14 Things You Must Stop Doing to Your Dog

As valued family members, dogs deserve to be treated with love. However, even the most responsible dog owners can slip up and do things that can potentially harm their canine companions.
In this video, we will look at 14 things you should stop doing to your dog.

Don’t yank on a leash
One of the dangers of a leash pull is your dog choking. Reports show an average of 27,000 dogs every year are injured in a collar related accident. Even worse, high rates of thyroid issues have been observed in dogs that frequently pull on the leash.
Using harness is the best way to avoid most dangers arising from a leash and collar pulling. Studies have shown harnesses are significantly less dangerous than collars.
Don’t skip the vet
We know that taking your dog to the vet is a pain, not to mention expensive. But regular check-ups are so important for your dog’s health. The vet can identify issues you might not even be aware of.
Don’t make them apologize
Many people think that dogs know when they have done something wrong because they look guilty. But in reality, your dog isn’t sorry that they have chewed your shoes or knocked over your plants. Scientists believe that dogs can’t feel complex emotions such as guilt or shame.
Don’t restrict them from exploring and sniffing
Dogs are curious and love nothing more than sniffing around and exploring.
Walkies are quality time they get to spend outdoors. It is also a great way to keep them healthy. One thing you should never do is to restrict your four-legged friend from exploring and sniffing.
Don’t use human products on your dog
Never use products you would use on yourself for your canine companion.
Using human shampoo, for example, will disrupt your dog’s acid mantle, leaving them vulnerable to parasites, viruses, and bacteria. It also makes their skin feel dry and flaky.
Human toothpastes and sunscreens contain ingredients that would be harmful to dogs if they swallow them.
Any cleaning products that contains bleach or ammonia is also hazardous to your dog.
Don’t isolate them
Dogs are pack animals. When they are in the wild, they do everything together and they are loyal to the pack.
Make sure that you take them for walks and give them a lot of attention when you can. Your dog is a member of your family and, as such, needs to spend time with you.
Don’t assume your dog doesn't mind the weather.
Humans wear shoes so we don’t realize just how hot a pavement can get. It’s important to remember that when the ambient temperature is 85 degrees, the asphalt surface temperature can reach a sizzling 140 degrees—which is hot enough to cause burns, tissue damage, and potentially to scar your dog’s sensitive paws.
Don’t feed them more than RDI
Never feed your dog more than their recommended daily intake. It's hard to resist those puppy eyes, but you need to be a responsible dog owner.
Food is not love, and canine obesity is on the rise.
Don’t Leave a Dog Alone in a Car
Never ever leave your dog alone in an enclosed car.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the temperature inside a vehicle can go up by 20 degrees in under 10 minutes, even if the car is parked in the shade.
Dogs don’t sweat like humans, and they overheat much faster than you think. They lack the ability to cool themselves off efficiently, and the consequences of keeping your pup in an enclosed vehicle can be fatal.
Don’t give them unwanted hugs
Even though it’s tempting, full-body hugs aren’t good for dogs. A hug is usually threatening or unwelcome to them, especially if they feel trapped.
Most dogs will allow trusted people to hug them but that does not mean that they all enjoy it in the way another human does.
Don’t dress up your dog
Don’t buy clothes for your pet just because they may look cute in them.
When it is cold, you may want to dress your dog for walks but also, keep in mind that they have fur to help regulate their body temperature.
Avoid using strong fragrances
Dogs have about a 1000-10,000 of your ability to perceive scents. There are smells that we may barely notice but they could be very annoying to your dog. Try to minimize perfumes, cleaning products, vinegar, chili peppers, and citrus scents.
Secure your dog in the car
People use seat belts, children use car seats, so why would the case be any different for your dog. If you don’t secure your four-legged friend in the car and you end up in a car accident, your dog can get seriously injured or even killed.
On that note, never let your dog stick its head out of a moving vehicle. Branches, rocks or other debris could collide with the animal’s head. Even worse, the dog might feel the impulse to jump out of a moving car.
Don’t make them hate their crate
The biggest mistake people make when training their dogs is using the crate as punishment.
That’s the worst thing you can do because the dog will then have a negative association with the crate.

[CircleB-igmk]

I don't have to say a word to my dog... He knows when he's done wrong and he pulls his ears back and listens to me intently when I correct him.
I believe they're far more complex than this video states. 🐕💕

[damoncrowfeather]

I fostered Millie, a 2 1/2 yr old beagle, for a couple of months, and we became very close. So, I went ahead and adopted her from the Humane Center. She was easily house broken, and she's really well behaved. She likes to get on top of me, and she will keep trying to get closer.. I'm not initiating the hugs, she is.. and she loves it!

[BigBossIvan]

I don't understand any of the downvotes, this is all helpful stuff for our very best friends.
I'm still learning stuff watching these videos too with many years of experience.

[DarkbutNotsinister]

I have 2 westies. When I ask “who did this?” one of them looks guilty. The other one looks like “ haha, mom caught you”. Not always the same dog looks guilty.

Cute, funny story- They are both well behaved, however, one day the police came over to tell me someone complained my dogs were barking “incessantly”. Sprocket, who was quietly sitting by my feet as I was talking to the officer, silently looked up at me. I asked Sprocket “would you like to explain to the nice officer what was going on here?”. As Sprocket looked at me, not making a sound, the rest of the neighborhood dogs were going nuts. The officer laughed and said, “Maybe it wasn’t your dogs.”

[ladyjatheist]

my girl came to me through someone else in 2018. when I'd get home from work she'd excitement piddle, and she'd slink off like she'd been punished for it. She watched from across the room as I put some tp down and soaked it up then threw it away. After which I got a pupperoni stick, and led her to a different area and began to create our "welcome home" ritual of being on the floor and petting her while feeding her little bits. Now when she excitement piddles she is still visibly embarrassed, but she just goes to our welcome spot and waits for me to join her, her tail thumping the floor the whole time knowing she's gonna gt the love she deserves. It's not her fault she's so happy to see me she can't contain herself. It's just awesome to see she's not afraid anymore.

[testerwulf]

We didn't like using collars so we finally got a harness and my dog has actually become so much easier to handle on walks and I never have to worry about her choking on a collar! Bonus' to harnesses is the fact hers can hold onto the roll of poop bags in a mini pocket and it has a handel on the back so in any emergencies you can grab her like a suitcase to either lift her up or hold her in place (she's a medium sized dog, fairly big, so any leverage to grab onto is great). We really want to take better care of her..We don't leave her in the car unless it's cooler out and the windows are cracked open to ventilate the car so it doesn't get as hot, and I try not to walk her if it's too hot and the floor hurts!

[lsporter]

Great info. You're doing a great service with this video and channel. Salute.

[drey]

omg i'm starting to feel guilty bc i do half of these to my dog. but thank you for making this video, it made me learn something!

[candydecker]

I so agree with #11
My dog's walk is just that, HIS walk. He's allowed to sniff and explore all he wants. As long as it doesn't injure/hurt him or anyone/anything else.

[youtuber]

thanks a LOT for the USEFUL information SERIOUSLY

[the_eaglefan]

Our first dog was an oddity it seems. He wouldn't over eat and we would just add food to his bowl when it was empty. He never got over or under weight. He would have a little when he was hungry but never ate the entire bowl just because it had food. We would give him other food as well but the dry food we would fill every time it got empty. He lived to 17 and was active right up until about the last month when old age caught up with him.

[kossy]

Taylor is awesome! Thanks for caring for others! 😊

[Pythonaria]

Dogs DO know when they've done something naughty. Remember one night some 40+ years ago. The whole family had gone out for the evening. When we came home, Shep, our dog at the time (he was a mongrel - mutt) looked at us with a guilty expression on his face and slunk under the table with only the tip of his tail wagging. My mother-in-law said "Oh-oh. What's he done?" He'd only managed to climb on top of the wardrobe in her bedroom and found a 2lb box of chocolates she'd been given as a gift and eaten the lot. He didn't suffer any effects of that (chocolate back then must have been made differently). He didn't get into trouble. All we could do was laugh.

Wind forward 30 odd years. We adopted a GSD from a rescue. A couple of days after we got him we had to go shopping. When we came back we found he'd chewed the remote control for the TV. We just said to him, showing him the chewed up remote "Who did that?" Like Shep, he slunk away looking very guilty. Replaced the remote and when we had to go out, showed him the remote and said "No. Leave". He left it alone. We bought him a Kong which he loved and would put treats inside it. Gave him something to do. We also gave him the command of "Look after the house for us. We won't be long" and he did. Great dog who's sadly no longer with us. We never left him on his own for more than a couple of hours and most times there was someone in the house with him.

[maurgsden]

I love how actually educational this video is, without any outdated informations, really pleasing to watch <3

[JamesW]

As pet owners we must do all we can to give these wonderful creatures a safe and happy life. They deserve this from us.

[oxcart]

I'm convinced that dogs have the same emotions as us. I just think it needs more research

[suecole]

Never shout at a dog their hearing is so sensitive and they hear sounds so much louded than a human. Clear firm commands are how a dog understands.. Pups take time to learn commands so be patient and give a reward when they get it right... Dogs should always be allowed to stop and sniff on walks and dogs also love to run free off the lead in a safe place...

[fransmurati]

As dogtrainer I have intensivly used the slip chain for 44years, and never never have I expierenced thing like you describe it, however I know of several incidents where dogs come loose from their collars and Harnesses and some ended up in a fight and other in front of traffic. I have made my choice after years of training dogs, and will not ever use a collar without the back-up of a slip chain, and I will only use the harness to communicate to the dog I want it to search or roam in front of me.

[hokuponopono]

Separation anxiety dude, sounds just like a complex emotion to me... So which is it? Can or can't. With that said I completely disagree with what you said about them not having complex emotions. They most certainly do.

[metal.queen]

For #14, the simple solution is look for a good harness that meant for comfort for dogs. I never walk my dogs without a harness. Walmart has a couple of good and inexpensive comfort harnesses.🥰💛🕊️

And if I walk my dogs on hot days, yes, I do try to take them in the evening when it’s at least a little cooler, but if my work schedule doesn’t allow evening walks to happen, I try to keep them off the pavement and try to keep them walking on the grass for their poor little paws. Just a suggestion in case there’s anyone out there who has never thought of it.💁🏻‍♀️🤗💛🕊️

Regarding kennels/crates, when my parents got one of my dogs for my 16th birthday (this was 17 years ago lol), we never tried using his kennel as a punishment, but we used it for house training. And on our breaks and, obviously, when it was time to go home from school for me and work for my parents, we would let him out right away and sit outside so we could witness him doing his business, and anytime he did it outside while training him, he received praise and treats from us.🥰💛🕊️ It was my mom’s idea, and it worked, so always recommend that method to anyone who is struggling with house training.🤗