[nagdu] What do you do when you're angry with your dog?

[Michelle]

Hi, thanks for that suggestion, I'll start doing that too, because I don't 
want people to feel that I'm being cruel. I don't curse my dog to 
intentionally hurt him, I just get like that when I'm angry and/or 
frustrated. I curse him because I want the problem fixed right now and 
that's how I make myself feel better until things sort themselves out. Then 
I'm fine and I love him tob its again.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 11:29 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] What do you do when you're angry with your dog?


>I don't ever recall any talking about anger management in class, though I
> may have forgotten.  Often, it seems like a dirty little secret no one
> wants to talk about, that sometimes we get frustrated with our dogs.
>
> When the dog is screwing around a lot while guiding, alledgedly, and
> really getting on my nerves, I have found it helpful to (a) correct him
> for sniffing or whatever, and (b) stop and do a couple sits and downs,
> holding each for at least 30 seconds.  It's a thing we can agree on--he
> knows what Sit means, and I can congratulate him when he does it.  I may
> also throw in a Stay, and walk away to the end of the leash for a bit.
> It's really a time-out for me.
> I've also occasionally stood there and cursed the dog out in the sweetest
> tone of voice I can muster.  "You stupid, useless mutt!  You sorry excuse
> for a trained animal!" and so on, in the syrupiests of tones.  I suspect
> the dog knows i'm annoyed, though.  It does help me feel better, though.
> Tracy
>
>> Lisa brings up a good issue here. What do you do when you're angry with
>> your
>> dog?
>>
>>
>>
>> I'm sure just about all of us have had those moments when we were
>> incredibly
>> angry with our dogs. Whether they chewed up a favorite possession, went
>> after some food for the millionth time or just went seemingly brain dead
>> during a guiding task, I'm sure we've all had pause to consider just what
>> to
>> do. Sometimes we don't pause and that can lead to all kinds of problems.
>>
>>
>>
>> One of the things that really hit me when I got my first dog was that I
>> was
>> now responsible for another being, not only its care but its actions, and
>> I
>> couldn't always control those actions as well as I'd like.
>>
>>
>>
>> I wonder if this is what new parents feel like with toddlers? OK, all you
>> parents, am I close? <grin>
>>
>>
>>
>> I'll pose the question here. Do you talk about anger and frustration
>> during
>> guide dog class? Did it surprise anyone when first encountering anger
>> toward
>> your dog? Do those of us who have had many dogs over time still feel 
>> angry
>> and frustrated with the current dog over things or does that lessen like
>> it
>> seems to with kids, the youngest getting away with more things because 
>> the
>> parents are either tired, or have just relaxed a bit with experience?
>>
>>
>>
>> If you were to craft a class lecture about anger management, what might
>> you
>> say? We can't all be Buddha all the time just for our dogs' sakes.
>>
>>
>>
>> We've all, I'm sure, seen someone whom we feel is over correcting his/her
>> dog. How do you handle that, especially if you can tell it's out of
>> frustration?
>>
>>
>>
>> It's a good topic to discuss. Lisa, I feel for you here. My last dog was 
>> a
>> champion at destroying things when out of harness. She chewed up a 
>> Braille
>> watch, numerous bits of paper, including a dividend check for over $500,
>> and
>> the insoles of many a pair of shoes. I did everything to keep her from
>> these
>> exploits, but when allowed freedom, she exercised her superior Poodle
>> intelligence and Labrador tenacity by redecorating my house. I'm almost
>> pleased to hear that in her new home, when thoroughly bored, she's been
>> doing the same things.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jenine Stanley
>>
>> jeninems at wowway.com
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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