Sylvia Dickens

Dog Communication Methods Can Be Useful In Dog Training



Posted: Monday, February 01, 2010

by
Hale Publishing

If you think teaching your dog basic commands is enough, you might want to know that dog communication methods can enhance your dog training in many ways.

While it is true that you can manage if you teach your dog the basic commands such as sit, stay, down, come, and heel, you will be missing a lot if you do not take it to the next level. It depends on what you want to accomplish and what kind of relationship you want to establish with your dog.

Dog communication relies more on body language than on oral sounds. That's because they need a means to send a message to other dogs from great distances. In your world, that would be dogs across the street or in a neighbor's backyard. From a distance, a dog can easily see if the other dog is planning to challenge them or make friends simply by how they look at one another.

Stares and glances are just one aspect of dog language. How they hold their bodies, whether they face each other, how they hold their ears, and even the expression on their faces help to deliver the message.

It will help if you understand how dog language works so that you can make it work for you.

In time, your dog will learn your body language even though it is different from his. Dogs do not tolerate being stared at but they soon discover that with humans, the same rules do not apply. By adding several dog communication methods to your own, you can teach him a new language that you both can understand.

When a dog stands rigid with his tail straight out and up, he is on guard and ready if he is challenged. If he shows you his side and lowers his head, he is submitting to you.

The amazing thing about dog communication methods is that you can adapt them to your own needs. By pointing or gesturing to him, you can teach him what you want him to do. In future, he'll know what that signal means and you will not have to tell him verbally. This is how you can use dog language to your benefit.

It can be fun going through this training exercise because you will both learn from it. You will discover exactly how to modify your posture to get the result you want. This is an entirely different aspect of training that is not often mentioned. Yet it is very important because you could be sending the wrong message with your body, a message that is contradicted by how you stand.

By standing tall and staring down your dog, you'll give him the impression that you are challenging him. If this is not your intention, you can confuse him - at least until he learns your expressions and habits. Even your facial expression will tell him something, so make sure that it does not conflict with your verbal commands.

You can let your dog know you are the boss by standing proud and confident. That's something he would expect from a pack leader.

As you can see, you can make dog communication work for you once you understand his language and teach him yours.

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There are many more things to know about dogs that will help you with your training and the enjoyment of your pet. We have put together a free special report, "How To Pick The Right Dog Training Tools" to help you. We also offer a Free Trial of our extensive Puppy Parenting Course that teaches you everything you need to know about choosing, raising and training a puppy.
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