How To "Speak Dog"?
We often find ourselves communicating with our dogs through the only way we know how: by talking to them.
If our dog pulls on the leash, we say “hey, stop pulling!”; when our dog suddenly picks up a dirt-covered piece of food on the street, we say “stop that, give it to me!”; and when our dog jumps up on our neighbor in the elevator, we say, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, sit!”
Some, for good measure, accompany these commands by jerking and coercing their dog to get their point across.
And while these actions may sometimes reduce the behaviors, at least in the short term, the fact is it won’t teach your dog what to do instead, and, more often than not, leaves your dog scared, anxious and confused.
To their credit, many dog owners are not proud of the way they may sometimes talk to and treat their dog. Many of them are just doing the absolute best they can, in the circumstances that they find themselves in, with the limited tools available to them, and I empathize with them a lot.
The reality, though, is that dogs do not understand what we’re saying, nor the reasons for our frustration.
And this matters because a lot of dog owners can get frustrated and take it personally when their dog doesn’t do what they want them to do. This leads to some blaming the dog’s history/upbringing, personality and/or the breed. Others still, feel trapped and wonder if they had just chosen the “right dog”, everything would be just fine.
The fact is, if you want a well-trained dog, you must learn how to “speak dog”. And the best way to “speak dog” is to train your dog by utilizing positive reinforcement training methods that reward the behaviors you want and that tap into your dog’s way of learning. You’ll be amazed at the results.
At Family Pupz, we firmly believe that training your dog is loving your dog, and should be seen as an essential part of owning your dog. Your commitment to training your dog will contribute to the happiness of your dog and your entire household for many years to come. It’s one of the best investments you can ever make!
Check out our Adult Dog Training Page for some information on how we can help!