Should I say "bad dog" when my dog does something she's not supposed to? She's old now, so it would be difficult to change words for either of the dogs. I wish I had picked something like "toasted cheeseballs" in a deep voice with a frown to accompany it, but I wasn't that aware of my dog language eleven years ago. I just used words from the puppy classes. My female dog already knows she's done something she's not supposed to do, like eating poop, and she doesn't really give a rip, so we're not talking devastation or soul crushing here. She is quite intelligent, she just is going to get away with whatever she can. The male dog has an interesting moral compass. He sneaks and does things (like eating my bookmark or mail, stealing socks or licking plates in the sink) only when no one is looking. I can't catch him in the act, therefore it never happened. So he seldom gets the "bad dog" hairy eyeball treatment, due to short term memory issues.
But are they being "bad"? Not really. There are being quintesential labradors. I want them to overcome all their instincts and behave to please me. But I'm not the alpha dog for the male, the female is. And the female cares, but only up to a point. She figures she'll snuggle up while I'm reading and all is forgiven. Which is true. She tolerates children for my sake and behaves well around them. She knows that is non-negotiable. They both behave at the vets. But other things...well, they let things slide.
Okay, next time I'll try using their names in a dark, threatening way, without the labeling. Let's see if I can break my habit. It won't change the dogs' behavior, but I'll feel less guilty about the good/bad thing, which is false to my beliefs.
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