Smacking dog
 

Callie went to the vet today to have her skin rechecked. Well we sat down and a couple came in with there pit bull puppy and he was hyper like most puppies and the women smacked him in the face and said stop that and a few seconds later smacked him in the head again she did it a total of 3 times. I was so shocked I just sat there with my mouth open I could not believe it and had no idea what to do. It upset me a lot and I can see why some dogs get so aggressive I know I would if I got smacked in the head and face. What is wrong with people? How should I have handled this? What should I have done?

I'm probably going to get slammed for this but...

Nothing. There's nothing you could have done. It's not your dog and you really don't know the history there. As much as we don't like some things, some times the best thing you can do is mind your own business and look away. If the dog was at the vet, I doubt it was abused or neglected.

While I'll admit that smacking the dog in the face/head probably isn't a good idea, some of these larger, stronger breeds do need a firm alpha model to keep them under control. In a natural dog pack, the alpha would do the same, albeit with it's teeth instead of a tap on the rump, to get the dog to do what he needed to.

So you ignore dog abuse? Really? It's people like those who give pit bulls a bad name because they beat the dog and then wonder why it's aggressive! This was a puppy a very young puppy!

I'm not saying ignore abuse. Was the dog yelping when she hit it? I'm pretty sure if there were signs of abuse, the vet would report it to authorities. I know for sure my vet would and has in the past.

I don't think hitting a dog in any manner is right, but there is a finite line between a tap to get a dogs attention and a full on abusive strike. What do you think saying anything would have accomplished? It doesn't sound to me like a situation that would fall under the legal terms of abuse. Granted, it's still not right, but there's nothing you can do here other than make an enemy.

It was there first time at our vet, the man was filling out the paper work. It was not a tap. He did not yelp when we where out there but a minute after us going back we heard him yelp.

I remember this one time I was standing outside with my garage door talking to someone. When I opened the door Brandi came running out without her leash and started running down the driveway. I remeber yelling at her in a very stern voice at which point she stopped and dropped and started shaking.

Even though I didn't hit her anyone who would of seen this would of thought that Brandi was extremely scared of me and probably would of thought that I probably do hit her to discipline her.

I've seen some owners kind of swat their dogs (usually large breed dogs) but not out of maliciousness but more out of trying to get there attention. One guy had to yank his 175lb St Bernard to get him under control after trying chase after a smaller dog but I could tell the dog was not being abused.

Like I said this was a very young pup....... And I did see it getting hit 3 times!

I guess maybe I have a different opinion on raising a large breed or strong dog. You have to be firm from the beginning. If you wait until they're older, often times you can't control them at all. And then you have people complain that the dog intimidates them, etc. Puppies can be stubborn. If you let that mentality continue, you could find yourself find trouble later on.

Case and point: My brother never challenge my dad in his teen years because my dad was firm with him when he was younger.

I'm not trying to argue with you or justify what the owner did. I don't own a pit bull for the very reason I listed. I don't want a large dog that controls me until I'm able to over power him.

You asked "what should you have done?" and the answer remains; there's nothing you CAN do about it.

Beyond that, my puppy yelps when she wants attention, when she can't get through the bathroom door to be with me, when I'm outside and don't let her go with. That yelp sounds the same as the cry I heard when Gabby was playing and got a little too rough. You didn't see the owners hit the dog when it yelped, so you don't know for sure that it was crying because of that. It could have been crying for any number of reasons. Puppies don't have the broad spectrum of vocals as an adult dog does, so it's harder to differentiate between a cry for help and a cry of frustration.

What I do know is we've had more than too many sensitive topics in this are over the past few days. I fear, this is another controversial subject that's bound to generate some bad feelings if it's allowed to continue.

A dog should never be hit it is abuse. You where not there the dog wasn't doing anything but wagging his tail. Why would that deserve to be hit? After he was hit two times then he started nipping and got the third wack. Aggression breeds aggression. It's sad people think abusing a dog is the only way to train a dog.

Callie's Mom, it would have made me very uncomfortable also (but I have the same uncomfortable feeling when I see/hear parents striking their young children in a store). If you truly feel compelled to say something... maybe strike up a conversation about how you went through a behavior training class with your own little one and how much it benefitted your dog and your family.

I would have said something to the abuser of the pit.

I feel so bad for this poor pup... and I would NEVER hit Bailey in the face. But, sometimes when Bailey gets unruly or very stubborn she gets a little tap on the booty. Nothing HARD but just a little swat. She understands that what ever she has done is a no no, but I think hitting a young pup is terrible. I would not have said anything because it is not your dog. What would you have said? Hitting a dog in the face is terrible and they will get aggressive if they keep that up.

You should never hit your dog or any pet for that matter! You can be firm without being abusive!

How sad!! Sometimes I feel like smacking my babies....I know thats horrible, but I do!!! But, I never would....Their tiny sad faces looking at me when I tell them Uh huh..is bad enough... Some people dont get pups for the right reasons.. I think I would have said something..but then again, I usually speak my mind!!

I doubt that we can have a meaningful exchange of ideas about this. Emotions run too high. To answer your questions, 1. What is wrong with people ? my answer is not everyone agrees on what defines, discipline, correction or abuse. Even with human children. If this person thought what they were doing was abuse, they would have tried to hide the behavior.
2. How should you have handled the situation, what should you have done ? Let me ask this, what did you do ? Did you tell the Vet ? Did you keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself ? Honestly I can't say what you should have done. It is so easy to say do this or that, we weren't there. 3. I read your posts every day and I am almost 100 % sure if you thought the dog was in real danger, you would have done something ! You would not just walk away, your heart would have made you intervene.Some people don't know how to train dogs (or their human children) and they keep using outdated methods. And sadly not everyone loves their dog, the way you love Callie.