Is It Ever OK to Yell at Your Dog?

You may have seen the recent footage of Barnaby Joyce telling his dog to "SIT DOWN" during a live television interview.

My first thought was, "Wow... that was a bit harsh." But I'd only seen a five-second clip, so I watched the full interview. Not because of the politics (which, to be fair, was fairly tortuous!), but because I was curious about what had happened in the lead-up. Once I'd watched the whole interview, I saw the moment very differently.

If you've ever tried to concentrate while your dog barked relentlessly, jumped all over visitors or decided that right now was the perfect time to create chaos, you'll know how quickly frustration can build. We all like to imagine we'd stay calm in every situation, but the reality is that we're human. Sometimes our own stress bucket fills up too.

One of the things I talk about a lot is how a dog's behaviour is influenced by what's happening emotionally beneath the surface. The same is true for us. When we're tired, overwhelmed, embarrassed, under pressure or trying to juggle too many things at once, our ability to respond calmly starts to shrink. That's not an excuse for losing our patience, but it does help explain why it sometimes happens.

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We all respond to stress differently

Just as dogs don't all respond the same way when their stress bucket overflows, neither do we. Some people become short-tempered. Others withdraw, become emotional or simply shut down. Stress doesn't look the same for everyone, but it does change the way we respond.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that only dogs have bad days. We do too. There will be times when we're running late, haven't slept well, had a tough day at work or are simply stretched too thin. Our patience isn't endless, and pretending otherwise doesn't help anyone.

The more aware we become of our own stress signals, the easier it is to recognise when we're approaching our limit with our dogs. That's often the moment when taking a breath, stepping away for a few minutes or changing the environment can make all the difference.

Does that mean yelling is the best way to respond? No. Most of us would probably choose a different approach if we could rewind the clock. But being human means we don't always get it right, and one moment of frustration doesn't define you as a dog owner.

The important part isn't striving to be the perfect dog owner because none of us will ever achieve that. It's noticing when we've reacted in a way we're not proud of and becoming curious about why it happened. Was I overwhelmed? Could I have managed the situation differently? What can I change next time so neither my dog nor I end up feeling that stressed?

Those questions are far more valuable than sitting with guilt or worrying about what other people might think.

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The real lesson isn't about yelling

Rather than debating whether Barnaby was right or wrong, I think there's a much more useful conversation to have. What can we learn from it?

If you know your dog is likely to bark throughout an important phone call, Zoom meeting or television interview, management is your friend. Setting your dog up in another room with something enjoyable to do, using a crate if they're comfortable in one, or simply planning ahead can prevent everyone from reaching the point where emotions boil over.

Good management isn't about avoiding training. It's about recognising that sometimes changing the environment is the kindest and most practical solution for both you and your dog. We often spend so much time thinking about how to change behaviour that we forget we can change the situation instead.

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Final Thoughts

Most of us have had moments we'd love to take back. We've sighed, raised our voice, lost our patience or reacted in a way that doesn't reflect the kind of dog owner we want to be. One moment doesn't define your relationship with your dog, just as one good day doesn't magically solve every behaviour challenge.

What matters is what you do next.

Learn from it, think about what you could do differently next time, and if there's something you can change in the environment to make life easier for both of you, even better. Most importantly, be kind to your dog, but be kind to yourself as well.

Understanding behaviour isn't just about understanding our dogs. Sometimes it's about understanding ourselves too.

Thanks for reading, and as always, throw your dog a treat from us! 🐾

Deb & the Busy Pawz Crew xo