Throughout the day, those people who share their life with a dog may hear a series of phrases that, although they are often said with good intentions, there are others that can cause quite a surprise and even harm. And the fact is that so many things have been said about man's best friend that it is often difficult to know what to believe.
In the media, in the dog park, even our own family and friends often advise us on how to educate our friend. But is it a good idea to listen to them? Let's see the 6 myths about the most common dogs.
It is good for bitches to have puppies
This is completely untrue. Bitches, unlike women, they do not have a maternal instinct that you read drives them to be mothers. They simply live in the present. If they do not have puppies, then they will not worry about having them, but if they do, they will take care of them with a lot of love.
It is highly recommended to castrate them before the first heat, as this prevents the appearance of mammary tumors, and contributes to reducing the super-population of dogs.
You have to punish the dog if he does something wrong
More than punishing, you have to educate. It is common to hear from people (and even see them do) that if a dog misbehaves it must be laid on the ground in a submission position. But this is an error that stems from the belief that the Alpha wolf knocks the rival face up, a belief that, curiously, caused that the creator himself would regret having said it.
If your dog misbehaves, you have to teach him to do things right, with prizes (sweets, caresses, toys), and not forcing him to submit, because otherwise the only thing you will get is that he is afraid of you.
The dog that rides others is dominant
It doesn't have to. Even the most social dogs can ride others, but not to show that they are more than them, but simply to relieve stress or as part of peer play.
If the dog pulls on the leash, put a spiked collar on him
Spike or choke collars are reputed to be one of the best tools to prevent the dog from pulling on the leash, especially when walking through crowded places. But they actually hurt him a lot. The constant rubbing of the skewers causes injuries, the pressure exerted alters the blood supply and makes it difficult for the animal to breathe normally, and can even cause contractures and thyroid problems.
To take a dog for a walk there's nothing like a harness, leash, and doggie treats. You may think that the harness is only for sled dogs, but it is not true. Today you can find several types that will prevent the animal from pulling, and without doing any harm such as the sense-ible or the halti (the one that hooks on the chest).
Dogs cannot eat raw meat
This is false. You have to think that feed was created during World War II. Before that, they ate precisely the leftovers, raw meat, and what they found to survive. For that reason, it will always be much better for him to give him natural food (if we don't want to give it raw, we boil it a little) I think. And if we choose to give you the latter, we must read the ingredient label and make sure they do not contain grains (oats, wheat, corn, etc.) since they don't need it.
Bitches get fat after neutering
This has some truth. After castration, the metabolism changes and during the first weeks it can put on weight. Even so, this should not happen if you exercise daily and eat only the amount you need.
As we can see, there are several myths that are heard practically every day in ... almost anywhere. The truth is that only we know our dog well and we know how it can react to different situations.