My hooman has suddenly started exploring something called TikTok. I’m still trying to understand what it is all about. Thanks to my hooman I know Instagram and Facebook because she clicks one too many photos and videos of me and apologetically says “its for social media.” But recently she was upset with some trends on TikTok, she told me about it on our morning walk. So, I decided to do this awareness piece to tell you folks: don’t bark at your dog. Even if it’s a trending on social media don’t bark at your dog, I repeat.
You will ask why…
From what I understand there are some silly trends going on. Humans have to bark at their dogs, suddenly shout or look startled as if something scared them to record their pooches’ reactions. While these things may seem harmless, in most cases it might stress your dogs. An otherwise calm dog might feel uncomfortable and react. So, don’t bark at your dog because its not funny for them.
Read more O’pawnion pieces here
Be aware of the problems
The issue with such videos is that they come across as silly but are actually quite problematic. Such sudden and unexpected behaviours by humans often cause discomfort, confusion and fear in dogs. While every dog will react differently depending on their temperament and mood, it’s not something that they would enjoy. Some might try to walk away, display whale eyes (eyes wide open, stiff body and facial features), lick their lips or even show their teeth which are all signs of stress. And some might snap and lunge and then it won’t be pleasant anymore.
Create dog-friendly videos instead
Doing things to startle your dog might get you a reaction for a video clip but it might erode their trust in you. So, think of ways to create nicer videos which will be fun for your dogs too. There are so many ways to create dog-friendly videos. You can check the PawzNRead TikTok account and Instagram Reels for ideas [this is called subtle promotion].
Our Paw-in-Chief Mr. Popo contributes Opawnion pieces for PawzNRead website.
