Dogs may be as receptive to certain human communication signals as infants. Here’s a great article that brings insight into how we communicate with our dogs. As with humans, actions speak louder than words!
There are so many options when it comes to purchasing a collar for your dog. Should you use a harness? What type of harness is best? If using a collar, is the flat nylon style adequate? Some trainers will only train using a prong/pinch (or power steering collar, as I call them). My personal
favorite is the Martingale-style training collar.
Let’s face it, dog training is dog training when it comes to basic commands. It’s what happens when the leash and collar come off that is the true test. A lot of dogs go into their training mode when a specific collar is used for training versus the one used for a walk. They quickly learn what is expected depending on their “jewelry.” Much like a service or search and rescue dog knows it’s working when wearing a vest. Dogs are smart! We train them well (or they train us well). =)
I make certain that any dog I work with knows their commands regardless of their collar or harness. The collar and leash are tools. The end result is not that your dog responds nicely during the 15 – 20 minutes of training, but rather they listen, respect, and want to please you when training is done. Training becomes a way of life. Aren’t we always teaching others how to treat us!
After the basics, I suggest switching to a 15 – 20 foot leash to perfect “stay.” It’s also beneficial for teaching them to “come” and for distance learning. Too often, after puppy class, the leash and training are set aside until the dog does something not so pleasing to the human. I can assure you, the dog is always great at being a dog and not so great at thinking like a human. It takes (a lot) of time and consistency to create a mutually respectful relationship with your dog.
As a side note, I have seen too many dogs who were broken (for lack of a better word) by harsh training using a prong collar. Not every dog is the same, and it’s important to be willing to try different tools to see what works for your dog. If a trainer/behaviorist only does it one way, I’d find another trainer. No two dogs are the same any more than two humans.
I am happy to answer any questions you have, and if you live in the Palm Springs area, I would love the opportunity to work with you and your fur family.
It is fascinating to read the studies on the analysis of dogs and their expression of emotion. We, of course, refer to emotion in the sense that we experience it. Dogs; however, live in the moment so their emotion may be more raw than ours. I don’t think they are capable of deceiving us by expressing an emotion they aren’t really feeling at the moment. They don’t pretend as well as we do!
There are fun photographs of dogs smiling. And they do! Some more than others, but it still qualifies as a smile. I also have seen more than my share of grumpy-doggy face. The “it’s you again” look on some dogs when I (the trainer) show up for another training session can be very comical – for us humans more so than the dog.
With the cooler temperatures, the dogs seem quite content to cuddle on their beds a little longer than normal. And, some days, I think they get up on the wrong side of their cedar-chipped, double-organic-fiber-stuffed, memory foam dog beds! Perhaps they have bad dreams and restless nights too; so, I will cut them some slack.
Regardless, I think it’s fun to notice that much like a little child, a dog’s expression of “emotion” shifts in a nano-second. In a flash, they go from grump-dog to tail-waggin’-ready-for-a-walk dog. I wish it were that easy for us two-leggers! Once again, we learn from our dogs how blessed it is to live in the moment.
You may not have thought of a dog as having patience. Well, they do – or at least that’s what I’m calling it.
If one of my dogs has a toy, regardless of the five other toys available, someone will want that exact toy at that exact moment. That’s no surprise. Of course, they want what the other one has. Among these boys, It’s a constant dance of who dominates who.
After a couple of human-to-dog interventions, they know not to mess with one another, or everyone loses (as in I take the toy). See, it’s my toy, and I am kind enough to let them have it. I have also established the rules that go along with toy-play.
This morning, Mac is chewing on a toy as Moby stands patiently by looking for either a safe “in” to get the stuffed creature, or for Mac to get bored and walk away. He will wait longingly for quite awhile before he loses interest. He doesn’t make a sound…waiting patiently for the right moment. I think he actually thinks he “won” if Mac relinquishes the object without care.
I like the thought of that – particularly as we enter the Holiday season. It’s like saying, “I really want what you have, but I’ll just wait patiently while you enjoy it, and when you don’t want it any more, I’ll take it.”
Thoughts of peace and patience to you this season!
Do dogs want to please us? Do they reason? We tend to think they must want to please us because of their enjoyment of our affection. We have all witnessed behavior that would indicate dogs have the ability to reason. The ongoing research regarding canine cognition is sure to reveal scientifically what we can only assume based on what we see. However, there needs to be care taken not to assume dogs think, reason, learn, or respond as humans do. We are setting someone up for failure to think otherwise.
As I work with dogs and their humans on a daily basis, I see frustration in the human’s eyes and confusion in the dog’s as the human is certain their dog knows exactly what is being asked and they are just being stubborn. Can they be stubborn? Absolutely. They can also be confused, and our escalating impatience will not help to clarify our expectations.
An example: dogs are taught to sit with the human facing them. Soon, they are sitting every time we ask. Then, we take the leash and are out for a walk and as we stop we ask our beloved dog to sit and demonstrate their new skill. Not only do they not sit, they act clueless. What happened? We moved. Dogs are constantly in tune with our bodies. They learned sit with us facing them and they think that is part of the command.
Rather than getting frustrated, make sure they understand what “sit” means and that it has nothing to do with the proximity or position of your body or a treat. Once they really know the word and the associated response, they will sit regardless of where you are standing in relationship to them. When certain they understand the command and they are either distracted or stubborn, ask them to sit once and then assist them in sitting. They must follow through!
There is more to say on this topic, and that will be covered in another post. Until then, if you have any questions regarding the training of your canine companion, please send a note in the box to the right. (I share with Melody)
