Does your dog not always respond as you wish? Keep in mind that yelling and screaming at your dog will not get you anywhere. On the contrary, a recent study shows that even mild punishment can make your dog more stressed and pessimistic.
Several studies have now been opened which have already shown that a parenting style based on punishing your dog can have a negative effect on your four-legged friend. These studies previously focused mainly on laboratory and police dogs and not on domestic dogs.
Studies show harmfulness in dogs
The studies were in combination with shock collars and e-collars, which fortunately have also been banned in several countries in the meantime. A recent study by researchers at the Universidade do Porto in Porto, Portugal showed that dogs with reward-oriented training responded better to their owners.
The team of researchers wanted to know how domestic dogs responded to the most common punishments, such as calling and a good pull on the leash. They selected 42 dogs from dog schools where they train with a reward-oriented method - and 50 dogs from dog schools where they work with a punishment-oriented approach. All dogs were filmed during training.
Cortisol levels in dogs
The images show that dogs that were punished subsequently show more signs of stress, such as yawning, panting and licking their lips. A saliva test showed that these dogs showed increased cortisol levels. Cortisol levels did not increase in dogs that received reward-oriented training. Punishing your dog in the short term therefore leads to stress.
Even shouting and pulling on the leash can therefore have a negative impact on the mental health of your faithful friend. So choose a reward-oriented training method!
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