Is your dog not paying attention to you at all? You are talking, yelling, waving your arms but she is just ignoring you? This is a situation most dog owners face from time to time, so, you are not alone. There are four things you must understand while trying to communicate with your dog:
1. Dogs are not human: They do not think the way humans do and there is no way to read your dog's mind and understand what exactly she is thinking. The problem is generally treating your dog as if she is a human. We see them as part of our family and we treat them like that. But they are not human and they do not think the way we do. Their behaviours are mostly driven by instincts. So, understanding the driving factor behind human behaviour and animal behaviour will be the key to a successful communication.
2. Dogs do not speak English or your own language: I am not talking about understanding English; I am talking about speaking it. She can understand the word "no" but does she speak it? Actually it is not the word she reacts but the tone of your voice. You can replace the word "no" with any other word, even "yes" and say it in a way that you are saying "no" and she will learn to stop whatever she is doing when you say "yes". Keeping in mind that you are trying to teach your dog a word she will never speak or understand will help you keep your patience while trying to communicate with your dog.
3. Dogs speak
dog language: There is a language that is meaningful both to your dog and to you; dog language. Your dog does know what growling means and you also know what growling means. Why don't you take advantage of this mutually meaningful language? The next time you want your dog to "back off", just look directly in her eyes and growl at her. You can be sure that she will back off.
4. Use instincts to save time: Why try to teach your dog a language she doesn't understand at all, instead of using her instincts to teach her something? There is no need to spend hours to work against her instincts and end up angry and frustrated and still not able to communicate your dog. This approach using your dog's instincts to communicate with her works in everything from basic discipline to full training. If you want to learn more about this approach you can search the internet or your local library for books about dog training.
Understanding the instincts that drive your dog will help you communicate better with her. Of course dogs are a member of our family but they cannot be treated as if they are human. They are dogs, so they should be treated like dogs. There is nothing wrong with that. They will even be happier when you start treating them like dogs because you will understand them better.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dog Training