Dog training is the responsibility that you signed on for when you brought your dog through your front door for the first time. The whole dog training experience can be pleasant for both you and your dog. Dog training does not have to be hard or frustrating. It is, therefore, vital that you adopt the ideas from the dog training tips that strive towards long-term success and not temporary satisfaction.
When dog training, we must respect, understand, and use Mother Nature’s rules upon the system we experience as a developing individual. Using only proven methods that are psychologically sound for dogs during dog training is important because it makes the process natural, with quick results, and eliminates subtle dog training mistakes that often sabotage all your efforts. By applying gentle and proven dog training principles, you can easily prevent behavior problems and promote a loving, cooperative bond between you and your dog. Whether this is your first dog or one-hundredth, dog training will prove to be an invaluable resource in the education of your new canine companion.
Use the right body language so your dog understands. Dogs are highly intelligent animals, and many dog owners do not give them enough credit when it comes to how they can read and understand our body language. The body language that we display has a major impact on how well a dog will obey our commands and listen. You can also quickly stop your dog from displaying improper behavior if you use the correct form of body language.
An overexcited dog may like to jump on every guest that comes to your door. We all go through this with our puppy or adult dog at some point in time, and let’s use that as our example. As soon as the guests arrive, your dog is overwhelmed with excitement and happiness about who is at the door and whether they will play with him.
What do they smell like? Do they want to play? Do they have dog treats? How about I jump all over them and see? If we were to decipher his emotional behavior, this is exactly what your dog is thinking.
And meanwhile, to get your dog to stop being so excited and jumping on everyone, you are giving every command possible. One thing that makes him more excited is when you try shouting. Maybe you try to shout even louder, or you try giving harsh and loud “Off” commands, but that it’s not working either. Eventually, you are getting so stressed trying to pull your dog off and yelling it turns into one big chaotic party.
And yes, the term “party” is a great way to explain it because you are just joining in on the fun and excitement that the dog is feeling. Can you see now how your body language and how you communicate with your voice comes across to your dog? You are only adding to the situation as opposed to changing your dog’s behavior.
Communicate better with your dog by using the following body language tips. In the above example of the overexcited dog who can’t seem to stop jumping all over the house guests, you understand now that your body language and excitability only made your dog feel more enthused about what it is he was doing. Therefore, regardless of what action you are trying to communicate with your dog, you must take a different approach to the situation. A few basic body language tips that you can use are below:
- Do not chase him around the house when you’re angry at your puppy or adult dog. You may be upset with him, but to your dog, he thinks you’re playing a game, and he will run around forever.
- Do not add to the problem by getting feisty if your dog is extremely excited. Instead, move slowly and talk in a soothing tone of voice. Display the same behavior you wish him to use. Doing so will calm him down, and it will be much easier to change his behavior.
- Hire a professional dog trainer or dog behaviorist if you think you need one.