Do dogs know how to take revenge for a bad attitude? How do dogs take revenge? How to understand the language of dogs

Has your pet suddenly become aggressive? Does he no longer listen to you and does not miss a single opportunity to misbehave? The situation is bad: most likely, he is offended and wants you to know about it.

Puppy Ray was never left alone at home. Either someone was always looking after him, or he was taken with them. But this time, despite the puppy’s requests and pitiful whining, the owners left and closed the door right in his face. He looked at them sadly from the window and... immediately thought of what he would do alone.

He tore up all the children's toys he could get his hands on, ruined the pillow, chewed on the TV remote... To complete the picture, he laid out an even layer of potato peelings that he fished out of the trash can in the hallway. Then, for greater effect, he relieved himself on the linoleum in the kitchen and, with a sense of accomplishment, lay down to rest on the master's bed. “They will know how to leave me alone!” most likely, he thought.

What did the owners do after returning? They scolded the dog, perhaps slapped him on the butt a couple of times as a preventive measure, poked his muzzle at everything he did... And, of course, they didn’t even try to understand the motives for the offended dog’s action! But they themselves are much more to blame for what happened than poor Ray!

The fact is that owners must accustom the animal to loneliness gradually. First, leave the pet alone for fifteen minutes, and then increase the time intervals. Then the forced separation will not be shocking for him, he will know that in an hour, in the evening or the next day, the owner will return.

In this case, punishment will not lead to anything good, and if the owners are absent for a long time again, the animal will most likely begin to spoil what it was not able to get to last time. Therefore, the only correct solution to the problem is gradual and patient work.

Be aware of dogs!

We gave an example from the life of a completely harmless puppy. But an inattentive or irresponsible attitude towards an animal can lead to real tragedy, especially if we are talking about a large dog. When angry or resentful, it may lash out at its owner or family members and cause serious, perhaps even fatal, injuries.

Before taking responsibility for a large dog, you need to complete a training course for owners. The character of dogs is formed in childhood, so it depends on you, and not on a trainer hired for a month, what kind of dog will be - kind or aggressive.

You need to remember: a big dog is also a big responsibility, so you will have to work with it every day. But being busy and tired are not excuses.

A terrible incident that occurred in Slovenia is indicative: three killed their owner. After this, there was a debate in the country about who was responsible for the death of the person. And only later did the investigation find out that the dogs were killed for a reason: they had endured cruel abuse from their owner for a long time, which was proven by an examination...

But it happens that animals with a less stable psyche come to our home, for which our neglect is enough to break loose...

Who is the most vindictive?

Dogs' revenge is never groundless. Their behavior is a reflection of the actions of their owners.

P.S. We decided to find out which animal people consider the most vindictive. The result shocked us. Internet users answered the question in different ways: there were cats, dogs, elephants, rats, and even vipers. But the majority of respondents agreed that the most vindictive creature is MAN. There is something to think about...

When we hear the phrase “man's best friend,” we imagine a dog—smart, loving, and loyal. Why are these animals so close to people? Why has no other animal domesticated by humans brought us so much benefit? The dog has evolved from a hunting partner to a full member of the family. Why the dog? The thing is that communicating with a dog is different from communicating with other animals. No other animal is capable of expressing its feelings so clearly that a person understands them. And no other animal has the ability to understand a person so correctly and clearly. But the coin always has two sides: a person, having accepted a dog as an equal being, began to perceive the language of dogs the same way he perceives the human language. But a dog remains a dog! By endowing it with a human mind, imagining that it has a consciousness similar to ours, we make the mistake of interpreting the dog’s body language according to our own, human standards.

How does a dog think?

Dogs do not know how to think the way we imagine this process. They are only able to analyze a specific situation, connecting the action and the subsequent result (associative memory). To understand the difference between the thought processes of humans and dogs, consider a specific example (part of a study conducted by US zoologists in 2009).

The task was to pass through a narrow gap with a long stick in your teeth. The length of the stick is greater than the width of the passage, i.e., to fulfill the condition, the stick must be held almost vertically. All the dogs, trying to get through the opening, failed - the ends of the sticks rested against the walls. They tried again and again until the moment of insight came: “My actions are not leading to results, I need to change tactics.” At this moment, the dogs began to turn the stick this way and that, until they figured out to turn their heads to the side so that the stick was in the desired position. Now imagine that such a test would be offered to people - it is clear that a person, looking at the door and the stick, would understand in advance exactly how it should be carried through the passage. But a dog needs experience to gain a skill. It is noteworthy that the majority of test animals, who were asked to solve the same problem again, almost immediately took the stick as needed. That is, a dog remembers its own experience, and only this way, and a person is able to think about the consequences of a particular action in advance, even if he has not had such experience at all.

It is important to understand that the dog acts based on its own experience and acquired skills. If you realize this point, training and communicating with your dog becomes much easier. We are always trying to stop the dog from barking at passers-by, peeing on the carpet, and chasing cats. We remake, reshape, re-educate and correct behavior. But you need to go from the other side - give the dog knowledge, give it experience and help it develop the skill of not barking at passers-by, peeing on the street, remaining calm when it sees a cat. At first glance there is no difference, but if you think about it, it is colossal. There is no need to wean your dog, teach it. To ensure that training does not drag on for many months, it is important to understand how to communicate with a dog correctly. The puppy peed on the carpet - the owner poked his nose into a puddle. Result: the puddle is smeared even more, the dog’s nose is dirty, the puppy remembers that a puddle plus a person plus a puppy lead to negative consequences. The owner takes the baby for a walk: “Do your business, come on, here’s some grass, pee!” Puppy: “I am, I am a human, if I make a puddle, it will be bad. I’d rather be patient and do things at home when no one is looking at me.” We returned home, there was a new puddle, the owner got even angrier - again with his nose to the floor: “Aha! Well, now I’ll definitely never pee in his presence!” All you had to do was ignore the puddle and catch the moment when the puppy, without fear of the owner, pees on the street, and give him a treat: “Yeah, when I pee here, they praise me, but when at home, nothing happens. You can't fool me! Now I’ll only write on weed, stock up on cheese!”

How to talk to a dog?

Dogs do not understand the meaning of words, but they are able to associate sounds with certain objects and phenomena. It is believed that over the course of a lifetime, an ordinary dog, not distinguished by genius, can remember the meaning of about a hundred words. In addition to words, our pets draw conclusions, remembering the intonation, postures and gestures of the owner, which is more important for animals than human speech. We can say anything, but a dog “reads” a person by smell, movements, look (it is for this reason that it is almost impossible to deceive him). To ensure that your dog understands you, try to speak in short phrases, not forgetting to color your speech emotionally. The younger the dog, the more carefully you need to emphasize the intonation words for communicating with it: “Sharik, let’s go for a WALK.” As dogs grow up, they learn to independently identify the necessary signal words from common phrases, even those spoken in an ordinary tone.

Can a dog take revenge and be mischievous?

The thinking of dogs is radically different from that of humans. They are by nature incapable of doing anything out of spite, out of revenge, out of harm, etc. “He knows not to pee on the bed, but he does it anyway! He knows that he will be punished, but he doesn’t stop - as soon as he’s distracted for a minute, he makes a puddle right on the pillow! He’s mischievous and pees out of spite!” No matter how confident the owner is that he is right, he is wrong. With such behavior, the pet is trying to tell us something. How to understand a dog? How to guess what she wants? Analyze your behavior, the behavior of family members, remember any changes in your usual routine. If a dog attracts attention in this way, it is unhappy and wants to correct the situation. Find the reason and solve the problem in a matter of days. The reason may also be in the dog itself - poor health, for example, often leads to the dog demanding increased attention, trying to convey to the person: “I’m in pain! Help me!

Does the dog recognize guilt?

Another mistake we make is when we think that the dog feels guilty for making a mistake. We forgive more easily a person who feels guilty and admits it: “Yes, he offended me, but he understands that he did something bad, and that’s the main thing.” Therefore, we ourselves are happy to interpret the dog’s guilty appearance the way we want. In fact, the dog's guilty look is a pose of submission. Puppies take exactly the same pose when an adult fellow breeder grins at them - lowered head, sad look, flattened ears, timid wagging of the tail. To understand how to communicate with a dog without making mistakes, it is important to realize: the dog does not feel guilty, which means it is useless to simply expect it to change its behavior. It is senseless to hope for correction based on the misconception: “She looks guilty, which means she understands that this cannot be done. Once he understands, this won’t happen again.” It is necessary to teach the dog not to perform an action that we do not want. Punishment for an offense alone will not be enough!

How to understand the language of dogs?

The dog is frank and straightforward. These animals do not know how to lie, dissemble or hide their feelings. By accustoming ourselves to observing a pet, we learn to understand the language of dogs, remember the pattern of their behavior in a normal environment, and notice the slightest changes in a given situation. A novice dog breeder should develop the habit of being attentive: how does the dog wake up, how does it get up, how does it stretch, how does it eat and drink, how does it play, how does it walk, how does it look at the world around it? Every little detail is important, since they form a certain image of our pet. How to understand dog language without studying it? This is impossible in principle, so it is important to literally force yourself to always look at the dog at first. After two or three months, observing “out of the corner of the eye” becomes a habit - the owner has already compared in his mind the external changes in behavior and the internal state of the dog, and watches it just as closely, but on an almost unconscious level. However, at first you will have to try a little and teach yourself to look at the dog by analyzing, and not just by observing.

How to understand a dog or a dictionary for inexperienced owners

In addition to individual habits, almost every pet gives us some signals common to all dogs. To study them better, we recommend watching several documentaries about the life of wolves: while filming canines in their natural habitat, their habits and methods of transmitting information are recorded, which are in many ways identical to the communication methods of domestic dogs.

I'm happy, glad– the ears are upright, the mouth is slightly open, the dog is “smiling.” The tongue may be hanging out, and the dog may be breathing a little faster than usual. The pet intensively wags its raised tail, and sometimes the entire back of its body.

I want to play– the dog bends its front legs, sometimes hitting the ground with its sternum, and, on the contrary, lifts its rear part of the body. The tail wags provocatively or freezes in a highly raised position. The expression of the muzzle is very silly, the head can be tilted to the side, the ears stick out. If there is a toy nearby, the pet grabs it and jumps to the side, as if teasing the owner.

I ask for attention– the dog cuddles, walks near the legs, stands on its hind legs. If he can reach it, he puts his head under the owner’s arm, sometimes sighing sadly.

I need attention– the dog covers the owner’s hand with its paw several times in a row, as if drumming on it. Often, in this way, pets test the waters: “Maybe I’m already in charge?” For dominant dogs, the habit of placing a paw on a person's hand or knee is a demonstration of dominance, so this behavior should not be encouraged! If a dog demonstratively puts its paw on your hand, as if plopping it, looking into your eyes, brush off the paw with a confident gesture and look closely into the pet’s eyes so that he understands: “No, my friend, I’m the boss here!” For those who are especially slow-witted, you can reinforce your “words” by placing your “paw” on the dog’s head or back, holding your hand in this position for a few seconds.

Important: If you came to visit, and the owner’s unfamiliar Rottweiler plopped his paw on your knee, without changing your position, look away. You shouldn't get into a confrontation with someone else's dog, especially if it is capable of a serious bite.

I'm completely at your mercy, don't eat me please, I'm good– the dog rolls over onto its back, showing us its tummy. When trying to stroke the belly, the pet does not resist, does not twist, does not push the hand away with its paws, and does not try to run away.

I'm in charge, I'm threatening, I'm ready to attack– the muscles are tense, the gait is springy, the dog moves from side to side in one line. The coat rises, the dog seems to lean forward, the withers are raised. The mouth is closed, the lips are tense. When an “enemy” approaches, the dog can stretch its head forward so that the skull, neck and back are almost at the same level. If you meet such a dog on a walk, calmly move back, without getting close to it, but also without turning your back. A dog that yelps and jumps is usually much less dangerous than one that threatens silently.

I'm hunting– the dog crouches to the ground with its whole body, ears turned towards the “prey”. The pet moves very slowly and carefully, trying not to scare the victim. Breathing slows down and becomes absolutely silent, the gaze is fixed at one point. A moment - and your pet will rush at what it considers its prey, so be careful! Hunting birds, cats and other animals can result in serious injury for a small dog.

Come on, shoot– the dog approaches the owner with an abstracted look and plumps directly at him. In this way, dogs try to climb the hierarchical ladder. If your pet sleeps in the same bed with you, you should not encourage this behavior. A submissive dog will lie down next to him, clinging to the “leader”, but not on him! Do not give up your place, push the sly one away from you, as if saying: “I choose where I sleep, and you will have to come to terms with it.”

I'm in pain, I don't feel well– a tossing dog that can’t find a place for itself, walking back and forth, sighing. The pet cannot lie down and tosses and turns. When a dog has a headache, it rests its forehead on the floor or wall, freezing in this position. When a dog licks the same area of the body all the time, this also tells us that the dog is experiencing pain or discomfort.

Understanding the language of dogs is not difficult, you just need to sincerely love your pet and be attentive.

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Be aware of dogs!

You need to remember: a big dog is also a big responsibility, so you will have to work with it every day. But being busy and tired are not excuses.

A terrible incident that occurred in Slovenia is indicative: three bullmastiffs killed their owner. After this, there was a debate in the country about the aggression of dogs responsible for the death of a person. And only later did the investigation find out that the dogs were killed for a reason: they had endured cruel abuse from their owner for a long time, which was proven by an examination...

But it happens that animals with a less stable psyche come to our home, for which our neglect is enough to break loose...

Who is the most vindictive?

Dogs' revenge is never groundless. Their behavior is a reflection of the actions of their owners.

First, let's define the terminology. When raising dogs, owners often intuitively use violence in the form of punishment or coercion.

Coercion is a physical or psychological influence on a dog that is unpleasant for an animal, with the goal of forcing it to do or not do something against the will of the dog itself. An animal is forced to do or not do something by force, therefore coercion is violence, at least an integral part of it.

Punishment is either a physical or psychological effect on a dog, with the goal of causing him trouble for any action committed by his will.

The measures taken towards the dog during coercion and punishment can be completely identical. The difference between coercion and punishment is only in the time of application of these measures.

During (coercion) or after (punishment) the dog’s refusal to perform some action.

In training practice, coercion is often called negative reinforcement. (As opposed to positive, when the dog is given a treat at the moment of correct action).

Punishment in the sense described above has a synonym in everyday life - revenge.

Since a dog reacts to a maximum stimulus at any given time, linking all events of a given moment with this particular stimulus, negative reinforcement is a more effective method than punishment, because it allows the dog to instantly associate its actions with unpleasant sensations and abandon these actions, thus avoiding trouble next time.

Using punishment is much more difficult, because it is enough to be a little late, and the dog will associate the troubles with another action of his, for which it would be ridiculous to punish.

Some owners humanize their pets so much that they begin to attribute human motivation to their actions. For example, if, after punishment, an excited dog makes a puddle, they believe that the dog has “revenged”. In fact, vindictiveness is a quality inherent only to humans. An animal is not capable of revenge, since it cannot consciously plan any actions in advance and keep this plan in its head for a long time. Any action of a dog is an instant response to an external or internal stimulus that appears at a given moment in time.

Don't be afraid to put your dog in its place. You cannot humiliate an animal by being demanding.

A dog in the house should behave like a good English servant. Those. be invisible, keep traditions and not be offended by the owner’s antics. Moreover, take revenge on him.

So, the dog committed an offense (stole meat from the table or tore a pillow) - your indignation at the loss and disgusting act of the dog is beyond description!

The first thing that comes to mind is to punish the dog. So, take your time!

The dog reacts at any moment to the maximum stimulus that exists at a given time! In other words, if the punishment for an offense and the offense itself do not coincide in time, the dog will not understand why exactly it was punished. The moment in time when the dog tore at the pillow was associated exclusively with pleasure.

If the punishment occurred at the moment when the dog was busy with another object, then in its mind the punishment will be associated with this other object, and not with the pillow. And this will lead to the fact that the dog will go around another object on the tenth dog trail, and will tear the pillow more than once until it manages to comprehend the logic of its owner.

So, the dog must be punished while committing an offense in order to link this particular offense with punishment in its mind. Then the dog will choose which stimulus is stronger, the desire to grab the pillow or the fear of punishment.

I would like to note that if the punishment was symbolic, the pillow will again lose some of its feathers.

Suppose that you did everything, it would seem, correctly, but you are faced with the following problem: the dog does not touch the pillow in your presence, but as soon as you leave the house, the dog takes up the old routine again.

The next rule for punishing a dog says: it is not the owner who should punish the dog, but what brings joy to the dog, and grief to the owner - the pillow itself or the piece of meat itself.

Radio-controlled current collars can be widely used for this purpose.

You can, of course, do without complex technical means by showing ingenuity, for example, by sewing a “hedgehog” welded from nails into a pillow.

We can say with confidence that, having tried such a pillow, the dog is unlikely to allow himself to have a familiar attitude towards it in the future.

Every dog owner should keep in mind that punishment only makes sense if the dog has been previously trained in alternative (correct from the owner's point of view) behavior.

Then, going through the possible options, the dog will settle on the correct behavior that is safe for it.

If the owner constantly tries to “catch” the dog in incorrect behavior and punish it, and the correct behavior has not been developed in advance, then this is not education, but bullying of the dog.