Bad dog!
We have all said this to our dogs before. Whether we have lost our temper at a puppy piddling on the carpet, or reprimanding our dog for another chewed up sock, these words have probably crossed our lips.
What I find interesting is what happens AFTER we yell at our furry friends. Their shoulders hunch, they put their faces down and they look up at us with those sad puppy dog eyes.
And then we think something like “oh look how bad he/she feels about what they’ve done!” This is what I want to talk about.
Did you know that your dog does not “feel bad” for what they have done? The body language and look they are giving you are based off your tone and energy.
By raising your voice, making eye contact, and projecting frustration/anger towards your dog this makes your dog feel a little anxious. They will probably be exhibiting submissive behavior since your energy and body language are expressing dominant energy.
Your dog’s brain is very different than yours. While humans have the ability to generalize and make higher processing connections, dogs do not. A human can make the connection between that dark spot on the carpet and why Mom is mad. Your dog cannot.
Your dog reacts to the tone and energy you are using, not the implied connection between what happened a few minutes ago and what is happening now.
So there you go…next time you yell at your dog, remember, you just look like a crazy person to them. They have no idea what you are screaming about.
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