Friend hit her dog

[aureliala]

My friend is a big dog lover and works as a behaviouralist/trainer. We were out walking and her dog pulled when we were near some water. She’s a big dog and my friend ended up falling whilst trying to pull her back. When she stood up she hit the dog multiple times. Not hard but enough to make the dog cower 😔

I’ve never had a dog and I understand that the dog needs to learn not to pull. But to hit her? This isn’t ok, surely?

Look people are different. And culturally different things are seen as normal. I was beaten up as I was growing up by both my parents and teachers. It was the normal thing. Obviously it's wrong now but maybe what she thinks as a bit of a 'correction' is not what you think is a normal correction.

To give you an example, my partners parents use a slip lead on their dog and when she pulls hard they jerk back real hard to stop her. If I did that in the middle of London (where I live no one's dog is on a slip lead to begin with) I would have had 10 people starring at me and probably one calling RSPCA on me.

The sound of dog cower is very painful. It hurts me to hear it. But for example my dog start cowering before another dog (bigger than him) even get closer to him in anticipation of pain. And he's never been bitten by another dog before.

I would agree with others that it’s worth making sure others know. They’re trusting her with their own dogs, not knowing that she physically abused dogs - who knows what impact it may have. She could literally ruin someone’s family pet by instilling fear of being attacked in them.

Definitely spread the word. People talk. Horrible woman.

What has this go to do with anything? Presumably the friend is not from whatever culture it’s appropriate to hit your dog multiple times in. She is a dog trainer. She advertises as a dog trainer. She is presumably educated in the best ways to teach and train dogs, and therefore knows she should not attack them.

And as for dogs ‘naturally’ cowering even if they haven’t been hurt - even if that was true it’s irrelevant here. This dog was cowering because she had hit it multiple times.

Also, for what it’s worth, beating up kids isn’t ‘wrong now.’ It’s always been wrong. It’s not a cultural difference or ‘oh it was ok.’ There was no time in recent history where parents and teachers ‘beating up’ kids was seen as the ‘normal thing.’

That’s not normal dog-owner behaviour AT ALL.

Honestly I would report her to the RSPCA, she should not be allowed to work with dogs.

This …I wouldn’t let this go . What does she do to poor dog in private?!

you are wrong. It was normal when I grew up where I grew up. Expand your limited views

Is your friend okay? You’ve said it’s out of character for her, she apologised so knows it was upsetting but did it anyway.
I would message her saying “I was really upset by how horrible you were to Rover, and it concerns me as I have always thought of you as a dog lover. This really isn’t how to treat a pet of any kind and you know this, so I’m concerned something isn’t right with you. Is everything okay? I would hate to think poor Rover was being treated like this, you know this isn’t right.”

See what she says. If she justifies it, and is actually a dog trainer then I’d report her to the RSPCA.

@MissLucyLiu youre misunderstanding the word ‘cower’. It means to crouch down in fear.

She is a DOG trainer. And she hit her dog.. wow. If i had seen my friend hit a dog i would have told them off immediately.

Is she registered with any organisation if she's a trainer/behaviourist? Report to them.

I've a feeling you don't want to lose this friendship, but it won't be the only time she's done this so report won't necessarily obviously be from you.

No, that's horrible. I can understand shoving a muzzle away from somewhere it shouldn't be going, or dragging a dog away by collar/harness etc but not this.

Please, please report her for the sake of that poor dog and personally I’d cut contact - she’s not worth having as a friend.

Report her. And make sure her clients know how she treats dogs. She shouldn't be allowed near an animal let alone own one or train them.

She hit the dog on 2 different occasions in front of you? God knows what happens to it behind closed doors then. What a disgusting excuse for a human being. My dog can be a right scamp at times but I'd rather gouge out my eyes with a blunt teaspoon than ever hit him.

Another layer of horror to this is that she is a dog behaviouirst and therapist! Is this what she teaches clients? So, she's fraud as well as a cunt as she doesn't actually know how to treat dogs without violence.

Just because you grew up in a country where abuse towards animals and children is accepted don't try to make us believe it's acceptable. It's backwards, vile and fucking disgusting. You should be ashamed of your culture in this regard, not trying to convince us it's normal and acceptable.

MissLucyLiu

“you are wrong. It was normal when I grew up where I grew up. Expand your limited views”

No, you are wrong. Any culture that relies on beatings for control is primitive.

Hitting a dog is awful and as a behaviourist even worse .

She sounds like a shit behaviourist.

This must have been awful to witness.

As someone who has rescued multiple dogs this is really upsetting to read. The dogs I have rescued have been abused in major ways and their previous treatment has included them being hit with various objects. As a result one of my dogs cowers and yelps everytime I put his lead on. I have had him 4 years! I am patient and kind and would NEVER hit him as this causes such mental damage to a dog. My dog is proof of this all these years later.

Alarmingly, your friend is a dog trainer?! Dogs are not being obedient for the right reasons here. They are complying because they are fearful and that makes me really sad.

I would have to say something. It would be more than enough for me to end the friendship. Someone who cannot be kind to animals is not someone worth any of my time.

Report to RSPCA and cut ties with her.

And she's a dog trainer...??!! WTF
Tell her her behavior is NOT ok and she shouldn't be in that line of work.
And second what other people say, what is she doing behind closed doors if she's happy to hit a dog in front of you.
She's NOT a dog lover.

Oh don't worry I completely agree with you in terms of how wrong that is. But it doesn't change the fact it was normal. Things move on for the better.

All I am saying is that maybe she's from an older generation and she doesn't get it. But by all means she should be told off.

Just because you may think it was normal doesn't mean it wasn't wrong. My mum was beaten as a child in the 50s, it wasn't uncommon but she still knew it was wrong and 40+ years ago she knee not to do it to us. The previous posters views aren't limited, yours are TBH.

There are lots of dog trainers out there who uses slip leads and other negative training methods and as much as I disagree with their methods none of them suggest hitting the dog. Hitting a dog has never been normal FFS.

And as for 12% of people on here saying YABU, seriously??!!