My ferocious temper

For those of you that truly know me, and there are very few, you will know that I have had the most brutal temper-tantrums when become angry. Honestly, its so bad I had to go to the doctor about it, because my parents were so worried, but the source has yet to be discovered- perhaps it's just a combination of teenage hormones and an irritating family (although I feel the family part holds most of the blame!)

Although I can control myself now, when I used to get angry I would shout at anythin
g nearby, which was often the dogs. Looking back, I feel terrible for them, but at the time I know it felt like it was out of my control.
Despite having shouted at them, the dogs would always come back to me and with wagging tails and smily faces, eventually calm me down. That was the worst part, because I would shout at them, yet they would always forgive me. I used to say to Hazel 'If I shout at you, bite me, because I will deserve it', but because of her beautiful nature (and arguably her inability to understand the human language), she never would, she never showed the slightest form of aggression towards me.

Even now, if I ever become stressed and horrible to be around, when anyone else would want to be miles away, I know that Hazel and Bramble will be next to me. That's a dog's nature, they forgive and try to help.

So I ever say that it's wrong to shout at your dogs, know that this is from my own experiences. If they've eaten your socks or had an accident in the house, it doesn't help. I have found that not only are my dogs more happy to learn new tricks, they also learn faster now that I can control my temper. To train a dog you need to understand them, to understand a dog you need to show them compassion and kindness.

If you ever feel like your dog is stressing you out too much, remove yourself from the situation; shout at a wall or punch the curtains, but don't take it out on your dog. They love you so much, and always will whether you shout at them or not- but they will never deserve anything less than your unconditional love.