Some dogs understand, some don't
@HeresTheScoop (748)
United States
March 5, 2012 3:23pm CST
Our shi-tzu, Keri, is such a good dog! She really understands when she's done something wrong and I'm scolding her. She was pooping in the dining room on a daily basis for about a week. I would show her and tell her that was a no-no. She would put her head down and look away so I know that she knew it was wrong. But she kept doing it. The reason she was going in the house was because it was very cold outside and there was snow everywhere. She always went pee outside but she didn't want to stay outside long enough to do her 'business'. I was tired of cleaning up the mess and the smell. The next time she did it I rubbed her nose in it, gave her a little spank, and shut her in the bathroom for 15 minutes. That was 4 days ago and she hasn't pooped in the house since!
Totally different than the pug we had. He never understood when we were scolding him because he chewed a chair leg or went to the bathroom in the house. We could tell he had no clue what he was being scolded for, and I think he had no clue that we were even scolding him!
2 people like this
8 responses
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
5 Mar 12
Some dogs are smarter and more sentient than others, for sure. And some are just so dim they are not even on the level of a night light! It's too bad you had to put her nose in it, that must've hurt you to be even that little bit mean to her, but it was something she had to learn.
I've had an issue recently with my Boston Terrier peeing on bags I'm packing to give to Goodwill since I'm moving in a few months and getting rid of a bunch of stuff. I haven't caught him in the act but when I stand by a plastic bag and ask where that stuff came from he acts guilty. He hasn't done it for 2 days so maybe that did it. But I'm keeping them out on the back porch from now on to remove temptation. I wonder if he thinks his stuff is next to go?! 
2 people like this
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
LOL! I hate to say it, but I think the pug was one of those 'dim' ones. I did feel bad when I had to put our shi-tzu's nose in it.
Your dog understands. It kinda sounds like he's 'marking' the bags because they don't have a familiar scent or his scent on them.
@mwilcox86 (34)
• United States
16 Mar 12
No dog actually understands when you are scolding them if they are not being caught in the act. They don't have the same type of associative memory that we do, so even if you show a dog what he or she has done wrong, they won't be able to connect the dogs. The best you can do is to praise him when you come home and see that nothing is wrong. When you come home to something chewed, completely ignore him for 10-15 minutes, then treat him normal. He will miss the praise, and do whatever it takes to get it back. I would also scold and "dominate" when he does something bad and you've caught him in the act.
It is true, however, that some dogs learn faster than others. It's not that they will never learn, but it could take a while. Patience and good luck!
1 person likes this
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
Keri, my dog, does understand. When I see that she has pooped in the dining room and take her over to it she becomes submissive and her tail goes down between her legs. The other day I let her out to go and when she came back in she walked through the kitchen and laid down in the living room. That was not normal for her because she always gets a treat after going to the bathroom outside and she always runs over to the cupboard to get one. So I called her out to the kitchen. She came walking out and I said 'you forgot your treat' and she put her head down and went into the living room and under the end table. I thought maybe she was sick. Then I remembered that she only went pee the last time I let her out. I didn't say anything to her or look at her in any different way. I looked in the dining room and she had pooped in there. I came back and she had went and hid in another room because she knew that it was wrong of her to poop in the house.
@sukumar794 (5040)
• Thiruvananthapuram, India
6 Mar 12
Most dogs react to responses initiated by their masters. After all the species knows very well that its master is all the more important than anything else. It obeys...it it definitely does.
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
That's true most of the time.
Some male dogs see themselves higher in the pecking order than their female master. I've seen that happen to a couple of my friends. The dogs did not respond to the female masters' training or discipline. These women were doing everything that their husbands did with the dogs but because the women's voices were higher the dogs weren't obeying them.
@tiina05 (2317)
• Philippines
6 Mar 12
hello,
That was cute! amazing! she really understands you because she did not even bother you again with that stuff. ha ha 
I think she is intelligent try to talk to her and teach her other things I assume that she will learned that easily. There are puppy's who are really intelligent like human.
I think she is intelligent try to talk to her and teach her other things I assume that she will learned that easily. There are puppy's who are really intelligent like human. 1 person likes this
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
I know, she just has this ability to know when she has done something wrong. She is the best pet we've ever had. She's mellow, loving, friendly, rarely ever barks, and wants to please us.
@cdecker02 (11)
• United States
6 Mar 12
Personalities of dogs are different, just as humans are! Some dogs care, some dogs don't. I think some are also more sensitive to body language and tone than others are.
1 person likes this
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
Yeah, some dogs are more sensitive to body language and tone of voice. My dog has the best personality, she's calm, lovable, friendly, and rarely barks. She's a perfect match for us.
@kcwheeler (23)
• Canada
6 Mar 12
This definently contributes to the argument that some breeds are smarter than others. Of course, I think that the training and discipline can have a great impact on behaviour, but consistancy is key.
And theres the "calm assertive energy" preached by Cesar Millan. Man I love that show!!! He recently did a show on dogs eating poop, and he used banana for a reward in this case, and it worked very quickly.
1 person likes this
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
Training and discipline definitely make a difference. My dog, Keri, is a shi-tzu and that breed makes great pets.
I've never watched that show. So he used the banana as a reward for not eating the poop? I didn't know dogs liked bananas.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
6 Mar 12
Some dogs are a lot more receptive to people than others. I think that there are more personable dogs that catch on a lot quicker. It sometimes takes different methods to get their attention too. Some do good with the scolding while others never even pay attention unless there is a reward involved.
1 person likes this
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
Yeah, I think you're right because she is a personable dog. It's almost like she wants to be good for us. It might be the personality of the shi-tzu. She's adorable and is a great match for us! We've had those pets, the ones that are teenagers where it's all about them and they only pay attention to you if you are giving them something.
@HeresTheScoop (748)
• United States
17 Mar 12
I think so too. I didn't know they could understand up to 200 words. That's great!
