Your best mate sees the world very differently to the way you see it. A dog sees more, smells more, hears more, and senses things differently to the way you do. You need some understanding of dog behavior, so here's some tips.
1. Everyone wants to pat a dog on the head, but to a dog a pat on the head is a sign of dominance. Stroke his back or chest instead as a sign of affection.
2. All Dog Breeds are acutely more aware of body language than voice. It is the reason why dogs respond readily to hand signals. So improve the way you communicate with your dog by using sensible body language, accompanied by hand signals. An example of this is: standing over your dog and looking straight down at it is interpreted as a threat. Instead, drop down on your haunches and spread your arms. Reinforce this with "Come" and the dog will readily respond to "come".
3. Dogs are pack animals and they talk in growls, nips, bites, and movement. You need to do the same. If you dog does something wrong, growl at it, then say "No". Growling is natural for a dog and they understand it far better than "No you don't you naughty little boy, mummy said.....". If you don't want to growl, use their name with a different pitch, 'Sammmyyy' spoken in a deep tone conveys the same message.
"No' is a powerful word, do NOT use it incorrectly, use it ONLY when your dog is doing something wrong.
4. Dogs have acute hearing and we can use this to our advantage. Think droving dogs and cattle or shepherds or sheep. These dogs are controlled by a series of whistles and we can use the dog's hearing to our advantage too. This is one reason why Clicker Training is so successful. Clicker Training is simple, click the clicker and give your dog a treat when it does the right thing and eventually the dog will come to regard the clicker sound as a positive thing.
5. A dog is not a child, a dog is a dog and you can't use reason with them. They simply do not understand it. In your relationship with your dog, forget about consensus and democracy but you don't need to be a dictator. Be a natural leader and always be consistent. Your dog will actually appreciate it when you are consistent and never underestimate your dog's ability to see inconsistencies and to work on them.
In all the ways you control your dog consistency is the most important. They need to know the rules, what is allowed and what is not. Think about yourself, as we age the need for consistency becomes greater – we hate change and are less inclined to accept changes. Dogs are the same, so set the rules and stand by them.
6. Some people can think in shades of grey but to a dog everything is in black and white. Rewards (Black) and discipline (White). Sometimes dogs can be ill-behaved and need discipline and a reprimand. Even after a reprimand you need to calm down and go back to the dog and do something positive. It earns respect and friendship.
Rewards can be anything, but may not be what we think of as a reward – a piece of chocolate for instance. A reward to a dog could be a liver treat, small biscuit or just a piece of kibble. Basically it’s the symbolic gesture that they appreciate. Enhance their experience with soothing words, a touch, a loved toy. Eventually they learn to appreciate that “Good girl” or “Good boy” are rewards on their own.
Further articles on Dog Breeds, Dog Health, Dog Training are available at Woofahs - All Things Pets
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