Spray Bottle

[aussielover]

Is it ok to use a spray bottle to stop undesirable behaviour on a 13 week old pup? I only use water.

I have held out about a month before trying this. I mainly use it for biting/mouthing and occasionally for excessive barking for attention.

I tried other methods: yelping, which worked momentarily, she then immediately resumed I also tried time outs, did not seem to work at all, growling and saying NO which did not work either.

The spray bottle has been highly effective and she now actually listens to when i say no and is much better in public. Before she used to mouth everyone, obviously not desirable, now she doesn't do it a often and when she does a "no" is all it takes to stop her.

Her reaction is to stop immediately what she is doing and then she will go and sulk for a bit and then finally usually just settle down and rest/sleep. Is this ok/normal?

She would only get sprayed a maximum of about 3 times per day, if that.

Now all I have to do is get the bottle and show it to her and she knows.

I've been reading through some of the older threads and a few people have said they wouldn't use it on a baby puppy. I was wondering why people would think this as it is not physically hurting them and IMO is better than people getting really angry and screaming or people constantly saying "no" with no effect.

[W Sibs]

I don't do it... but I know a few people who does it to their pup

I don't do it because Charlie was never a problem, and Emmy will think it's the best game ever. She loves it when water sprays on her face. She's weird.

Her reaction is to stop immediately what she is doing and then she will go and sulk for a bit and then finally usually just settle down and rest/sleep. Is this ok/normal?

This is what Emmy does it when i say 'Quit it'... she will lay down, give me the most saddest look you can imagine, and then take herself to the couch for a nap... it reminds me of a toddler who's overtired and acting up, and they just need to be told go have a nap.

Edited July 8, 2010 by CW EW

[Parkeyre]

spray bottle works untill they decide they like water.

[ellz]

Spray bottle works fine here for cats, dogs AND kids!!

On the rare occasions water isn't enough, a squirt or two of lemon in the water makes a difference!

[Parkeyre]

Spray bottle works fine here for cats, dogs AND kids!!

On the rare occasions water isn't enough, a squirt or two of lemon in the water makes a difference!

Hahhaha. Reminds me of Modern Family on TV.

The little boy gets sprayed in the face for saying the girl can get changed in his room

[Genabee]

I tried it with Genevieve and she tried to catch the water in her mouth!!! So, as you can probably imagine it proved to be useless as a disciplinary tool!

We used to do it with Aurora, our family dog. She would only have to see the bottle, and her little ears would go back and she would run to her basket.

It has to be better than getting frustrated and hitting them, or saying 'No' several times over. If you are at a point where she just sees the bottle and she knows, I think that is great! It is like teaching a child that they have options and to be responsible for their behaviour - they can be well behaved (and generally get some kind of reward somewhere along the line for this), or they can be naughty and there will be consequences. In this case, a wet face!

[Snout Girl]

we used it on both our pups (careful to avoid bert's eyes tho) and it was very effective.

sally loves water (and putting her face in front of a blasting hose) but hates the water bottle.

its weird.

i think its because she knows when the water bottle comes out = she is doing something wrong = we are upset at her.

maybe i am giving her too much credit

[Esky the husky]

I never used it as a tool for stopping bad behaviour.

I used one to keep Esky cool in Summer.

In puppy class the teachers were surprised that Esky didn't react badly when they sprayed her

[ellz]

I truly believe it is the body language and any correction noise you make when you use it.

For example, my dogs are happy to drink from a spray bottle at shows in summer (easier to have a spray bottle at a hot ringside than a water bowl), but if I point it at them and say "ugh" in a correcting tone, they hit the deck.

I only need to produce it at home for the cats to scatter and the kids to sit down and shut up!

And yes, my children have compared me to many things, including Modern Family and the mother off Malcolm in the Middle.

[CBL]

I use it with my three - I usually only have to shake the bottle to make them behave.

Its great for Patch who will sometimes get up on our bed and pretend to be asleep when we tell him to get off. One shake of the bottle and he is up and off like lightning.

[W Sibs]

I never used it as a tool for stopping bad behaviour.

I used one to keep Esky cool in Summer.

In puppy class the teachers were surprised that Esky didn't react badly when they sprayed her

The teacher sprayed her in puppy class? If an instructor did that to my pup.. there would be dramas

[Esky the husky]

That puppy class wasn't very good.

They spent the first 2 weeks doing positive reinforcement, and then week 3 they brought in a guy that was the total opposite.

Cesar Millan x Drill Instructor.

[mokhahouse]

I used a spray bottle on Mokha for biting when he was a little older than this, only ever with water and as a last resort when other things hadnt worked. It only took a couple of sprays and the biting stopped.He is not afraid of spray bottles, in fact will carry one round the house but it did work quickly stop the behaviour then he was rewarded of course for correct behaviour.

Edited July 13, 2010 by mokhahouse

[Guest]

I use it for my 3 month old lab puppy when she chews on the furniture and the camelia tree. I only spray her body though, which seems to work (for now!) It certainly distracts her. I try to be subtle so she doesn't know it's me, but I got another spray bottle the other day and the top fell off and she ran off with it

[sas]

If you use a Spray Bottle you are using a 'Punisher', if you wish to do this instead of re-direction then that is your choice. Remember, if you're going to use a Punisher you MUST give praise the very moment after the Punisher that the dog ceases doing what you didn't want it to do.

The key to using a Spray Bottle is to never let the dog actuall see the spray bottle, you want them to think "where the hell did that come from". If the dog sees the bottle then they learn to only bahave in pressence of the bottle or learn to ignore it.

[lovemesideways]

I think there are much better ways to train a dog than by spraying them in the face with water. Especially with young puppies.

Your dog "shying" away when you show them the bottle, is not something I would be proud of. Its like saying "when I pick up the newspaper and he cowers, he knows he's done something wrong"

Having my dog be afraid of me, is never something I want.

[ellz]

Well, all I can say is that I have been using a spray bottle for correction for years and it seems to work for my household.

Nobody "shies away" from the spray bottle (except for the children) as I've mentioned, the dogs are happy to drink from a spray bottle so it can't be that negative for them.

And as the behaviours that I want to correct seem to stop after a couple of corrections (with the "ugh" noise as well of course), I can't see that I've negated the correction, caused them to behave only in the presence of the spray bottle OR learned to ignore it?

[W Sibs]

I think there are much better ways to train a dog than by spraying them in the face with water. Especially with young puppies.

Your dog "shying" away when you show them the bottle, is not something I would be proud of. Its like saying "when I pick up the newspaper and he cowers, he knows he's done something wrong"

Having my dog be afraid of me, is never something I want.

I agree with this.

[ellz]

I think there are much better ways to train a dog than by spraying them in the face with water. Especially with young puppies.

Your dog "shying" away when you show them the bottle, is not something I would be proud of. Its like saying "when I pick up the newspaper and he cowers, he knows he's done something wrong"

Having my dog be afraid of me, is never something I want.

I agree with this.

Obviously there are ways....and there are ways.

I would certainly think that a spray bottle is a completely different thing to a newspaper!

My dogs are far more likely to drink from the spray bottle and pee on the newspaper than they are to cower away from either!

And adding here for clarification......I am well aware that both a spray bottle and a newspaper can be equally as "harmful" (mentally) if used the wrong way, but I still believe that a dog which has had a squirt from a spray bottle is in a much better place physically than a dog which has had the bejesus beaten out of it with a newspaper!

Edited July 13, 2010 by ellz

[Jetty]

I use a spray bottle with growling... works a for us. Some people don't agree with it but it has been the only way I can control the behaviour. I praise him a lot when he is doing good. Jet loves water but hate being squirted. ETA: I don't spray him in the face, on his body.

Edited July 13, 2010 by ♥JJ