Dogs are making me an angry person

As someone who regularly deals with their mother's shitty dog - honestly, just try to always keep a calm tone and do as much ignoring as you can. Dogs FEED off of reactions. And if they can't provoke you, they do less to get your attention. It also helps your stress level a lot because it trains YOU to stop caring. A lot of advice is pretty specific depending on WHICH 'dog duties' you have.

One big big thing I suggest to everyone - teach the dogs that you will ONLY pet them/ acknowledge them if they sit. It's annoying, because you DO have to give them attention, but they'll run up to you and SIT instead of jumping and rubbing and pawing. You keep an absolutely calm tone at all times, and just ignore them except to say "sit" and point at the ground. When they sit. They get a pet. Don't praise them or use the dumb excited voice or anything, just a disinterested 'good' and a little pat. When they stand, you go back to ignoring them completely. It's one of few trainings that other people can't undermine. Because it's not a "general skill". It's specifically "bootsnblackcats will only pet me if I sit." My mom's piece of shit dog spring boards off of the rest of the family, shoves against them, paws them for attention -- but he sits whenever I look at him. And it makes him 20x more tolerable. Best thing I've done in years.

/r/TalesfromtheDogHouse Thread