Canine Communication
Below are articles relating to Canine Communication, Body Language and Calming Signals. Please check back regularly as new articles are added frequently.
- Do You Nag Your Dog How many times have you asked your dog to Sit, Sit, SIT!, only to end up having to push his bum into a sit anyway? Nagging your does only teaches your dog that he does not need to respond to the word ‘Sit' until you push his bum to the ground. ...
- Does your Dog Ignore His Name In order to train your dog, it is critical that you are able to get its attention, first time, every time! That is what his name is for! Many people absent-mindedly train their dog to ignore their name by constantly using it in a negative manner. ...
- Does Your Dog REALLY Know What He Did Wrong? Despite what many humans think, dogs do not lay awake at night plotting revenge - nor are they consumed with feelings of guilt after chewing up your favourite pair of shoes. Dissecting your shoes or landscaping your yard is not an act of retribution; it was simply something fun to do at the time! Dogs live in the moment and have no concept of consequences beyond what is occurring at the time. Getting angry with your dog and punishing him when you arrive home to find your couch redesigned is an...
- Dog Body Language Communication Just like mastering any spoken language, learning to read dog language takes experience, time and practice. To understand body language it must be interpreted in context and read in conjunction with other signals the dog is giving at the time. Subtle details must also be noted, for example a wagging tail can indicate several things, depending upon the way in which it is wagging. A slowly wagging tail can indicate uncertainty while a wildly wagging tail can indicate excitement rather than...
- He's Only Playing, Or Is He We've all seen it, Buster, the 18 month old Labrador. He's on his way to the park dragging his owner who can barely keep up, behind him on a lead. He's so excited that when he reaches the gate his owner can hardly get the lead off him. The second the lead is removed he races off, breaking a land speed record, straight into a group of dogs bowling them and their owners over. ...
- How to Motivate Your Dog Do you really know what motivates your dog? When your dog is motivated he learns much faster. Many owners have never really thought about what motivates their dog. They assume because he's a dog that he will enjoy ‘Dog' things i.e. things most dogs find rewarding. Applying this to your dog is akin to saying that ALL humans enjoy playing sport (I know I certainly don't!). What one dog finds rewarding or pleasurable may be boring, unpleasant or even punishing to another dog. For...
- Is Your Dog Stressed We often label our dog words such as hyperactive, disobedient, spiteful and fearful when in actual fact they are stressed! Stress is one of the most common mis-diagnosed ailments affecting dogs today. Just as a human acts uncharacteristically when stressed, so to do our dogs. ...
- Signs of Stress in your Dog Before you go reaching for the doggie valium it is essential to read stress indicators in context. Stress in dogs can change from one moment to the next depending on the environment the dog is in at the time. ...
- Top 10 Leadership Qualities for Dog Owners Leadership is one of the most often misunderstood aspects of dog ownership. Often people think in terms of ‘dominance', ‘alpha' or ‘top dog' status. I profess that if you need to dominate something or someone in order to establish control then you ultimately had no control in the first place. The hallmark of a great leader is the ability to control without force. Great leaders inspire people to follow them rather than menace people into obeying them. In this...
- Why Commands Get in the Way of Training Many people are obsessed with teaching dogs to respond to various commands. While I wholeheartedly understand and support the pursuit of an obedient dog, in reality many ‘command obsessed' people are merely teaching a dog to misbehave until he hears a command. While it's great to have a dog that responds to various verbal commands, I prefer my dog to know what's expected of him in any given situation and behave the way I'd like him to by default. I don't want him to...
- Why You Shouldnt Say No To Your Dog The word ‘No!' is the most over-used term in dog training - and yet surprisingly it has the least meaning to a dog. I often encounter clients who self righteously assure me that their dog ‘knows' what ‘No!' means. Often I reply that if he really does ‘understand' the word ‘No!' then why must they: a) Repeat it constantly b) Use an increasingly angry tone each timec) Often accompany it with physical punishmentd) Do something else to stop the dog...