A dog behaves according to instinct and programming. Does your dog look guilty or sorry when you step into that wet spot in the carpet? You give him that "if looks could kill" sort of glance, and don't even need to say a word. Little Beenie is off and running under the bed, where it's really hard to get at him. Well, sorry to be the one to have to tell you, but Beenie will never feel guilty or sorry for his little faux pas, he is simply conditioned to know that when you find his little surprises, and give him "that look," he's in really big trouble!
It's also very important to let your dog know exactly why you are angry, and what exactly he or she did to make you that way. For example: Beenie likes to chew on the moulding around the door each day while you are at work. When you arrive home each day, you yell at him, without showing him, specifically, what he did wrong. You just shout words at him. This will teach Beenie that you simply yell at him for no apparent reason when you arrive home each day ("Mom's a nut-job!"). As five o'clock approaches, he will become nervous and anxious, and probably chew on the wall even more. And so, the cycle continues unresolved. Simply pointing out to him your pathetic looking wall doesn't really reach him either. He still won't fully understand your behavior. He might even think that you are going to get down on all fours, and join him for a chew!
A better solution is to catch dear Beenie, in the act. Correct the bad behavior immediately, so he connects your displeasure with his chewing. Now, he is beginning to get the picture! Then take preventative measures to stop his chewing by spraying it with something terrible tasting, like Bitter Apple, perhaps. Never correct or scold without explaining why. You'll be wasting your time... You're also wasting Beenie's time - he'd rather be chewing on the wall!
We rely on our eyes to tell us about the world around us. To dogs, the most highly developed sense is their marvelous sense of smell. Dogs have 25 times more olfactory receptors than humans, and can sense odors at concentrations nearly 100 million times lower than humans can! Use unscented products as much as possible. Your dog will thank you for it. Also allow your dog to occupy himself or herself on walks by sniffing almost everything in sight…it’s like reading the Sunday paper!
Knowing how a dog thinks will be monumentally helpful when training your dog to be a lady or gent, and a valued member of your family. Anything dogs can do to please their families, to cause themselves to be lavished with praise and affection, is what they live for. Dogs want nothing more than to be loved, and to give love in return…
Don't we all?
Like the wolves they are descended from, dogs are very social animals and need to be a part of a group. You, or your family, become that group, or "pack." Put simply, if you're not going to make your dog a member of your family, then don't get one. A dog that is left to live his or her life alone outside is a deprived, neglected and a very unbalanced animal. Similar to a two-year old child, the dog will act out frustration by barking, digging, chewing, or some other destructive behavior.
Every pack (your family) has a leader, or "Alpha" animal. You must be that leader. Dogs think along the lines of a "pecking order", and have no concept of equality. When they display aggression or completely ignore your commands, they are challenging your dominance over them, and attempting to be that leader. Don't let them.
This is where obedience training comes in. Whether you adopted a puppy, or a 10 year old dog, start in right away, through positive reinforcement, to establish yourself, and your family members (even the little people), as the Alpha and higher-ups of the pack. Basic Obedience Training will help you to establish this crucial hierarchy. Simply, your dog won't respect you if you are not thought of by the dog as being more important than he or she.
Packs also have their own territory, and they will defend it. It's the Alpha's job to take on this responsibility. Let your dog know that you are on the case, so the dog doesn't think it's up to him or her to handle it. You don't want Thor gnawing on everyone who comes to call, so tell him everything is ok, and command him to "sit" or "down" or "stay" while you handle the suspicious "invader." The same goes for anything that arises out and about in the world. Let your dog know you are handling it with a calm assertive posture, and place the dog in a subordinate roll to your lead.
Dogs can also obtain a wealth of information from your body language. I suppose if humans weren't capable of more than a variety of barks and whines, we would have become as skilled at deciphering body language as dogs are. There have been countless times that I swore my dogs had psychic abilities. It seemed like I just thought of doing a thing, like taking them for a walk, and there they were looking up at me all wiggly and smiling. It's weird, to say the least (and I'm still not convinced they're not psychic!). But, more likely, it's just that they are experts at reading our body movements and the tones in our voices.
They also have built-in clocks as accurate as any Swiss movement on the planet. If they know breakfast is at 9:00 a.m., you'll find them in the kitchen, tails wagging, bodies wriggling, singing their little hungry doggie songs. You won't even need to hear the TV to know that your nine o'clock talk show is starting. Routines are wonderful for dogs, and they thrive on schedules. If you vary from them, they'll torture you until you get your act together!
It's also very important to let your dog know exactly why you are angry, and what exactly he or she did to make you that way. For example: Beenie likes to chew on the moulding around the door each day while you are at work. When you arrive home each day, you yell at him, without showing him, specifically, what he did wrong. You just shout words at him. This will teach Beenie that you simply yell at him for no apparent reason when you arrive home each day ("Mom's a nut-job!"). As five o'clock approaches, he will become nervous and anxious, and probably chew on the wall even more. And so, the cycle continues unresolved. Simply pointing out to him your pathetic looking wall doesn't really reach him either. He still won't fully understand your behavior. He might even think that you are going to get down on all fours, and join him for a chew!
A better solution is to catch dear Beenie, in the act. Correct the bad behavior immediately, so he connects your displeasure with his chewing. Now, he is beginning to get the picture! Then take preventative measures to stop his chewing by spraying it with something terrible tasting, like Bitter Apple, perhaps. Never correct or scold without explaining why. You'll be wasting your time... You're also wasting Beenie's time - he'd rather be chewing on the wall!
We rely on our eyes to tell us about the world around us. To dogs, the most highly developed sense is their marvelous sense of smell. Dogs have 25 times more olfactory receptors than humans, and can sense odors at concentrations nearly 100 million times lower than humans can! Use unscented products as much as possible. Your dog will thank you for it. Also allow your dog to occupy himself or herself on walks by sniffing almost everything in sight…it’s like reading the Sunday paper!
Knowing how a dog thinks will be monumentally helpful when training your dog to be a lady or gent, and a valued member of your family. Anything dogs can do to please their families, to cause themselves to be lavished with praise and affection, is what they live for. Dogs want nothing more than to be loved, and to give love in return…
Don't we all?
Like the wolves they are descended from, dogs are very social animals and need to be a part of a group. You, or your family, become that group, or "pack." Put simply, if you're not going to make your dog a member of your family, then don't get one. A dog that is left to live his or her life alone outside is a deprived, neglected and a very unbalanced animal. Similar to a two-year old child, the dog will act out frustration by barking, digging, chewing, or some other destructive behavior.
Every pack (your family) has a leader, or "Alpha" animal. You must be that leader. Dogs think along the lines of a "pecking order", and have no concept of equality. When they display aggression or completely ignore your commands, they are challenging your dominance over them, and attempting to be that leader. Don't let them.
This is where obedience training comes in. Whether you adopted a puppy, or a 10 year old dog, start in right away, through positive reinforcement, to establish yourself, and your family members (even the little people), as the Alpha and higher-ups of the pack. Basic Obedience Training will help you to establish this crucial hierarchy. Simply, your dog won't respect you if you are not thought of by the dog as being more important than he or she.
Packs also have their own territory, and they will defend it. It's the Alpha's job to take on this responsibility. Let your dog know that you are on the case, so the dog doesn't think it's up to him or her to handle it. You don't want Thor gnawing on everyone who comes to call, so tell him everything is ok, and command him to "sit" or "down" or "stay" while you handle the suspicious "invader." The same goes for anything that arises out and about in the world. Let your dog know you are handling it with a calm assertive posture, and place the dog in a subordinate roll to your lead.
Dogs can also obtain a wealth of information from your body language. I suppose if humans weren't capable of more than a variety of barks and whines, we would have become as skilled at deciphering body language as dogs are. There have been countless times that I swore my dogs had psychic abilities. It seemed like I just thought of doing a thing, like taking them for a walk, and there they were looking up at me all wiggly and smiling. It's weird, to say the least (and I'm still not convinced they're not psychic!). But, more likely, it's just that they are experts at reading our body movements and the tones in our voices.
They also have built-in clocks as accurate as any Swiss movement on the planet. If they know breakfast is at 9:00 a.m., you'll find them in the kitchen, tails wagging, bodies wriggling, singing their little hungry doggie songs. You won't even need to hear the TV to know that your nine o'clock talk show is starting. Routines are wonderful for dogs, and they thrive on schedules. If you vary from them, they'll torture you until you get your act together!
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HOW DOGS THINK
HOW DOGS THINK
