Harsh Discipline? Is This Going To Far?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
My friend, has 2 small havanese dogs. Both are puppies, brother and sister.
When I took them on a walk with her, whenever they would not behave, like walk over to the side or bark at another dog, she would jerk them very hard over to her side and yell, “HEEL!”. She almost swung them off the ground in a choke a thon. I questioned her, asking if this was a *bit* harsh, but she said they need “firm discipline”. I am one of positive training-even if you are harsh, swinging them in the air nearly yanking them over with their collars choking them and screaming at them is extreme, right? How far should discipline go? If she does that again while I am there, what should I do?
I don’t think “firm discipline” is what she is practicing, more like animal abuse.
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One sharp yank,but NOT yanking them off the ground(or even close to it)…and the word HEEL is used to make them begin walking…The dogs are going to start cringing when they hear that word,fearing it..associating it with pain….This girl needs to PAY to take one of her pups to a training class.There,she will learn the CORRECT way to train her puppies.The trainers are there to teach the owners the correct methods to teach their pets.No,this girl is abusing her puppies.If she does it again,tell her she is abusing the dog..straight up.There is a difference between abuse and correction.
Suggest that she should try using a choker chain for the dogs and she doesnt have to use as much force when they ‘misbehave’ just a slit tug on the leash is enoiugh for them to listen, but if she uses too much pull they will just fight her on it. and walking 2 puppies at once, she will never train them to be what she wants, she needs to walk them separatley for awhile or have someone else walk the dog. So if you go with her again offer to take one.
It sounds like your friend has been watching too much Dog Whisperer. Even on that show, he does not yank the heck out of the leash, but simply uses a quick, corrective jerk.
Your friend’s methods are extreme. I believe more in positive reinforcement as well. People get touchy when you try to tell them what they should do with their dogs. Next time you are with her, just say, “Hey, can I try something?” Then show her a better way.
And have her start watching Victoria Stillwell, the dog trainer on that show, “It’s Me or the Dog” on cable.
This is definitely not right! She is going to make these puppies fearful and aggressive! It sounds like yet another person watching the dog whisperer and taking his advice a little too far. For puppies you should start out with positive training like getting them to focus on you for a reward. If they are pulling that badly they probably need more exercise.
That was abuse. A dog can be corrected briefly, then praised for being by the side. She should not have a leash so long that the dog is wandering all over the place, it should be within 2′ of her knee. One quick jerk, to get the dog’s attention (NOT lift it off the ground) is all it takes. And no screaming, that makes the dog want to go away from the person.
She really needs lessons in how to train a dog. Are there obedience classes she can take? The local shelters often sponsor them.
You’re right, of course, she’s an idiot who clearly hasn’t a clue on how to lead train a puppy. But short of telling her that, I don’t know that there’s much you can do – refuse to walk with her. That’s what I’d do. I wouldn’t be a party to her ruining these puppies’ temperaments.
And if she isn’t an adult, I’d also make sure her parents knew that she shouldn’t be allowed to walk these puppies.
It does seem quite harsh, especially since they are such small dogs. For a larger dog, like a Lab, it wouldn’t be so bad to use some tug-correction, but for a Havanese, it could potentially be fatal.
Tell her to sign up for a puppy training class if she doesn’t know how to correctly handle her dogs.
That is no form of discipline that is 100% pure animal abuse- Yanking and Yelling can permenentaly damange a dog’s mind and body, escpecially to a sensitive dog breed like a Havanese. I’m sure you friend doesn’t want her dog’s in neck braces and emotional therapy so it’s up to you to tell her to stop.
she pulling the pups to hard.. You cant pull them that hard.. Someday she is going to hang them.. She haves to light pull them and make sure that they are on your side at all times,, They cant wake ahead of you if she wants to train them to HEEL.. Some day she is going to get caught from somebody watching her and get her dogs taking away.. Poor DOGS
To learn more about dog check cesar Milan’s book be a pack leader or by visiting his website @ http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/ or by watching dog whisperer on national geographic channel @ 1pm everyday
for you , you can just watch for 1 time & you ll see the proper way to walk your dog
Your friend is harsh. She’s scaring the pups more than training them. Perhaps you should invite her over for a Dog Whisperer marathon and point out how bad her training is…before she hurts the dogs.
a question to ask her is :
how would you like it if I put a collar and leash on you, and jerked, and hung you around?
another example of animal abuse. ask her if she would like to be swung around the neck, not knowing if she were going land.
For Christmas, get her a gift certificate to a dog training class
When my dog does that i gently tug it back on track! Yeah , i think that is harsh. Is this her 1st small dog?
i feel the same way my friend drops her doxun on the ground from like three feet high and the dog already has a bad back
“Firm discipline” is one thing but animal cruelty, and respect for an animal are another, its a felony, They need to live, tell her wen they bark they are communicating, she needs to give them room to wander, take them to a park, let them play and enjoy life. try and get some alone time with them and just show them compassion, show them, its ok to go out of the lines in life, no bodys perfect, they are just puppies, try and get her to get them professional training, they are young, she would cry and wander, as a baby too, and guess what, she waz nurtured! they need to be too! they are still learning. let them make mistakes, and learn from them, its life, we dont know whats going to happen, she needs to wake up! Animal abuse iz against the law, she needs to respect them, or they wont respect her!Show her what it would be like to have “Firm Punishment”. hope this helps! hope u can help those poor puppies!!!!
I understand the concept of firm discipline, but your friend does not. Firm discipline is suppose to gain the respect of the dogs, not gain their fear.
Your friend needs to reconsider her approach to training.
Personally, sounds like she’s on the track to having dogs fearful of the leash…..
Tell your friend that a better approach would be to stop completely and/or turn and walk in the opposite direction when her puppies pull and/or show too much interest in another dog (barking). This is a KIND way to get the point across to the dogs that she’s in control of the walk, and not the puppies.
You can also see if she’ll watch “It’s Me or The Dog” that stars Victoria Stillwell. She’s a great advocate of positive reinforcement, and I do prefer her methods, even over those of Cesar Milan.