INTERACTING WITH A DIFFERENT SPECIES

BODY LANGUAGE

Dogs are not human. They are not people, too. Approaching your new puppy or frightened, anxiety-filled shelter dog with your arms stretched out in front of you, as though greeting a long-lost friend, will have the opposite effect you are hoping for. If you want to make friends with your new friend, bend down and slowly reach out, palms up, below your dog’s muzzle and closer to his chest.

Never reach over his head. “Going over the top,” which it is called, can be taken by some dogs as a threatening sign. Even puppies will more likely nip at your hands and arms if you hold them around or over the puppy’s head.

Body language plays a huge part in teaching your puppy and in how it reacts to you and others. The lower you are when you call your puppy, the better the chance of him coming to you.

The lower and calmer you are, the less threatening you will appear. Bending down instead of hovering is a friendly gesture, and you certainly want to start by making friends with your new puppy. As your puppy grows and training progresses, you will stand when your puppy approaches you, and your puppy will sit. This is considered behavioral conditioning.

So, if the lower you are, the friendlier you are, does the opposite hold true?  Yes, absolutely. If you’re sitting on the ground, your puppy will jump on you and nip you. If you stand, you will have more control. This is how children are most often bitten by puppies–as the puppy perceives the child on the ground to be another puppy-like playmate. As an adult, you must find a balance between friendly and authoritative. In other words, sometimes you must be the parent, not the friend.

When your puppy is higher than you, on the back of your couch, his perception is one of greater control over you and the situation. Small dogs are notorious for barking excessively while standing on the back of a sofa.  Chihuahuas are notorious for doing that and barking ferociously.

VOICE CONTROL

Your voice is the one thing you always have with you, so it should be the number one thing you focus on when training your dog. The second is body language.

Pet parents always ask me about giving their dogs treats. In return, I ask them, “What would you do if your dog ran out of the house, off-leash, and headed for the street?” Then I explain that a well-trained dog should respond to a voice command to stop and come back, referred to as recall or come-when-called.

Where do you begin? You begin as soon as your puppy or adopted dog comes home.  Everything you say to this new family member should be said calmly and gently. Even though the word “command” sounds forceful just by the title alone, commands like sit, stay, and heel are not said in a commanding tone. When there is a different and distinct change in your voice, your puppy will pay more attention to you. Your puppy will become excited and jumpy if your voice is too high-pitched or excitable. A soft, whiney tone is what puppies hear from their canine mom as well as their littermates. This tone is soothing, loving, and reassuring. If the canine mom is annoyed with a puppy and needs to administer a correction, she will grunt at the puppy. If you watch a video about wolves, you will find this valid with them, too.

Only when your dog needs a verbal correction like “NO” should you use a stern voice. To simplify, tell your dog “NO” when he displays inappropriate or unacceptable behavior and ask him to do everything else!

 

 

 

 

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