Dog Walker hits dog in her care

[Barbra2012]

This morning in Belair Park I witnessed a woman smacking a dog and yell ‘shut up’ at other dogs in her group. The dog she hit was a German Shepard.

I would not want her walking my dog.

Edited 2 hours ago by Barbra2012

[Angelina]

Thank you for sharing that. I hope this reaches the owners.

Hitting a dog has far reaching impacts - mood, trust, aggression etc 

Goodness knows how often she does that

 

 

[TWB Cat Sitter]

Thank you for not turning a blind eye & calling this out. No dog should ever be handled this way & it's extremely troubling to hear that this is happening in a public park, because if they feel so comfortable mistreating animals where they are on full display, who knows what they are capable of behind closed doors.
 

Any form of physical punishment or intimidation is not only cruel but also counterproductive when working with animals, as it'll only increase fear & reactivity rather than build any trust. A professional dog walker or pet sitter will always use positive reinforcement & fear-free techniques, especially when responsible for a group of dogs. For this reason, I would always advise guardians to check that their dog walkers & cat sitters are qualified & insured.
 

This person clearly has no idea what they are doing, & I hope they can be identified to prevent this from happening again.

 

 

[Azalea]

Thanks for posting. The two dogs pictured look like a Malinois and a Pointer. Hope someone recognises them and her.  

[Barbra2012]

The dog being hit was a German Shepard. All the dog did was bark. She yanked the dog’s lead then hit it. Terrible.