Quote:
Originally Posted by JeanieK  dogs do not act of of spite. They live in the moment. They will NEVER do anything they know will upset you. They want to please. If they are peeing while they look at you it is out of fear, nervousness. or excitement and they cannot control it.
To say that a dog has the apility to reason that if he pees it will upset you, also means he has the ability to reason that if he upsets you he is going to be punished. They do not have the ability to reason.
if you're going tom give him a toy when he bites, why not just give him a treat and say 'good dog". Don't reward biting with a toy. Respond to it like his mother would have. with a snap and a quick nip. |
It's not rewarding, it's redirecting the biting. Like, "biting me is not okay, but biting this toy is." I can see how it would be interpreted differently though.
I believe dogs know this. If your dog did not know what makes you happy/upset - why does s/he hide when doing some behaviors? Why do dogs look guilty sometimes? They know what behaviors make you happy and what behaviors don't. It's the same reasoning behind positive reinforcement - if the dog knows it will make you happy, he will do it, if he knows it will make you unhappy, he won't do it.