As humans we often have a tendency to talk to much. When it comes to our dogs, for the most part they stop listening to us. They get either confused or tuned us out.
We have to remember that dogs are non verbal communicators. They talk with their body and their language is made of very subtle body movements and facial expressions.
If you observe a group of dogs, often it looks like nothing is going on. In fact a lot is going on but we do not see and understand half of it.
To our dogs on the other end, nothing escape. Master observers, they read every subtle change in our facial expression, breathing and of course body movement.
- If your dog sleeps in your bedroom, you might wonder how he knows that you are awake. When you wake up your breathing change and that is a clue for him.
- If you are stressed, your facial expression and breathing change. Your dog will notice that too.
- Anxiety reflects in your body. You get tense, your voice might be less assertive, you walk less confident and your dog picks up on all of that.
According to Dr Stanley Coren, a dog can understand up to 250 words. So if you are having trouble training your dog to listen to you …
Do not
- Speak louder and louder
- Keep repeating the same thing over and over
- Talk a lot
- Make big erratic movement
If you watch a dog trainer working with dogs or an animal handler notice how calm they are regardless of the situation. Now I know it is not always easy. But calmness and combined with confidence are two important skills to master when training your dog or dealing with dogs.
Here is what you can do Instead
- Take a deep breathe and relax your body posture and facial expression – Nothing gets accomplish when someone is stressed
- Keep your voice low and calm – it will help your dog stay calm and more focused
- Become aware of your body posture – this is the language your dog understand. For example calling your dog with hands on each side of your hip and an angry voice is not going to make him come faster
- Use one word for one command and use it consistently.
- Be patient with your dog
Remember that dog training is a team effort. You and your dog. Your dog understand body language more than verbal language. So when you can communicate with him on that level, you will start seeing progress and you will move forward with your training.
If you are interested in getting to know your dog better and is looking for solutions to transform your dog’s behaviors and have a well behave dog, I highly recommend you have a look at our “Dog training Guide for Humans”
With this course you will
- Learn to understand your best friend and get better result with your training.
- Meet weekly with natural dog care experts and dog training experts in virtual conference room and have your questions answered live
- Get one on one support and coaching
- Receive exclusive training videos weekly
Tags: dog training tips
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