Hey Woofa’s,

I follow quite a few dog pages on Facebook – as you do!

Sometimes this can be a good thing and sometimes not so good.

Especially when people are giving advice to others and it’s not great advice!

I find in this day and age EVERYONE seems to want a quick fix for EVERYTHING!

And sometimes it just doesn’t work that way, well probably most of the time.

However, people still don’t think to much on the advice that is given.

Especially when it comes to dogs.

It’s my experience from speaking with people, listening to people and watching people with dogs, most want the quick fix.

I can talk until the cows come home on ways to improve a dog’s behaviour, and I know the ones who are keen for the behaviour change and the ones who want the quick fix.

Because when describing what is best to do in changing their dog’s behaviour, most people’s eyes glaze over and I can tell I’ve lost them and there’s no way they’re going to do what I’m suggesting.

It’s quite disappointing really.

What brings me to this line of discussion you ask?

Something I read and commented on on one of those dog Facebook pages I follow.

HERE’S HOW IT GOES!

I was scrolling Facebook and stopped at this page and read how a lady needed to stop her dog from barking.

She insisted her dog was barking at nothing and it was annoying everyone.

And she asked what she should do.

There were many suggestions, one of which I honed in on because this person mentioned that she should get a water spray bottle and spray her dog every time it barked!!

There’s many reasons why this isn’t a good idea and here are just a few:-

• Firstly, it doesn’t address the issue at hand;
• Secondly, she might think her dog is barking at nothing, but her dog is upset by something.  Just because we as humans don’t take the time to figure out what they’re barking at, it’s definitely something;
• Thirdly, spraying the dog with water will just make that dog fear her, and water; and
• Fourthly, there’s a much better way to change this behaviour.

WHY SHOULDN’T YOU DISCIPLINE YOUR DOG WITH WATER?

While there are MANY reasons WHY you SHOULDN’T discipline your dog with water, here’s the main one!

It makes them FEAR anything to do with water!

As a Dog Groomer I’m around dogs and water every working day.

I’ve had quite a few dogs over the many years I’ve been a Dog Groomer that have been scared of water.

I’ve taken my time with them and had to slowly desensitize their behaviour towards water and being bathed.

They may not love a bath but they tolerate it a lot more than they use to.

STORY 1 –

When I was a mobile groomer, I went to this house where there was a gorgeous Rottweiler.  The dog was very reluctant to get in the bath, but I eventually got him in.

The whole time I was bathing him he had his head in the far corner of the bath.

This behaviour worried me.

When he was done, I got talking to the owner.  I asked what happened to his dog around water, as he was completely upset during his bath.

At first the owner didn’t know what I was talking about but after a few questions on my behalf I found out why.

He hoses his dog when he’s ‘naughty’.

I was horrified and asked him politely not to do this anymore and pointed out the reasons why.

STORY 2 –

A customer of mine has a Labrador who loves his bath.

She use to talk about her other dog, a Jack Russell who was so scared of water, you couldn’t bath him at all, which is why she didn’t bring him to me to do.

I finally encouraged her to bring the Jack Russell to me and said we could slowly desensitize him to water over time.

While we were talking, I was asking all sorts of questions about how this fear could’ve possibly come about.

She finally remembered when we were talking about how ‘naughty’ he can be, and she said, ‘Oh I spray him with water (in a spray bottle) when he’s naughty’!

I politely pointed out why this has caused his fear of water and not wanting to be bathed, because it’s a punishment for him!

And I politely suggested she stop this form of discipline and redirect this so called ‘naughty’ behaviour.

STORY 3 –

Again this was while I was a mobile Dog Groomer, I had an appointment to groom a Rottweiler puppy say around 12 months old.

The dog was beautiful, coming up for pats and all playful, just gorgeous.

I like to let the dogs meet me before jumping straight into the grooming side of things.

I have to gain their trust, they need to suss me out etc.

So as I’m allowing this dog to check me out, the owner picks him up takes him in the trailer and chucks him in the bath.

I thought this was a bit too quick and abrupt, but stupidly thought the owner knows his dog.

The owner stood near the dog in the bath, and as I went to get the bath nozzle (where water comes out) the dog bit me on the hand!!

Not aggressively, just as a warning.

But it was enough for me to step back and ask what was really going on here!  This dog was trying to tell me something!

I asked the owner to remove the dog from the bath and let him out of the trailer to run around again.  As soon as he was out of the bath he was fine.

Again, chatting with the owner I found out the dog was petrified of water!!!!

I mentioned how that should’ve been told to me BEFORE putting him in the bath.

Also how this dog needed to be desensitized to water before even going near a bath.

The owner never admitted to disciplining his dog with water, but I can guarantee you, from things he said,  that that’s what had been happening.

I have many more stories where water has been used to discipline dogs and all it does is cause fear in your dog around water.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

It’s never a good idea to discipline your dog with water!

All it achieves is fear in your dog when it comes to anything to do with water.

There are much better ways to redirect this so called ‘naughty’ behaviour your dog may be displaying.

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT DISCIPLINING DOGS WITH WATER?