[nagdu] Do you ever get angry with our dogs and how to controleit?

[Lyn Gwizdak]

Hi Lisa,
>From literature I've read, they seem to feel dogs do not have the capacity 
to feel guilt - purely a human trait!  Usually when dogs display what we 
interpret as guilt, the dog is reacting to our anger at what they did and 
they are actually doing submissive behaviors.  They know they've pissed off 
the boss.  What has anyone else read about this?

An example:  You left the dog home to do an activity and the dog gets upset 
at being left behind and he chews your favorite slippers - ahem!  Landon and 
Bernies' bout with my slippers last week!  Then you come home to find all 
this fluffy stuff - the shredded slippers - and you get upset and LOOK 
upset. The dog starts to do appeasment behavior which we interpret as guilt.

People do this as well only we feel the guilt because we know we did wrong. 
Dogs are masters at reading body language and eye contact very well. But 
they don't feel guilt - only "Oh sh*t, he or she's really mad at something 
and it's directed at me!!!"

Bernie and Landon are incorrigable!!!  They destroyed my slippers when they 
no longer had the rope toy which they destroyed earlier.  LOL! No worries, I 
didn't like those slippers anyway and they didn't get the ones I do wear.  I 
should hire out Landon to test dog toys to see if they really are 
indestructable!  The only toys I have for Landon is his NylaKnot that he got 
at Seeing Eye. He does chew it down so he's had three since we left Seeing 
Eye and I bought new ones for him.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lisa Irving" <lirving1234 at cox.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Do you ever get angry with our dogs and how to 
controleit?


> Wow! You really sound very genuine and quite loving. You're doing just 
> fine. Our dog guides are, at times, just like precocious children. Even 
> reasonable and caring parents blow a gasket  occasionally.
>
> I get irritated, and sometimes, quite riled at Bernie's behavior. The door 
> swings both ways. I'm guessing he gets annoyed and vexed at me too. We get 
> over things pretty quickly. I don't know if Bernie is able to experience 
> what guilt feels like. I do guilty quite well for the both of us. Really, 
> BREATH slowly and evenly, and do what you're doing.
>
> Lisa and Bernie
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ioana Gandrabur" <igandrabur at gmx.de>
> To: "NFBnet NAGDU Mailing List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 12:41 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Do you ever get angry with our dogs and how to controle 
> it?
>
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I just had a frustrating incident with Loyal exactly repeated 2 days in a 
>> row. First time I was annoyed, next time I got upset but tried to not act 
>> angry.
>> He just did his nr 2 and I was trying to position myself to mark the 
>> place when this small barky dog comes along. Loyal who basically never 
>> lurches towards other dogs in harness decides to dash towards it and I 
>> fell on my butt luckily not in the stuff I was supposed to pick up. I 
>> made him sit and accepted that I would not be picking up that time.
>>
>> Today the exact same thing happens except I did not fall. I did obedience 
>> and tried to act calm but I was really angry for some minutes and also 
>> being upset at myself for being angry because Loyal is really so willing 
>> to please and easily affected by my mood.
>> How do you deal with being irritated with your dog?
>>
>> Take care and thanks for listening to my rambling.
>>
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>
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