I Hate My Dog!

It’s early in the morning. The sun has barely risen as you go in search of coffee.

But the kitchen is not as you left it the night before. Trash is spread out over the floor like a carpet. Papers are chewed, food containers are nibbled, and your patience is shredded.

When you finally finish picking up the refuse, you sit down at the table and sip your strong brewed coffee while your dog sits in the corner assiduously licking his private parts.

He then calmly approaches and stretches to lick your face. God, you think, I hate my dog!

How Do I Stop Hating My Canine?

You may be wondering: I’m not liking my pet anymore, how do I stop that feeling?

To put it simply, start by removing all things that have engendered this feeling.

Let’s admit it – it may be a hard and a miserable challenge to love a continuously misbehaving creature, be it cats or dogs.

However, it’s difficult not to love a well-behaved one. Even if you don’t consider yourself one of those dog people who love hounds no matter what they do.

Your hound loves you, but in order to fall in love with him all over again, help him be the favorite dog you cared for and brought home in the first place.

To do this will involve an investment in time and patience, but the difference will be great as it will be well rewarded with a return of a deep affection and trust.

Fighting fire with fire won’t work. Pouring cold water on your pooch’s four won’t do it (plus, he won’t forget it for weeks ).

Try this instead.

Start by ignoring annoying behaviors he learned in the past. This does not apply in some cases , such as chewing on shoes or other things, but can work if the matter is simply annoyingly begging for attention or just licking the window clean .

Refuse to play with him, nor show affection, until it complies with your wishes. Do not reward barking with a friendly pat on the head.

Once again, you’ve got a serious task in front of you and you should be armed to the teeth .

Don’t give in even if it takes months . Got it?

You knew a pet means a responsibility. So, you’ll have to take a face-to-face approach to live up to it.

Refuse to go on walks, or to play when he is insistent, but rather when it suits you. You are leading this training, remember?

If the canine misbehaves during an activity, discontinue it immediately even if you enjoyed it so far. Does your puppy nip at your fingers trying to get a ball you’re tossing around ? Stop!

Is your large dog dislocating your shoulder while pulling it and running around the dog park? Dont just feel bad about it, end the walk instead !

You’ve heard right! End it!

If you don’t, a pooch will come to accept such conducts as acceptable ones, when they are not!

Moreover, consistency is key when it comes to expectations. Don’t let it slide on weekends and toe the line on week days . Our canine buddies don’t understand calendars, and this is simply a way of undermining yourself.

Remember that dog ownership is a house wide responsibility, so envolve everyone in the household & other family members or friends (including kids ), and make sure everyone is familiar with such new training techniques.

Being firm and consistent every day on your part isn’t enough if someone else is being indulgent, all hard work will come to naught.

Also, try to figure out what your furry friend is trying to achieve , and substitute a more acceptable way for it to achieve it. For example, if your furry friend tends to bark for dinner, lead him to his bowl and refuse to hand any food until he sits quietly.

This tactic turned out to be quite effective.

Maybe consider giving him a short time of solitary confinement .

Some kinds of behavioral problems may simply be signs of boredom. Maybe he’s just sitting there lazy with time to kill. So make sure he has a list of at least two activities to keep busy. Provide chewy toys that take a bit of time to chew through, or an old sock filled with treats to work its way through or maybe watch a funny video together.

Just like a toddler who whines , your four-legged friend needs caring parent , structure, and activity to be raised correctly. And, just like a baby , a pooch will thrive on play and exercise.

Go out for long walks or set playdates in your backyard or at local parks. Multiple sessions and hours may be needed to keep him occupied, so arrange a walk in the morning before you go to work as well as in the evening.

These times together are an excellent chance for additional training sessions, and to rebuild that bond of affection and emotion .

Additionally, a tired hound is a happy one. And always remember to reward when something good is made . It’s not enough to discourage unwanted actions, but offering a positive reaction to accomplishments will go a prolonged way.

This doesn’t necessarily mean drowning him in tasty treats.

A kind word to say and an affectionate pat will get you covered and are enough to do tricks. As he’d be basking in your approval, and struggle to gain more of it.

It’s much easier on the personal side to enjoy ,love and live with a well-behaved hound than an irascible one and your relationship can only improve as the behavior does. In addition, coming home will be more rewarding.

You will probably have to involve others in this program as well. If others are unaware of this problem, they may inadvertently undermine any progress.

Engage a professional trainer or a canine behaviorist as well seems to be beneficial. Or, maybe a course or two in an obedience school can help a bit.

A home sitter is advisable if you will be away for an extended period to prevent your companion from indulging in not allowed actions without any feed back.

And it is always advisable to consult a vet if something arises suddenly, without warning, to rule out any underlying causes.

And remember not to look at this process as a high maintenance task. instead see it for what it is, a real and a rewarding investment because a “new” pup will easily earn your affection, and return it in kind.

Like any other relationships, honesty is a requirement when it comes to family dynamics. And since your dog is your family, be honest with yourself. If you truly can’t stand him, maybe you should give him to someone who can even if it sound like a tough call.

Conclusion

Maybe your just like that guy ; I’ve done everything but that’s it. I’d like to give my pup away.

I’ll tell you this,

Before throwing another poor pup to an animal shelter and before that guilt eats you, remember; there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Just like people, dogs come in many varieties. Some are harder to love than others, but almost all can prove lovable eventually. Just look at those little paws !

So, before deciding that owning a dog or that pet ownership isn’t worth it (just wait until you’re elderly !) and looking up shelters to make a donation, work at it a bit, even if it takes a year it will be well worth it. It would be just if you bought a new puppy.

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