19/10/2025
Having seen so many posts giving advice to pet parents/ dog owners/ dog guardians, etc, I felt it only right to share this very well written and informative post to these groups. There are other groups I'm a member of as an individual and not a business, and I'll share it to those to.
No one gives bad advice on purpose. People want to help. If you've been through the same thing, you genuinely believe your experience and insight would be useful.
Maybe you are right, maybe you can help; but do you think, what if you’re wrong? What if you gave, outdated, misinformed, incorrect, or incomplete information. What if you gave bad and even potentially harmful advice?
Do you ever stop and think what the consequences could be from that?
I'm a Dobermann owner, lover of this beautiful breed and a Certified Dog Trainer; and the amount of advice I see from dog owners and even worse, other pet professionals, that is not just wrong, it's unkind, it's unethical, it's harmful, it's painful, it will cause future anxiety, fear and potentially serious behavioural problems, now that is extremely dangerous for everyone involved, but especially the dog, as they are always the ones who suffer.
If you're a dog owner, empathise with each other and be supportive. If you're a pet professional, please make sure before you give your ten pence worth, your education and knowledge is up to date; and that you are not promoting punishment based training methods.
I've seen Dobermann owners, who don't get me wrong, love the breed and their dogs very much; but see nothing wrong with holding a dogs tongue to stop it barking, squirting it with water if it walks in front of them, yanks on the slip lead to stop it from pulling, or rubbing its nose in urine if it had an accident on the carpet. I could literally go on and on.
If you used an unorthodox approach or an old school training technique and it worked, you think that's amazing. If it worked with your dog, it doesn't mean it would work with any other dog. Each dog is different, they learn differently, they're unique, are individuals like us and their relationship with their owners is completely different to yours. All of that is true, even if you are giving kind and helpful advice; but what if it's not. What if the dog has behavioural issues caused by pain or underlying health conditions that have not been diagnosed, and your advice causes the dog to react or even worse, bite. What then? Would you feel helpful then?
I came across a post in a public group today that really boggled my mind.
It was a vague question, no real context, no background, and yet ten people had already jumped in with advice. Not one had asked for more information.
It reminded me of how often I see this happen with posts about dogs. Someone shares a concern, often about a serious behavioural issue, and before you know it, the comments fill up with random advice.
I get that it often comes from a good place, people genuinely wanting to help. But sometimes, it’s less about helping and more about the urge to say something.
The problem is, this “hit and run” advice can have real consequences. It’s not like someone recommending a movie, you watch it, think it’s rubbish, and turn it off.
We’re talking about lives here. Dogs who are often already struggling, which is why their humans turn to social media for help in the first place.
What if the advice someone gives, without knowing the dog’s history, triggers, or environment, leads to a bite, and ultimately euthanasia?
Sadly, it happens more than people realise. Advice given with no context, followed by someone desperate to fix a problem, can end in tragedy.
And who ultimately suffers?
The dog.
If your dog needs help with an element of theor behaviour, please speak to the right reputable professional.
If you see a post on social media asking for quick fixes or magic wand bits of advice, the best advice most people can normally give is to speak to a reputable professional.
If you truly want to help dogs, then we need to ensure they get ethical and reputable suppprt.
