You may be asking what I am talking about???
English as a second language(ESL) for your dog and Dog as a second language(DSL) for the owner. Dogs are not born to understand what us humans want. They must learn and observe our behavior. Dogs are instinctual and read body language. Dogs that were not well socialized with humans at a very young age are very instinctual and have a hard time understanding human behavior. On the other hand humans are born with the same capabilities, but we learn to ignore body language and lose our instinctual way of being. Humans are the only creature that follows unstable energy. We can learn from our dogs if we channel our instinctual self. For example: When your dog hears fireworks and starts to panic most humans want to coddle and sooth their dog to easy his troubles.... the only problem with it is that by doing so it is confusing for your dog. By giving affection and trying to sooth your dog through that stress we are reinforcing the dogs unstable behavior. To show your dog there is nothing wrong we can't react like there is anything wrong. (Why may be a question you ask?) There is nothing wrong with fireworks and yes we know they are loud so why give affection to a dog displaying a behavior that is unwanted. Redirecting and shaping the appropriate behavior can help you achieve your behavior goals with your dog. There are hundreds of examples that conflict between ESL and DSL and if you need help understanding why your dog does something or why they react in certain ways, I can help you with that. Also we have to look into ourselves. What am I doing to affect my animal? We are all guilty of being human. :) Be instinctual, with training we are building a bond, creating balance between our differences and remember it is all about structure and discipline. Not about punishment. Humans use punishment with their dogs more then I ever want to see. Dogs need discipline. Dogs and even children thrive with rules, boundaries, and limitations. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Happy Training, -Hera Minkove. Just a Friendly reminder that it is cold again, and your dog still needs to go for a walk out side. i know it is hard when the temperatures plummet, but the exercise is good for you and your dog. It will also keep both you and your dog sane through the winter months.
If you have a really short haired dog, they may be happier with a dog blanket on in the cold temperatures during your walk. Be sure if you have an outside dog that they have adequate shelter, and clean fresh water that isn't frozen. If they are short haired please bring them in from the cold. If you have an outside dog you think is crazy, it is most likely because they are under socialized and under stimulated. Get that dog out and walk them. Play fetch, work on obedience, dogs need a job to be happy. If you don't know where to start... call me or find a local trainer near you to help. every dog deserves a chance to shine. Happy Holidays- -Hera What are Normal behaviors for your dog that you may find annoying or out right dangerous? What your dog eats is very important to it's health. Feeding a quality dog food is important. What is more important is looking at what we feed our dogs outside of their dog food.
Does My Dog Have Separation Anxiety? Do you praise your dog when it does what you want?: When a dog fears his name. Has your dog ever refused to come when called upon by his name or the “Come” command? There is a reason for this. How many of us are guilty of using Fido’s name when the dog has done something you didn’t like. Or, how about Fido’s name, followed by a command that doesn’t seem fun or interesting? When we say “Fido, come” and then drag our best friend into the bath tub, the next time Fido hears “Fido, Come” he thinks “Yikes bath!!! Run!!” One way to practice the come command: I will be using this page to share thoughts and stories related to dog ownership and training. Please feel free to bookmark this page or to sign up for a news feed (RSS) below. Note: You'll need an RSS reader, such as the Google Reader to read a news feed in RSS. |
My Pawspective's BlogThoughts from your dog trainer - Hera Minkove. Archives
March 2015
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