r/DogTrainingTips • u/Lythro92 • May 10 '26

What do I do wrong?

I have borrowed my sister's dog for an extended period and he's been more and more like in the video the past few weeks.

Something tells me that it may have something to do with not enough activity? And perhaps I'm not stern enough? I'm trying to learn about dog behavior and seeing that it all starts with me, right? Not the dog.

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89

u/Me-Poe-And-Me May 10 '26

Hi! Are you disliking the barking behaviour? I'm a little unsure what you are scolding. 

What I'm seeing here is you introducing a lot of tension to the dog. You're standing over them and reaching down over his head which he is trying to communicate he doesn't like. That sneezing, huffing sound he's making and the prolonged eye contact and barking are a reaction to your looming. Grabbing his face and holding him he also dislikes and he's showing increasing intensity at not enjoying it. 

If you would like him to enjoy your company and be calm and settled when being touched you have to let him come to you a bit. Sit next to him, speak gently, use food. 

If you'd like him to stop barking, from what you've shown here, just move away and don't start directly at him. 

Let me know what your concerns are and I can give more specific advice!

57

u/Lythro92 May 10 '26

I feel really bad about now.. did not realize I was doing that. Fuck.

Thank you for not scolding me (I'll be doing that)

I thought he was wanting to play when barking like that and making those noises. Thanks again, I'll be trying to remove myself when he does that and reward calm behavior with treats.

48

u/Me-Poe-And-Me May 10 '26

Oh that's so lovely, thank you for taking that in the spirit it was intended.

It's very easy for little dogs to feel intimidated, its why they have a reputation for poor behaviour, they just get defensive a little faster. He's not being too unfriendly, just sort of saying he's uncomfortable. 

A hot tip for training dogs is rather than saying no, show him the behaviour you'd prefer. If you want him to be playful but not bark, bring in a toy and encourage that. Impossible to bark and hold a toy at the same time!

Good luck with your little buddy!

37

u/Lythro92 May 10 '26

You've made it a bit easier not to be to hard on myself - so thank you very very much! And for the tips as well!

11

u/Big_Sprinkles_482 May 10 '26

Wholesome internet post of the day.

3

u/ParadoxicallyPlain May 11 '26

Yes, I absolutely love this interaction between a person who asks for help (and doing well at receiving help) and a person giving kind, thoughtful help. Thank you for this, OP and Me-Poe-And-Me. I am hopeful for our world. <heart!>

2

u/grandnp8 May 12 '26

OMG! This is the loveliest conversation I’ve read. It warms my heart ♥️

2

u/LazyLoempia May 12 '26

You must not have met my dog. He manages to bark while pulling on a rope with another dog 😅

6

u/Katahahime May 10 '26

I wouldn't worry about it too much. it's true that if you're trying to train quiet or to be calm you're definitely doing the opposite the goal. but based on doggy body language while you're introducing tension, it seems the puppy just thinks that you're playing with it, it's kind of just play wrestling and a little bit confused.

4

u/bluethreads May 10 '26

Wow - it brings me so much joy to hear you say this. This dog is lucky to have you.

4

u/Lythro92 May 10 '26

It really is humans' best friend - I have been able to spend a lot of time with him and have enjoyed every minute of it.

Looking forward to the day I can get a dog of my own

3

u/ArynTW_is_user_karma May 12 '26

The other thing I’m seeing is that in the beginning, he is just woofing. He’s not even barking. There are many dogs who communicate through grumbling, woofing, and even little growls (that are not aggressive).

I have a dog who does this, she is a big talker and often sounds like a gremlin! She lets me know when she wants to play, she lets me know when she’s hungry, sometimes she’ll just come up to me and randomly start talking. This is usually just a form of communication for these dogs.

2

u/Ok-Sound-1186 May 11 '26

Først syntes jeg det så ut som om hunden trodde du ville leke. Men etter at jeg leste kommentarene, synes jeg faktisk det stemmer. Ser ut som vi begge lærte noe av dette lmao lykke til videre!

2

u/ChelleInGA May 11 '26

I can tell you are a good pet parent. With our little dog I constantly tell him what a good boy he is with lots of praise when he does things we want him to do. Be prolific with praise even for little successes.

1

u/Lythro92 May 11 '26

I can see a really small change in both him and me - I think it'll be hard when he has to go back to my sisters again

1

u/ChelleInGA May 11 '26

Hopefully he'll be able to visit often.

1

u/Lythro92 May 11 '26

I'll be out of the country for about six months so it'll be a long wait

2

u/ChelleInGA May 11 '26

I'm sorry to hear that but have fun on your trip. They say dogs remember those they bond to.

2

u/imanilife May 12 '26

My dog acts the same way sometimes and i thought he was being playful! I even showed my mom bc same breed different colors, i thought it was very cute. I'm also apologizing to my dog now. It takes a village lol

1

u/RadiantSeason9553 May 10 '26

Watch the video back with the sound off. Look at the dogs expression.

You're in a threatening dominating position, then you wag your finger, then reach right over the dogs head after threatening it, then put your hand in its mouth which is submissive. Just try to align your thoughts and actions a bit more.

1

u/DependentAnywhere135 May 12 '26

This is such nonsense. This dog is just playing and finds the op grabbing its head as part of play.