Everyone loses their temper from time to time. We get it. Unfortunately, sometimes our pets end up on the receiving end of anger because they’re simply the ones who are in close proximity when the stuff hits the fan. But yelling at your pup is anything but innocuous. Just because they don’t understand your words doesn’t mean your rage doesn’t deeply impact them. A new dog study sheds light on why you should never yell at your furry best friend.
Dog Study Reveals Negative Effects of Yelling
The study was conducted by a team from the University of Porto and it reveals the negative consequences of yelling at your dog. Dr. Ana Catarina Vieira de Castro led the study with 92 companion dogs. The canines were separated into two groups: those trained with positive reinforcement (like treats and games) and those trained with “aversive training” (jerking the leash, yelling). Then they measured stress levels in the dogs, as determined by licking, yawning, and leg-lifting. They also monitored relaxation levels. Finally, the researchers used saliva samples from the pup to assess nervousness and anxiety. They looked at cortisol levels and other chemicals associated with stress.
The dogs trained with aversive training had higher levels of stress than the positive reinforcement group. That, perhaps, is not surprising. But what was revelatory was that the dogs that had been yelled at continued to show elevated levels of cortisol a full month after the study began.
The Long-Lasting Effects of Yelling at Your Dog
“Our results show that companion dogs that have been trained using harsher methods have poorer welfare than companion dogs trained using reward-based methods, both in the short-term and in the long-term,” the researchers stated.
Meanwhile, the pups treated compassionately were calmer, and more stable, weeks after the fact.
In other words, the way you treat your four-legged friend today has lasting implications for their health and mood far into the future.
So no matter what’s going wrong in your life, don’t take it out on your dog. In fact, go hug Fido and give him a treat while you’re at it.
