Hoaxes on dogs, in parks and nets

In the parks , there are always people willing to give advice on canine education and behavior, in good faith, but often unfounded. Another means of spreading hoaxes, myths or lies, are social networks, where the lack of scruples and lucrative objectives are at ease. Take good note!

Dismantling 6 frequent hoaxes

For the sake of your dog, and your own, today we are going to try to dismantle a few lies that, through “ radio” or “ networks ” spread like wildfire , taking advantage of the trust or ignorance of many people.

1. If your dog rides other dogs, it is dominant:
   False. The ride is not necessarily signal domain. Often the dogs do to release ester or simply as part of the game peer with other dogs.
2. Faced with bad behavior, the dog should be punished, laying it down on the ground and in a submission position:
   False. A dog should not be punished by laying it on the ground. This is a myth as popular as it is wrong. Known in English as “roll over” or “dominates” in Spanish, it is neither founded nor effective. It is about forcing the dog to lie down and leave the abdomen exposed.
   This tactic has its origin in the belief that the Alpha wolf would knock down the opponent he wanted to subdue face up. But, curiously, it was the most submissive wolves themselves who voluntarily displayed this unprotected belly position. This post from the ethologist Alba Benítez explains it in depth: “Why shouldn’t a dog be punished by laying it on the ground”.
3. For their health, females should have puppies at least once:
   False. It is neither good nor beneficial for dogs, for a number of reasons: it increases overcrowding and the dropout rate. Precisely, experts advise sterilizing females as a preventive measure for mammary tumors.
   In addition, the not give birth or have a litter, no negative impact on the health of the dog. They do not have a maternal instinct that drives them to be mothers . Of course, when they have them, they take care of them with great love and dedication.
4. The spike or choke collar is the best remedy to prevent the dog from pulling on the leash:
   False. Although many owners and certain trainers are in favor, arguing that they are effective, especially in cases of dogs with great weight, and when walking through crowded places, the ethologist assures us that they are not recommended, since they are not he manages to educate the dog and, on the other hand, he is exposed to multiple risks : excessive pressure on the neck, which can lead to pain; contractures, bruises; impaired blood flow; respiratory insufficiency; and even thyroid problems.
   It is drawer that this is not a pleasant method to get our dogs to walk without hitting the leash. The alternative is a good training and a suitable harness for each dog.
5. Throwing the ball is the best way to tire our dog:
   False, if it is in excess . If we want our furry to exercise and get tired, we can already begin to banish the idea that the ball is the best of the means to achieve it.
   Although, first we should ask ourselves if, in reality, what we want is to tire the furry, without exhausting ourselves too personally. It turns out that the fact of throwing the ball over and over again to our dog, to pick it up and return it to us, makes the dog physically exhausted, but mentally activated . And this is where we are rolling it.
   When the activity includes some training exercises or mental games , such as smell, the dog becomes physically tired and relaxes his mind . In these games , the dog searches for hidden prizes ; experiment with your nose, have fun and burn energy.
   As everything has a middle ground, if you love to throw the ball to your dog, the ideal would be to combine a few throws with long walks and various interactive games for physical and mental development.
6. Dogs love to be stroked:
   False, if it is at all hours and by anyone : there are small children who touch all the dogs they come across, but this is a custom that, without due precaution, can involve more than one incident .
   You just have to bear in mind that, if you don’t know a dog, you shouldn’t touch it , since it may be that, due to fear or lack of socialization, it shuns the hugs of strangers. Rule number one to avoid upset is very simple: you always have to ask humans if your dog can be touched.

Beware of the lies that navigate through social networks!

The computer hoaxes circulate through the networks at lightning speed and are replicated in a chain by the unsuspecting receivers, who believe at once a request designed to penetrate the hearts of many people. In this sense, we see countless falsehoods around dogs.

If they tell you, for example, about the existence of a litter of puppies that are going to be euthanized , and they encourage you to forward the message or call such a phone number, to avoid it, start to tremble, because what is behind of the request is outright scam or the capture of more addresses to send malicious and interested messages on a large scale.

These are some of the clues you can follow to recognize the hoaxes that circulate on cybernetic highways:

• They are usually anonymous.
• No publication date.
• Drafted in a timeless way.
• Written with a strong morbid or monetary hook.

The underlying intention is manipulation, in order to obtain personal and banking data, with which to benefit. On the networks, twitters from the Civil Guard tend to swarm about some of these deceptions, which say something like: Do not help spread hoaxes, they will not sacrifice any Dalmatian, do not call such a person …

Finally, to To protect ourselves against any hoax, it is best to consult our doubts with the veterinarian and other experts in the field.