I constantly come across situations where dog owners think it’s the dog’s duty to understand English.
Dogs don’t understand the English language, dogs understand dog language. I often hear people referring to their dogs by saying “He understands every word I say”. Total tosh!!! – he associates being rewarded for performing an action when he hears a certain word or phrase - nothing more, nothing less. You could train him to perform the same task when he hears a bell ring or a door knock. Does that mean he also understands bell language and door language - I think not.
I want to discuss how communicating in dog language can overcome behavioural issues that are just misunderstood by most owners. I see things like a dog barking in the garden and the owner ignoring him or scolding him for barking. The dog is actually alerting the leader to a stranger is approaching his territory. All he wants is the leader to acknowledge his alert and take action. The action may be “It’s OK boy - I know this person” or the action might be “lock the doors and bar the windows, there’s a bad man coming”. The action is irrelevant. The dog is simply communicating and informing the pack leader that someone is approaching and that the leader needs to make a decision. I tend to reassure the dog saying “OK, that’s good” and getting the “distraction” to walk past the fence again and again while I’m standing with the dog. I also reward him if he doesn’t bark when the distraction passes the fence.
Another classic “lingo sin” I witness is when the dog is permitted to stand in front of the handler when another dog is approaching or passing. In reality, the dog is pushing himself forward to protect the pack and promote himself to a higher rank. The issue with this behaviour is that it inadvertently prompts the dog to make a decision, usually resulting in a growl or a pull on the lead or even a lunge at the other dog. If you’re having dog to dog aggression problems always make sure that you are in front of the dog when another dog is approaching or passing. You are now taliking the canine lingo and telling the dog, in his own language, that you do not require his assistance to handle this situation, you are in total control and very capable of making the correct leadership decision.
Start using dog language to communicate and watch your behavioural problems disappear.
Dogs don’t understand the English language, dogs understand dog language. I often hear people referring to their dogs by saying “He understands every word I say”. Total tosh!!! – he associates being rewarded for performing an action when he hears a certain word or phrase - nothing more, nothing less. You could train him to perform the same task when he hears a bell ring or a door knock. Does that mean he also understands bell language and door language - I think not.
I want to discuss how communicating in dog language can overcome behavioural issues that are just misunderstood by most owners. I see things like a dog barking in the garden and the owner ignoring him or scolding him for barking. The dog is actually alerting the leader to a stranger is approaching his territory. All he wants is the leader to acknowledge his alert and take action. The action may be “It’s OK boy - I know this person” or the action might be “lock the doors and bar the windows, there’s a bad man coming”. The action is irrelevant. The dog is simply communicating and informing the pack leader that someone is approaching and that the leader needs to make a decision. I tend to reassure the dog saying “OK, that’s good” and getting the “distraction” to walk past the fence again and again while I’m standing with the dog. I also reward him if he doesn’t bark when the distraction passes the fence.
Another classic “lingo sin” I witness is when the dog is permitted to stand in front of the handler when another dog is approaching or passing. In reality, the dog is pushing himself forward to protect the pack and promote himself to a higher rank. The issue with this behaviour is that it inadvertently prompts the dog to make a decision, usually resulting in a growl or a pull on the lead or even a lunge at the other dog. If you’re having dog to dog aggression problems always make sure that you are in front of the dog when another dog is approaching or passing. You are now taliking the canine lingo and telling the dog, in his own language, that you do not require his assistance to handle this situation, you are in total control and very capable of making the correct leadership decision.
Start using dog language to communicate and watch your behavioural problems disappear.
No comments:
Post a Comment