It makes perfect sense for dogs to live with other dogs. It’s just our domesticated world that’s made it a bit tricky sometimes. Just do your homework, set yourself up for success, and watch the relationship(s) strengthen with time.
Tag Archives | communication
Establish a Sequence of Communication
I’ll save you right now from a trap I fell into with both my dogs by sharing what I learned in the Canine Good Citizen class I took with Logan. The topic as a whole is establishing a consistent sequence of communication to go with your consistent cues.
Use Consistent Commands
Actually, Dog Momma prefers to say “cues” instead of “commands.” A command is harsh, an imposition of your will on the dog. A cue is assertive without being aggressive; it tells the dog what behavior is going to work for both of you in the current situation.
Appropriate Barking
The first step to controlling your dog’s barking is to understand what the dog is trying to communicate.
Read (and Use) Your Dog’s Signals
Imagine how you’d feel if you moved to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and they don’t speak yours. How would you communicate?
Clicker = Training Magic
The clicker is a wonderful training tool! It gives you a clear way to tell your dog “yes” in the moment she is doing something good. You “mark” the desired behavior by clicking at the exact moment the dog does what you want her to do—or, in the early stages, comes close to doing it. Dogs are very good at remembering what action brought the click—and therefore the treat.
Give Good Rewards
In order to do any training at all, you have to find a reward that is meaningful to your dog.
Teach Yes, Not No
Always look for the “yes” in every situation. In other words, what IS acceptable right now? Don’t get into the routine of saying “no” all the time; this will be no fun for you or your dog. Positive reinforcement is a phrase we’ve all heard; this article breaks the concept down into a few good examples.
Control Yourself, Control Your Dog
Often times when dogs feel uneasy, there is an uneasy human around. Focus on good energy for yourself, and the dogs will follow.
Be the Pack Leader
When it comes to dogs, you’ve probably heard “be the boss” or “the alpha” or even the “pack leader”. Read here to understand more about what it all means. It’s part “power” but also a lot of listening, communicating and teaching.
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #4: Calming Signals
Our 4th CGC class included a mix of skills, which is to be expected at this stage in our training. It again occurred to me how the class environment is so beneficial, because it provides easy access to people and dogs to practice with.
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Preparation #1: Stay, Tricks and… “The Connection”
We had an awesome experience at our first CGC prep class! The single most important point I took away from it, for you, is to get into a really good state of mind, and the rest will work out just fine.
Leadership
The word “leadership” has become a popular sound bite, which is kind of good. However, some people misinterpret the meaning, which is bad. This article summarizes the meaning of leadership related in the context of dogs.
Best Advice
Our best advice is to try something and see how it works. Try it ten times. Give the dog time to figure out what you’re trying to do. If it doesn’t work, try to assess if you can improve your delivery. Otherwise just try something else.
Whoops – I taught the wrong thing with the clicker
Video: Whoops – I taught the wrong thing with the clicker Download as PDF
