Dog Training Series - Learn the Basics of Dog Talk
By Brian J Schmitz Before you start any type of dog training you certainly need the ability to communicate with your dog. It's amazing that a dog can "talk" to you about his her feelings. Just like humans, dogs will display emotions that we have all experienced such as; anger, happy, sad, confused, relaxed, excitement and so on.
Dogs will use the four essential parts of their body; tail, ears, eyes and body as a whole, to communicate with us and other canines. All you have to do, as a pet owner and dog trainer, is to listen and understand what these sometimes slight and inconspicuous movements mean. This body language has been fine tuned and refined over the years within the animal kingdom to allow for a wide variety of communication.
In the beginnings of the dog world, dogs were considered to be wild animals such as wolves are today. These so called "wild animals" have been domesticated to the extent that some of the apparent displayed attitudes that were present in the beginning have been lost in their communications with humans.
Although some of these subtle forms of "talking" are gone forever, most dogs have retained their inherited communications skills. When you use any type of dog training program, you have to be an astute observer to learn your dog's body language.
As you train, carefully watch for these slight body language cues. You will be surprised at what you can pick up, if you just "listen" to what your dog is saying!
The more you listen, the more you will become an expert with your dog. With experience you will begin to notice even the slightest variance in your dog's body language. A bond will develop that will lead to an unforgettable experience for you and your dog.
One of the most important body languages that you need to understand fully is the dominant and submissive action. Almost every dog will find his or her place in doggie society and human society by using these non-spoken words. If you do not understand these two important languages, you're missing an important dog training skill.
Pet owners have asked over and over again why their dog will act out and misbehave in certain situations. My answer generally is; "Who's the boss in your home, You or the dog"? Not surprisingly, allot of owners laugh and reply that the dog sets the rules. That is fine if you want to be the submissive partner!
If you allow your dog to express his or her body language in a dominate position during any type of dog training session, you just failed yourself and your dog. You, as the pet owner, have to be the dominate member of the pack.
The most obvious display of dominance is a tail that is held high or arched over the back. This "spoken" language shouts dominance. Just the opposite would be a tail that is tucked tightly among the legs.
Listen to what your dog is saying to you during the relaxed times and the dog training times. Watch for the obvious body language and the subtle language. Your dog will display various communication signs through out the day. You need to learn what is being said, understand what the meaning is and most important "listen" and react to your dog.
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Brian Schmitz is a longtime pet owner, trainer and breeder. As the co-owner of http://www.stayandsit.com, a website designed for pet owners, the author has developed the site to generally aid owners in the correct way to implement new and advanced dog training techniques. If your interested in learning more, or simply just grabbing page after page of valuable dog training information, then take a look at the website. http://www.stayandsit.com Remember, Never Set Your Dog Up To Fail!
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