I abuse our shelter dogs.

[StillandSilent]

Apparently. I have one dog I've been working with. He is generally left off leash when the shelter is empty, and is leashed or called to my side when we have visitors. He is poorly socialized (but not at all aggressive) and I want as many people petting him as possible. Of course, there are times when it is inappropriate for him to be loose, so he has a command to go into our multipurpose room and lay down.
Well, this weekend, I was trying to talk to some potential adopters and he was acting like a pest. So I sent him to his bed. He laid down, but was back in less than a minute. So I snapped my fingers at him and pointed back there, giving him the "mean mommy" look. He got the message and went back to the multipurpose room and didn't return.
The woman I was speaking to actually had the nerve to tell me that I was "breaking his spirit" and I was "abusive to him"! Excuse me for wanting a dog who actually listens to me.
Incidentally, she was denied adoption because she has rehomed so many dogs in the past due to behavior issues. What do you want to bet her dogs were never disciplined, so as to avoid breaking their spirits!

 

[Babyblue5290]

Really? ME TOO!! I abuse them with cookies that are vegetarian!! horrible, horrible me!

That sucks! I can so see how snapping your fingers is abusive or harmful to the dog That's just ridiculous!

I use to snap when I wanted Lucas to do something, but it was more habit for me then anything else lol Sometimes got in trouble for that though, when I absent mindedly snapped at a roommate or other person. haha!

 

[Whisper]

That's. . .interesting.
You didn't physically harm the dog, you didn't scare the dog or raise your voice or anything. Finger snapping and "the evil eye" could be threatening to very abused dogs, but it doesn't seem to be the case at all here. Of course working with shelter dogs you have to be a little more careful, but obviously you spent a lot of time with this dog beforehand and I don't think you did anything bad or abnormal.

*shrug*

 

[corgipower]

Yea, I've had people on the street tell me I'm abusive and mean to my dogs because I ask them to sit and stay and to walk on a loose leash.

I tell them that they are abusive to their dogs by not training them and allowing them to live their lives confused and uncertain and potentially out-of-control. Then I inform them that dogs like to have structure in their worlds. That usually shuts them up.

 

[Linds]

Well then, I must be down right cruel. I snap at my dogs all the time when they decide I am to be ignored and I need to get there attention.

I'm glad she was denied a dog, people like that end up raising a messed up dog and then when they get rid of them for behavior issues as she did other people have to clean up her mess and train and work with the dog. It's sad, not fair to the people and definitely not fair to the dogs.

but it was more habit for me then anything else lol Sometimes got in trouble for that though, when I absent mindedly snapped at a roommate or other person.

Ohh good, I'm not the only one that ends up snapping at humans by mistake I keep getting yelled at for snapping at people...if only they would listen as well as the dogs.

 

[Paige]

Then I must be the devil. I cuss like a sailor at my dogs when they aren't listening (which isn't often anymore, they are shaping into lovely young gentlemen).

 

[Storee's Mom]

Oh brother.

I get that sometimes at the kennel, people will go to pet the dogs that are in the one run, and we end up having to tell them to leave the dogs alone, since 5-6 excited dogs all trying to get pets usually ends up in a fight.

We're sooo mean....

Lana