I love dogs. Well, all animals really. But especially dogs. They give unconditional love and will be your best friend. Today, I am going to discuss how to understand your dog. I will also be covering training and learning to read your dog’s body language. Every dog has their own personality. But all dogs communicate in the same way: through energy and body language. It is very important to understand this. When we communicate with our dogs, we need to display calm, assertive energy.
Leader of the Pack-Understand Your Dog
You have probably heard the expression “dogs are pack animals”. But what does that really mean to your relationship with your dog? Every pack needs to have a pack leader. Most dogs don’t care who the leader is, they just instinctively know somebody needs to be in command. If you don’t assume the position of pack leader your dog will. Then, when you try to train or discipline your dog, it will become confused and anxious. It is imperative to know this if you are going to truly understand your dog. For more information on how to understand your dog Read this article.
As leader of the pack, your goal is to bring your dog to a place of calm, submissive energy. Everything begins with you, your energy, your state of mind, and your approach. If your energy is negative such as being anxious, nervous, or frustrated, your dog will reflect that energy. You need to be consistent in applying your rules. If you are not consistent, your dog will test you to see what it can get away with. But if you display calm and assertive energy you will earn your dog’s trust. It will follow you and look to you for guidance. It will become easy to train your dog. Watch the training video by Cesar Millan below:
Know your Dog’s Natural Pack Position-Understand Your Dog
In every dog pack there are three positions. Front, back and middle. The dogs in front are the leaders. They direct and protect. They are in charge of securing food, water, and shelter. The most sensitive dogs are in the back. They alert the rest of the pack that danger is present. The dogs in the middle act as intercessors. Their job is to ensure stable energy is maintained throughout the pack. Cesar Millan does a great job of explaining this here.
If your dog is the more sensitive type, it is even more imperative you portray yourself as pack leader early on. If you don’t, your dog will become confused and anxious. Most dogs don’t consider themselves to be leaders. If your dog is more the leader type, make sure they are getting plenty of exercise. Middle of the pack dogs are easy to recognize. Have you ever been at a dog park and seen a skirmish break out? The dogs that run over there to break it up are the middle of the pack dogs. For more detailed information on this read this excellent article.
Putting it all Together
If you are going to truly understand your dog, you must learn to read their body language. Dogs communicate largely through their facial expressions and body posture. The parts that give the most information are the head, ears, tail, and back. The higher these are, the more dominant a dog is feeling. The lower they are, the more submissive or unsure a dog is about their feelings. Modern Dog Magazine has great illustrations of this. To communicate with our dogs, we need to learn and adapt their ‘language’ rather than expecting them to learn ours.
Provide exercise, discipline, and affection in that order. Many people don’t give their dogs enough exercise. Animals need to explore their world, and this means a daily walk. Having a big back yard is no substitute. Don’t treat your dogs as human children. That is a disservice to the dog. The biggest things a dog is looking for from you are leadership, and protection. Dogs perceive affection as a reward. If you are constantly giving a dog affection, they will connect it with being rewarded.
Giving Proper Affection
If you comfort a frightened dog, you have just rewarded them for being frightened. We need to instead focus on only giving affection when the dog is showing a behavior that we want, when the dog is calm and submissive. You also need to consider choosing the right dog. Here at Joe’s Community, we stress choosing the right dog. Your time spent will be worth it!
To develop a great relationship with our dogs we must establish ourselves as pack leaders and provide them with what they need. We need to display calm, assertive energy. If we do this, we will have calm well balanced dogs. If you are currently looking for a dog, consider adopting. Check out the page I wrote on adopting a dog: Rescue an Animal. You will gain a great friend and give a dog the home it deserves.
Response Magic