Is “pushing” your dog intrusive and aggressive or affectionate and bonding? There is a training method known as “pushing” a dog. This method is used by trainers who also believe that playing “tug-of-war” and letting your dog win helps to strengthen the bond between canine and humans. Both methods allegedly make your dog happy and more attracted to you.
If you have read my articles mentioning “tug-of-war,” you already know that I disagree and strongly believe that it increases your dog’s impulse to bite, nip, grab, and run without letting go or dropping when asked to.
Engaging in these types of dog-to-dog events will also validate the aforementioned negative behavior. Activities that dogs enjoy with each other are not typically successful or appropriate when the interaction is between a dog and a human. Depending on the size and strength of the dog, some intrusive and evoking behaviors initiated by a human can become over-reactive and dangerous.
As for pushing, yes, pushing a dog will result in the dog coming back at you. I don’t consider that to be a sign of affection. If a dog is jumping on or at you and you push him, he will come back at you immediately.
Jumping is the unacceptable part to start with, so why increase and validate that behavior? If a dog is mouthing you while jumping, that will escalate to nipping/biting.
On many occasions, I have witnessed pet parents sitting at a table while their dog jumps on them and mouths them. The pet parent gets frustrated and annoyed and pushes the dog to get it off them. In return, the dog jumps and mouths again immediately, without any hesitation or impulse control. How can this be a good thing to do? What could you possibly be teaching your dog?
If you believe pushing your dog away will cause him to come back with “love and affection,” then aren’t you giving the dog mixed signals when you push him away from the table while you are eating and don’t want him to bother you? Aren’t you and your dog better served by teaching him appropriate and acceptable social skills and manners?
Emotions are contagious, and behaviors are mimicked independently of whether the scenario involves two humans or a human and a dog. In other posts, I discuss how pulling results in pulling back. Why would pushing not follow the same pattern and result in pushing back? Can you visualize this if two humans were pushing each other in turn?
