positive reinforcement training is the most effective and humane approach for teaching dogs basic obedience and manners. However, some dogs may not fully respond to treats, praise, and other rewards. Genetics, past experiences, or medical issues could make a dog resistant or slow to respond to positive methods.
A professional trainer can evaluate why your dog isn’t responding well and help you adjust your techniques. They may suggest different rewards to motivate your dog. They can identify holes in your training approach to address. They’ll have creative solutions to get your dog engaged in learning.
Seeking professional guidance can get a lagging training program back on track.
To Correct Deeply Ingrained Bad Habits
Bad habits and behaviors that have been practiced for months or years can be extremely difficult to break on your own. Examples include excessive barking, leash pulling, jumping up, or destructive chewing.
If you’ve diligently worked on stopping unwanted habits but your dog keeps repeating them, a professional dog trainer can help.
Trainers have specific protocols to “reprogram” a dog’s habitual behaviors. This may involve strategic use of rewards, corrections, management tools, and manipulating the environment. For long-entrenched problems, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist may recommend medication to reduce a bad habit during retraining.
With their expertise and toolbox of techniques, professionals can successfully end even stubborn bad habits.
Conclusion
Yelling at your dog will only make them more frightened, confused, and less likely to obey you. Staying calm and using positive reinforcement training is a much more effective approach. But get professional help from a dog trainer or behaviorist for serious issues.
With time and consistency, you can train your dog to be well-behaved without ever having to raise your voice.
