Does Spraying a Dog or Cat With Water Work? Nope, training your dog by spraying it with water does not work. When working with dog training clients, trainers have witnessed some who spray their puppies for mouthing, yet their arms are covered in scratches. Spraying the dog with water was not helping.
Even a spray of water can easily become abusive. We cannot choose what a dog finds punishing or reinforcing, particularly with self-reinforcing behaviours like barking or jumping on people. The water may be a little annoying, but jumping on visitors may definitely be worth a few squirts in the face!
If you catch your puppy misbehaving, try a loud noise such as clapping your hands or a loud "uh-uh" or a sharp “off”. Remember, reprimands need to occur while the behavior is happening, preferably just as it begins, and never after.
Instead of giving your dog time-outs for hard biting, start to give him time-outs every time you feel his teeth touch your skin. The instant you feel your dog's teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then immediately walk away from him. Ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds.
The dog does something that you don't like, so you take a bottle and spray them with a short burst of water. This is meant to deter them from doing it again, because it's unpleasant. In order for it to work, the dog has to find the experience upsetting enough that it's not worth risking it being repeated.
And even a squirt bottle can easily become abusive. We cannot choose what a dog finds punishing or reinforcing; maybe the water isn't what works for that particular dog, or something else in the environment is reinforcing the behaviour and negating the effect of the (possibly) unpleasant water spray.
Unaltered animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than those that have been spayed or neutered. Spayed and neutered dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
Most scientific studies indicate that it is very possible to rehabilitate a dog after they bite another dog or person.
The instant you feel your puppy's teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then immediately walk away from him. Ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds. If your puppy follows you or continues to bite and nip at you, leave the room for 30 to 60 seconds.
Puppies can often get overstimulated which causes them to get into a biting frenzy, or just like a toddler that throws a tantrum when it's time for a nap, your puppy may be showing you that they need crate/playpen time to unwind and relax. Puppies also may bite in order to get OUR ATTENTION!
Spraying cats with water from a squirt bottle is not a reinforcement; it's a punishment. Giving your cat a choice of ways to express his behavioral needs and then rewarding his use of the choice you prefer is the best way to encourage your cat's “good” behavior.
As mentioned above, as one of the last resorts, you could also use a syringe to squirt water in your dog's mouth. Your dog will typically just swallow it.
Many dogs are out of control when they see another dog. They will whine, bark, lunge, etc… even when the dog is at a great distance. Dogs can act this way out of excitement, frustration, fear, pain, and sometimes out of aggression. There is a much greater chance of improving our dogs behavior when it is predictable.
For dogs under 6 months of age, much hyper and aggressive behavior is simply puppy play. But that doesn't mean that you should just green light it and allow it to continue. You must teach your puppy boundaries and the earlier you teach them the better.
While there's little doubt that dogs are capable of feeling primary emotions, which include feelings such as happiness, sadness and fear, there's far less evidence that dogs experience what are called secondary emotions, which include guilt and shame, says Scientific American.
If they start nibbling at your fingers or toes while you're playing, offer a toy instead. Again, if they continue to nip, stop the play session immediately. If you've been training your puppy to sit, you might also redirect them by asking them to sit and rewarding with a toy.
"The motivation for lots of dog bites is fear," he says. "Others are territorial - if they're guarding something that they highly value, or defending their favourite resting place, their bed... Or if they've learned to defend, say, a dog bowl - that can result in aggression."
Even though there won't be a change in your pet's energy level, the act of having a vet spay or neuter your pet will eliminate or reduce those behaviors that are attributed to their hormones. This includes heat cycles and the associated behaviors in female dogs.
Citrus scents top the list of smells your dog probably hates. The scent of lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits is strong and unpleasant for your dog. For this reason, you can use citrus scents as a dog repellant in off-limits parts of the house. Their noses are irritated by the strength of citrus.
An age of six to nine months of age may be appropriate for neutering or spaying a toy breed puppy or small breed puppy but a larger or giant breed may need to wait until they are near or over 12-18 months of age.