My Dog Doesn't Understand Me

You’ve probably had a day or two when you felt like your dog just wasn’t paying any attention to you at all, right? You talked, you yelled, you shouted, maybe you jumped up and down and waved your arms, but she just wasn’t interested in anything you had to say to her in any tone of voice. You’re not alone.

1. Your dog isn’t human. Unless you believe in dog psychics, there’s really no way for you to read your dog’s mind and figure out exactly what she’s thinking. The good news is that, like many dog owners, the problems you’re having can probably be traced to one simple thing: you’re trying to communicate with your dog from a human standpoint, and your dog isn’t a human. Sure, you know that, but lots of humans try to relate with their dogs in the ways that they think are rational as humans. The problem is that dogs are driven in every act and every moment by very strong instincts. Deciphering those instincts and leveraging them to build a productive relationship is like finding the keys to the city.
2. Your dog doesn't speak English.Take the word “no,” for example. Does your dog speak English? Not understand English? What’s meaningful to her is your tone of voice, not the word itself. Now let’s think about that – we’re taking up excess time trying to teach our dog a word she’ll never speak and that probably doesn’t mean much to her anyway. Sure, it’s meaningful to us, but that’s only one side of the equation. What about something that’s meaningful to both human and dog?
3. You know what a growl means, and your dog knows what a growl means. If you think that mutually meaningful language doesn’t exist, you’re not thinking creatively enough. What does it say to you when a dog growls at you? Anything from “get away from my food” to “back off, dude,” right? Yet in every case, a dog’s growl typically means that she is not happy with whatever you’ve done. And you’ve seen dogs react to other dogs’ growls, right? So you know what a growl means, and your dog knows what a growl means. Where’s the disconnect? Growl at your dog! No, seriously. The next time your dog starts to step outside her bounds or doing something you don’t like, growl at her. A nice, strong, guttural dog growl that would put the alpha wolf in a pack to shame. While you’re growling, look directly into your dog’s eyes. You’re almost guaranteed that she’ll back off.
4. Use Your Dog’s Instincts When Training. See that? You worked with her instinct and the information hardwired into her brain, and the result was instantaneous. Why spend tons of time trying to work against that instinct and end up frustrated, angry, and still miscommunications? This approach works in everything from basic dog discipline to full-on dog obedience training. You just need to figure out how to apply it in each of those situations. I’d like to help you learn to apply it, and that’s why I created the multimedia presentation Instinct vs. Man. It addresses day-to-day life with your dog as well as specific topics like playtime, training, and territory. Beyond that, you’ll get some great insight into why your dog thinks the way she does and how it affects her actions and reactions. You’ll understand why those months of dog training stopped working after a few weeks and how to get her back into the routine and acting like the fun, upbeat dog you love.  

Russ Richer is a Dog Lover who has done extensive research into Dog Care and Training. For free reports, articles, and newsletter visit www.dogdaypets.com/newsletter.html . To learn more on Dog Health and Training, visit : www.dogdaypets.com/megapak.html You may use this article in your newsletter or website, however, you must not change it in any way and all links must be active. 

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