Dogs and memory
Discussion
The dog managed to get hold of a huge slice of unattended cake a few days ago. We heard a thud, then ran through to find the dog frantically trying to swallow a piece of cake slightly larger than her own head. When she realised she'd been rumbled, she froze and the cake slowly slid back out of her mouth onto the floor.
She's a very sensitive thing and generally knows when she's in trouble (which is very rare to be fair), so she was sent to another room to think about what she'd done and stayed there for the rest of the evening. There was one attempt to sneak back in after half an hour or so, but a stern look and she got the message and disappeared again.
Anyway, my question is, how long do you drag out a punishment? I have absolutely no idea how a dog's memory works so she was kept out of the room for the rest of the evening but I'm never quite sure at what point she'll have forgotten why she's being punished. Do you think they're they smart enough to realise that they're still in trouble for something they did several hours ago?
She's a very sensitive thing and generally knows when she's in trouble (which is very rare to be fair), so she was sent to another room to think about what she'd done and stayed there for the rest of the evening. There was one attempt to sneak back in after half an hour or so, but a stern look and she got the message and disappeared again.
Anyway, my question is, how long do you drag out a punishment? I have absolutely no idea how a dog's memory works so she was kept out of the room for the rest of the evening but I'm never quite sure at what point she'll have forgotten why she's being punished. Do you think they're they smart enough to realise that they're still in trouble for something they did several hours ago?
I'm not sure that's the right way to correct a dogs behaviour, they actually think and feel like we do.
Try reading this to understand a bit more dog physiology.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Defence-Dogs-Need-Under...
Try reading this to understand a bit more dog physiology.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Defence-Dogs-Need-Under...
Not as long as you did.
Fair enough to tell her off as you caught her in the act and maybe get her to go in her bed for a bit but you should have called after 10 mins and forgotten about it. This would've avoided her trying to come ti you for reassurance only to be sent away again. Confusing for her and can cause a fear based behaviour.
However it is a bloody good job she didn't get to eat it, could have been harmful to her esp if it had raisins in it!
We live and learn
Fair enough to tell her off as you caught her in the act and maybe get her to go in her bed for a bit but you should have called after 10 mins and forgotten about it. This would've avoided her trying to come ti you for reassurance only to be sent away again. Confusing for her and can cause a fear based behaviour.
However it is a bloody good job she didn't get to eat it, could have been harmful to her esp if it had raisins in it!
We live and learn
Makes me wonder why the dog is "very sensitive"…
Simply let the dog know it did wrong, but also appreciate that the dog did not necessarily do anything wrong in this case. Dogs are scavengers and if the cake was left within reach of the dog, then the fault here is surely whoever left the cake there. Still, a stern "no" would have sufficed especially as the dog already knew it was wrong.
No need to drag it out by sending the dog to another room, and then proceeding to give it stern looks for the rest of the night - much more so if the dog is already very sensitive.
Simply let the dog know it did wrong, but also appreciate that the dog did not necessarily do anything wrong in this case. Dogs are scavengers and if the cake was left within reach of the dog, then the fault here is surely whoever left the cake there. Still, a stern "no" would have sufficed especially as the dog already knew it was wrong.
No need to drag it out by sending the dog to another room, and then proceeding to give it stern looks for the rest of the night - much more so if the dog is already very sensitive.
Okey dokey, ta. Unecessarily harsh then.
I forgot to add this was her second offence - she'd reached up and snatched a piece of cake earlier in the day (and of course threw it up later) but that one was left on the edge of the table. She just got a firm "no" that time. This second time the cake had been moved in but she'd pulled the tablecloth so the cake fell to the floor (possibly by accident).
She's generally extremely well behaved so it's very rare she gets told off. The fact she doesn't snatch food is why we didn't move it out of her reach. She can sit with her nose almost touching your steak but she will not try to take it.
That said, I take responsibility for her being a bit sensitive. Having never had dogs before I'd just assumed people still raised dogs the old fashioned way i.e. making sure they know their place (I don't mean smacking, just not putting up with any nonsense). We did overwhelmingly use rewards training but I know I was still too strict for the first few weeks.
Also, with her being a Staffy I was absolutely determined she should be an ambassador for her breed and give nobody opportunity to add fuel to the fire.
Basically I thought dogs were much simpler than they are. I thought they were almost robotic. I absolutely wasn't prepared for the depth of feeling and emotion that comes with them (both ways).
I forgot to add this was her second offence - she'd reached up and snatched a piece of cake earlier in the day (and of course threw it up later) but that one was left on the edge of the table. She just got a firm "no" that time. This second time the cake had been moved in but she'd pulled the tablecloth so the cake fell to the floor (possibly by accident).
She's generally extremely well behaved so it's very rare she gets told off. The fact she doesn't snatch food is why we didn't move it out of her reach. She can sit with her nose almost touching your steak but she will not try to take it.
That said, I take responsibility for her being a bit sensitive. Having never had dogs before I'd just assumed people still raised dogs the old fashioned way i.e. making sure they know their place (I don't mean smacking, just not putting up with any nonsense). We did overwhelmingly use rewards training but I know I was still too strict for the first few weeks.
Also, with her being a Staffy I was absolutely determined she should be an ambassador for her breed and give nobody opportunity to add fuel to the fire.
Basically I thought dogs were much simpler than they are. I thought they were almost robotic. I absolutely wasn't prepared for the depth of feeling and emotion that comes with them (both ways).
Our dog is 6 years old and is extremely well behaved. But not when it comes to food lying around! The only way we can avoid our dog not to eat food is by keeping it out of reach. Dogs have the ingrained belief that they must eat any food lying around…
But the simple rule is, reprimand the dog at the time of the offence, and not later. Although you reprimanded the dog at the time, any subsequent reprimands will just confuse the dog.
But no, dogs are not simple…very much like raising kids! A lot of effort is required.
Jolly decent of you to seek advice, and accept the feedback in good faith.
But the simple rule is, reprimand the dog at the time of the offence, and not later. Although you reprimanded the dog at the time, any subsequent reprimands will just confuse the dog.
But no, dogs are not simple…very much like raising kids! A lot of effort is required.
Jolly decent of you to seek advice, and accept the feedback in good faith.
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