Dogs understand your language to some extent, but it's very important to understand how you appear to your dog and how some of your gestures may be causing your dog distress, fear, or worry, even though you're completely unaware of this. Always be aware that your dog is watching you, learning, and seeking to predict your routine, habits, and preferences.   Withdrawal of your gaze and your arms at the same time informs your dog that you have decided not to touch him/her anymore and he/she may respond negatively.  Yawning can indicate to your dog that you're distressed and cause him/her to move away from you. It can be a good idea to cover your yawn around your dog if he/she seems to respond negatively to the action. Some actions that we see as normal or loving do not translate well from “human language” to “dog language.”  Avoiding activities that make dogs uncomfortable can help strengthen your relationship with your pet.  Staring at your dog can be viewed as a threat.  Some trainers used to believe that a dog looking away from a stare was showing disobedience, but it is better understood now as being a sign of politeness or submission.  Punishing or reacting negatively to signs of fear in a dog will serve only to increase the dog's sense of fear and does nothing to instill better behavior from our perspective. Do not interpret signs of discomfort or fear as signs of guilt. Many dogs do not like being patted directly on the head.  However, this is something a dog usually needs to learn to tolerate. You should never pat a strange dog on the head until you're more familiar with it, but if you live in an urban environment where people are likely to want to pet your dog, early training (with treats) to help your dog tolerate head patting is essential.  Hugging and cuddling is often another action that dogs do not like.  Nature has programmed the dog to believe that being held in close proximity means one of two things: one, that it is trapped as prey, or two, that it is being mounted. Since neither of these actions brings on happy responses, a dog that is not used to frequent cuddling and hugging may respond by fleeing, wriggling, and snapping. If this is the case with your dog, be patient and take a gradual approach to getting it used to a loving embrace. Ensure that children who hug dogs always keep their faces away from the dog, and monitor the dog's reaction so that you can intervene quickly if needed. Dogs are social animals and need contact, so you should avoid making them feel overly isolated. The first nights of having a puppy in the home are essential.  Try to stay near the puppy (such as having its crate in your room), then gradually move his/her to where he/she will sleep permanently. This will reassure the dog that all is well. Do not share your bed with a dog unless you want this to become a permanent arrangement. Doing this creates a permanent expectation in your puppy's mind. Being clear, consistent, and concise with your commands and direct communication with your dog can help your dog understand what you want him to do.  Most dogs want to please their owners, so they will try to adapt their behavior to your expectations.  Always repeat commands using the same words and tone so that your dog knows his name and understands that he should be listening to you. Alter your tone when communicating different emotions to your dog. Dogs have instincts that help them discern if we are happy with them or upset with them. If you smile and tell your dog good dog in a happy tone, he will know that he has done something right. Likewise, if you correct him in an angry tone, he will know that he has done something wrong. This is an important thing to take in consideration when training. Remember that dogs forget things frequently. However, they will remember things that they have been trained about, where certain things and people are, who you are and who their friends are, getting praised, and surprising things (good or bad) that happen. Shouting at your dog, gesticulating wildly, or shaking "weapons" like a broomstick at your dog will seem like crazy behavior and does nothing to change your dog's behavior.  It can, however, upset an already insecure and fearful dog even more. Spare your energy and stay calm. Keep your communication tactics clear and reasoned. Keep this in mind while correcting a dog. If you come home to a destroyed sofa, yelling at the dog will not achieve anything, as the dog will not make the connection between the destroyed sofa and the correction. Having a 2-way communication relationship with your dog will help both of you maintain a healthy relationship.  Keeping the lines of communication open and showing your dog that you understand his/her will help you know when to step in if something is wrong. Research how dogs communicate with each other. Modeling your own communication strategy on dog-to-dog communication can lead to more successful communication.
تجنب الإشارات غير المقصودة. تجنب شعور الكلب بعدم الارتياح. وضّح الأوامر. طوّر التواصل المشترك.