If you hit your dog how long will it remember you hit it?

Answer 1

How Long Does A Dog's Brain Retain The Memory After You Hit It?

• Memory Span Of A Dog: Each dog has a different memory and like people they have different personalities. For instance if you shout at some breeds of dogs they will slink and hide, while other dogs appear to have hurt feelings from being hit by their owner, but can shake it off very shortly. However, it's still very wrong to hit a dog! There is no reason for it and good training is consistency, gentle handling, specific commands, patience and good rewards towards your pet if they deserve it along with some fun. It is noted by trainers that dogs learn far quicker and retain memory to commands during play time than an hour of constant commands and no play. Dogs can remember being hit for quite a long while and some dogs will become mean and aggressive because of it because that's what they have been taught; 'don't trust a human or you'll get hit.' Although not as smart as humans a dogs brain does retain pain and shame if it's constantly being hit or beaten.

• Beating an animal is never OK. Even a dog in the wild would not be bitten and physically dominated by the pack's alpha if it stepped out of line in the wild. Wild wolf packs are made out of family members, and any disagreements are highly ritualised and it is rare for either party to come to any physical harm, as a great deal of the "fighting" is just posturing and showing teeth. 1 or 2 smacks to the hind-quarters is unlikely to do your dog any harm, but is also unlikely to do any good. Beating however, is different. If you have even hit your dog with a stick or other kind of weapon, it will remember. If you threw it down the stairs etc, it will remember. There are better ways to show your dog what you want it to do than to hit it.

• Dogs need corrections. Remember, dogs tend to repeat that which is pleasant, and avoid that which is not. Timing for corrections and praise is critical, the correction should be applied as the dog is behaving incorrectly, and praise applied as soon as the dog behaves in a way that is considered correct. Dogs look up to their owners for guidance, and the "this is what a dog would do in a pack situation" just doesn't work in a domestic setting. For an example, if a young dog or puppy living with a pack was to attempt to approach a snake, or other dangerous situation, his mother would not smack him in the butt, of across the nose, she would take him by the scruff, growl, perhaps a little shake, and the puppy would associate what he was doing as not being acceptable behaviour. If a young dog, again in a pack scenario, was to pester, annoy, or attempt to dominate another dog that is higher up in the pack order, the other dog doesn't smack it on the nose or butt, but will often posture and growl to show it's displeasure. Even these do not use physical force. However, these scenarios do not apply to a human owner and their pet dog. If the dog was in immediate danger, then restraining the dog is naturally the best way to keep the dog from harm. This is NOT the same as hitting or correcting.

Answer 2

A dog will remember something for life if you keep reinforcing it daily.