We’ve all been there. We all know how hard it is to resist. You don’t want to give your dog that extra treat, or the remnants of your snack, but then they look up at you. With a just one look, those innocent eyes pull you. You are putty in their hands and you simply have to give in.
But as cute as your pooch may be, you need to restrain yourself. That leash may me more suited to you than the dog if you can’t.
In all honesty, it’s actually quite alarming to see how many people give into the “puppy dog eyes”. This can be seen in the below infographic by Tails, which outlines that 49% of people relent as those as those big peepers are flashed in their direction. Here are the IDEAL reasons why you shouldn’t.
First of all, giving your dog too many treats can lead to health problems. You may not think that one extra treat here and there amounts to much, but if you’re doing it every day, the calories are going to add up, and with it, the kilograms. You should be cautious of how many calories your dog is allowed to eat every day. If you stop giving into them every time they give you “the look”, you’ll be doing the right thing in preventing canine obesity.
Secondly, pooches should primarily be rewarded with a treat only when they’ve behaved well. If they know the treat comes when they follow your commands, they have an incentive to follow that behaviour. This is known as positive reinforcement and is essential in maintaining good behaviour in dogs. However, if you give them treats for any occasion, they have no reason to listen to you, and behavioural conditioning goes out of the window faster than your dog after a tennis ball in the park.
Thirdly, eye contact with dogs is so important; crucial in understanding their feelings and mood, and vital in calming encouraging and defeating shyness, equally. If eye-contact becomes your dog’s tool of manipulating you, those ‘puppy dog’ eyes may start masking more significant health and well-being signals which you should be on the lookout for.
So, try to avoid those puppy dog eyes and only reward your dog when they deserve it.
