"We all love seeing dog pictures and videos on the internet, especially ones that show off their unique characters but we must remember that most behavior problems can often be a sign of something else, such as separation anxiety, fear, or simply being unsure of how to deal with a situation," Lambert warned.
"We are also not sure that dogs actually feel 'shame' or embarrassment in the same way that we do. The way that a dog acts will often reflect the tone of voice that’s being used to talk to it and it’s highly unlikely that it will associate past behaviors with what is happening right now. It’s very easy for us humans to misinterpret a dog’s emotions and behaviors," he said.
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The Kennel Club's Head of Health and Welfare pointed out that a lot of future problems can be prevented if animals are given lots of positive new experiences as early on as possible. "With older dogs, you may need help from a specialist trainer such as the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme or with a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor."
Lambert believes it's possible to discipline dogs with positive reinforcement, without shaming them. "As the owner, you should take every opportunity to praise your dog for good manners, and instead of punishing them, divert them away from undesirable behavior, as this will reinforce the correct behavior."
He continued: "It is unfair and also counterproductive to punish them for something after the incident has taken place as they don’t know what they are being punished for. If you do catch your dog doing something that it shouldn’t, interrupt them and then distract them with a toy or a game and then praise them once they have stopped and are settled.”
Lambert added that a trained dog is a happy dog and urged owners who are struggling with their dogs’ behavior to reach out to a trainer.
Bored Panda also spoke to Lambert about how dogs show that they’re anxious or frightened. “Anxious dogs tend to pant more and appear more thirsty than usual or be uninterested in their food. Other signs can include excessive yawning, licking, or curling its lips, an inability to settle, and other noticeable behavior changes,” he said.
“Prevention is always better than cure. However, if your dog is displaying anxious or frightened behavior try to act and behave as normal, keeping calm, happy, and cheerful and if they come to you for comfort, make sure you give it to them. However, if they do retreat, make sure to allow them their space.”
The pet shaming meme is a spinoff from the ‘Dogshaming’ Tumblr blog that was launched in 2012. It all started with a photo of a dachshund (aka a sausage doggo) with a sign saying, "I am an underwear eating jerk!" This then led to the creation of the ‘Dogshaming’ online community. They even have a website.
Eventually, people started posting photos of other misbehaving pets, not just dogs. We’ve had people shaming cats, fish, birds, and plenty more.
Some animal welfare experts and vets believe that pet shaming might be detrimental to their wellbeing and undermines the animals’ dignity. According to some vets, the photos of pets that are looking guilty might actually show them afraid or anxious.
“The idea of shaming a dog is daft. Dogs don’t like having the mickey taken out of them and can undoubtedly plug into that. So why would you do that to your pet? You wouldn’t mock your family or your friends like this, so why your dog?” secretary of The Kennel Club, Caroline Kisko, told The Telegraph.
“It might be a bit of fun when it is kept to a reasonable level, but people take them too far and it stops being funny for the dog. Dogs have a level of dignity and we don’t want to undermine that. They are meant to be a companion, not a joke.”
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