Language and Dogs by David the Dog Trainer

Let's agree on a few things before we get started, shall we.

1. Dogs do not speak English (or whatever your native language might be).
2. Dogs communicate with each other through body language, vocalization, and scent. Here is a bit of info from Wikipedia.

Just how smart are dogs, is a question to ponder as we discuss language and communication. Here is a wonderful video about animal learning. In the video we meet a dog with a 300+ word vocabulary.

In order for dogs to learn what we want from them we have to make sure that we know how to effectively communicate what we want. We must be consistent in our feedback if we are to expect consistent results.

There are more than a few ways to communicate with your dogs. I am going to focus on result-oriented communication, and look how to:

• Tell your dog that you approve and want more of a particular behavior.
• Tell your dog that you do not approve and that you want to see less of a particular behavior.

Here are possible ways that you can tell your dog that you approve of what he is doing. You can add:

• Attention
• Affection
• Food
• Games
• Interaction
• Friendly Looks
• Etc. 

When you are approve of your dog's behavior, and hoping to see more of it in the future, you are attempting to reinforce (reward) that behavior. If you think you know how to reward your dog, and you have good timing (the rewards should come right after the behavior), you should see the behavior increase.

There are also plenty of ways to tell your dog you do not approve of his behavior, and I am only going to focus on two:

• Reward Removal
• Instructive Reprimands 

Reward removal is often accomplished through time outs and self-removal. Instructive reprimands are often repeated cues, "Outside, outside, outside" (given when a pup is about to have an accident in the house) or "Sit, Sit, Sit!" (given when your instructions are blown off). Instructive reprimands do presuppose, however, that the dog has been trained to "know" what the commands mean. Yes, many times dogs are focused on something else and are "too distracted to respond," but I would not advise someone to "never repeat your commands" because that is too restrictive to make sense. I  believe that we need to tell our dogs what we do not approve of and how their behavior makes us feel. I also believe, however, that the best way to get the results we want is to manage the environment (when possible), train with rewards, set the dog up for success, and be consistent with our feedback.

There are, of course, other ways to attempt to punish (make decrease) behavior, but I am not going to cover them, as I am in the business of promoting reward based training methods. Collar corrections are the most blatant example, and you need not look far to find a trainer or a friend using corrections to punish behavior. What I want to know about the dog who is trained by corrections is how they do off leash or on a flat collar.

Let's talk more about human to dog communication and how to nurture a good relationship.

The first thing you can do to establish good lines of communication with your dog is to be consistent, train with rewards, and have fun with your dog during bonding activities (walks, games, trips, etc.). It is going to be vitally important that your dog trusts you, so be sure to be gentle with your dog and learn how to interpret his language so you know when he is stressed, fearful or upset. You are also going to want to make sure you do not confuse your dog by giving him mixed signals. Dogs will often be confused if you are inconsistent about what is favored and what is not. If you do not want your dog on the couch, give him a comfy spot on the floor and never, ever let him on the couch.

A great way to teach your dog basic obedience is through lure-reward training, popularized by the "grandfather of modern dog training," Dr. Ian Dunbar. Here is a link to his fabulous, interactive blog. When you train your dog to do certain things like sit, lay down, come when called, etc. with reward based techniques, you are doing your dog a great favor. It is the way children are taught (good behaviors are rewarded with good grades), and punishment does not work that well in contrast (the recidivism rate is high for punished criminals). Now, I do realize that dogs are not humans, but as a trainer experienced in both correction and reward based techniques, I can say from personal experience, that dogs are happier when trained with rewards and reward training is easier to apply.

It is your responsibility as a person who lives with a dog to provide your dog with exercise, stimulation, play, and instruction. Your dog is going to look to you for answers - they want to know what they should do, they need direction, and many of them need a job! A specific, challenging job. Never forget, most dogs were bred for WORK and many of them are expected not to perform behaviors which they were bred to perform (dig, stalk, chase, bark, attack, guard, etc.). We want our active, working dogs to behave like pets. We want them to be "good dogs." We wonder why they are "bad." Most of the time, dogs are misbehaving and frustrating to us because we are not communicating well, we are inconsistent, and they are under exercised and under stimulated.

Please take the time to learn how to communicate with your dog. Learn how to listen to them and how they are "talking" to you. Enroll in a dog training class or find a fun group activity to engage in with your dog. It is also very important to note if your communication is working. If your efforts are leaving you completely flustered, you might consider talking to a trainer about how to open up the lines of communication with your dog.

Listen, love, teach, play, and live in harmony with your canine companion.