What are dogs myths that just will not die?

[IngGenius]

What dog myths are you told that are a load of rubbish:

Can not teach an old dog new tricks

Picking up a dog when it is frightened makes it more anxious

My dog peed on the floor to annoy me

Small dog syndrome

My dog looked quilty - he knew he had done wrong

Alpha dog / pack theory

@Bingandbang cant believe that alpha just will not die!

You cant mix kibble and raw feeding

I have treated my dog enough so dont need to use treats anymore.

Terriers are impossible to train

Mine doesn’t need rewards

He’s stubborn (ARGHHHHHHHH!)

Colllies train themselves

He doesn’t see the point (well no, not if you refuse to motivate him)

Using treats as rewards means your dog isn't trained properly.
Dominance/pack theory.
The idea that you can't teach recall without letting the dog off the lead.

You shouldn’t comfort a dog as it reinforces the fear

Hes wagging his tail so he must be happy

(I’m not going to be able to stop now 😂)

He is smiling at me. Really? Are you sure?

That owners are always the cause of their dogs separation anxiety.
That all dogs can be trained in exactly the same way.
That breed traits don't matter/exist.

It's not the dogs fault [insert appropriate like aggressive] It's the owner!
A cross breed is healthier than a pure breed.

Labs make good family pets- they don’t tell you about the first year of puppy training and puppy blues

Working dogs need a firm hand

Collies are easy to train

'Ooooh he won't hurt you!'

"It's okay, he's friendly!"

Taking away a dogs food bowl stops resource guarding (do not do this ever)

These are making me laugh and be sad all at the same time!

People who insist their dog is happy with a certain situation just because it's not growling/snarling/snapping/biting.

Waving your finger in puppy’s face and saying ‘no biting’ stops them biting (you can thank my MIL for that one and guess what happened next 🤣🤣🤣)

If you let them play with toys it encourages them to kill things (very sadly someone I know whose dog is denied any form of enrichment)

Oh yes playing tuggy will make the dogs aggressive or hard mouthed

If you aren't middle aged with no children/adult children, living in a detached house with a big garden on a quiet street, with no main roads near by, and if you don't have access to varied walking terrain or the ability to do 2 x 10 mile walks a day, then you're not cut out for being a dog owner.
Creative license has been applied there but those sort of owner posts have me rolling my eyes.

That standing in the park ineffectively having a restorative conversation with Fido is an effective form of training. That's naughty Fido fluffykins. We don't try to take ice cream from the little boy. Do we?

or their tail is wagging they are fine......

That negative behaviour must have a single cause and the cause is the same for all dogs with that behaviour.

Behaviour is complex and multifactoral and all dogs are individuals. The causes are often varied and multiple and differ between dogs.

That Newfoundlands are calm, lazy dogs.

Mine is certainly not calm, and they're a working breed so thrive on appropriate exercise and having a job.

That all dogs of the same breed can be trained and treated in exactly the same way and you'll get exactly the same outcome.

Definitely this! We have a working Labrador and she spends most of her time asleep! And in the morning when we go for a walk she often isn’t out of bed yet and I have to call up to her to come downstairs to put her lead on! She’s the most laid back lazy dog we’ve ever had!

It was an accidental mating

Dont blame the breed blame the owner (even after all we have seen with xl bullies)

My Frenchie/pug is so cute when he snores