All the stories and articles we’ve covered so far depict some ideal relationships between the dog and his owner, but, in reality, slip-ups do happen.
Sometimes the stars align in the worst of ways and all it takes is a single moment of weakness to do something that you’re going to regret like yell at your GSD for a minor misstep.
But, will your Sheppie forgive you?
The answer is most likely “no”, but that’s not a bad thing. For, you see, German Shepherds, and all dogs for that matter, don’t have the capacity to forgive.
They operate more in the “now” than anything else, and if you start praising him later down the line, your German Shepherd will go back to his happy self in no time.
While they do possess some level of empathy, they’re simply creatures of habit and will try to avoid provoking the same scenario again.
Depending on the dog breed, some will get aggressive too, though German Shepherds will only do that if you have a history of violence with them.
If you’re a stranger and do it, sure, they’ll go full aggro on you, but they protect their families, so aggression isn’t on the table there.
Can Dogs Even Forgive At All?
As I’ve already stated, not really. It works a little bit differently for them.
They can understand your emotional state so they can discern when you’re angry at them and when you’re happy to see them.
Don’t worry though, your German Shepherd won’t hold a grudge against you or anything, just make sure that your outburst of anger isn’t a constant thing and work on it.
Slipping up once or twice in a while is completely understandable and it happens to the best of us, try not to eat yourself up over it.
However, don’t let it become a nasty habit that you can’t shake because your dog will take that into consideration and may turn aggressive toward you.
On top of that, if you can’t control your aggression, then getting a dog may not have been the best choice since it shows you can’t handle one.
Is Hitting Your Dog Ever Okay?
Unless he’s attacking another dog or human, no, it’s never okay to raise a dog on violence, not even GSD’s who are branded as military and police dogs, among others.
There are plenty of other, more efficient raising and training methods which don’t involve potential physical harm and mental trauma to the pooch.
Positive reinforcement, to name one, is one of the most efficient training methods for dogs out there, German Shepherds included.
It’s one that manages not to spoil the dog for doing good, but also avoids violence and colorful language when he fails to perform.
It plays on that habitual part of the dog to build the desired behavior up as a habit rather than a forced command.
Set Yourself Up As A Leader, Not A Tyrant
The best way of avoiding violent behavior on both sides is to put yourself as the Alpha of the household, or a leader.
Lead by example by being consistent in the way you act and your GSD is sure to follow.
If he sees you do the things you do on a daily basis consistently, then his behavior is sure to follow the same pattern with minimal chance of doing something bad.
Choose discipline and love over violence, no matter how bad your day may be, and you’ll see improvements with your pooch in no time at all.
If you really need to vent your anger, find a different outlet than another living being.
He’s your good boi after all and he doesn’t deserve that over something that may have happened to you throughout the day.
In Conclusion
So, will your German Shepherd forgive you for hitting him? No, he won’t, though not because he doesn’t want to, but because he doesn’t have the capacity to forgive in the first place.
He’ll treat you how you treat him. So, if you’re feeling remorseful about your slip-up and strive to make amends, he’ll notice that and he’ll be his cheery self again.
However, that won’t work if such outbursts become commonplace, so strive to root them out as best you can and put your own frustrations under control or find a way to expel them in a healthy way.
Your Sheppie will thank you for it.
Until next time, pet parents.
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