The Art Of Dog Talk
“ Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. INVOLVE me and I understand.” - Chinese Proverb
Not every training method will work for every dog. It is our job as trainers and dog owners to listen to what our dog is telling us.
When the wrong methods are used, miscommunications happen, which can lead to bigger problems and ultimately a bad situation for the dog.
Our dogs speak a similar language, kind of like the 5 love languages, but with slightly different categories.
Words of Affirmation: Some of our dogs thrive on verbal praise and verbal commands/cues. High praise and different changes in our tone can shape a dog’s behavior. Usually praise alone isn’t entirely enough to complete the actions we want consistently, so we usually pair them with their second reinforcer. Now there is an opposite to this, and some dogs can lose their good behavior when high praise is delivered. It can almost make the behavior worse.
Physical Touch: So many of our dogs find their fuel here. We can reinforce the behaviors we want with physical touches and pets with our dog. Physical touch is generally paired with some high praise or some kind of verbal cue. Some dogs really find their reward in the affection that we give for a job well done. This category can have it’s negatives for dogs that are shy to touch and would prefer something less invasive.
Gifts: This might be the most popular, a fan favorite really. This is all about the REWARD. Treats or reward toy, it doesn’t matter. For the dog it is all about what what they get in return for their good behaviors or skills. This is also paired with others to elevate it even more. When our dogs are not treat or toy motivated, this can be something we misuse or try to force. It is commonly known to treat reward, but listening to your dog this might not be the best fit.
Now these other 2 categories are much different than the real 5 love languages:
Tools: This is where we can use tools made for our dogs that can help behaviors. This can be an average collar, harness, prong collar, leash or even Ecollar. There is an array of wonderful tools and when used correctly can make a tremendous difference. We of course also pair this love language with some of the others.
Take-Aways: This is when your dog responds best to taking away something negative OR positive to elicit the behavior we want. This is generally used with all the other languages and works best when used that way. We can see dogs work best when they have a consequence to their behavior. This could be a positive thing or a negative thing. Like taking away a toy when they are misbehaving, or taking away attention until they sit nicely. This can also mean taking away leash pressure when then behavior is appropriate. This can also be slight and quick prong collar pressure when the behavior is done.
Don’t be afraid to listen to your dog. It can be the difference between good training sessions and excellent training sessions. When you learn what it is your dog thrives on and wants to work for, you will be an unstoppable team.
If you want to learn more or would like us to help you assess the situation, we’re to help. Schedule Now
