In spite of the reams of paper written on dog psychology, I notice the way people communicate with their own dogs is often counterproductive. Here are some points that might help out in better interaction with the canine.

1. Dog runs onto the road. Owner comes out of house, stops at doorstep and starts screaming at the dog. Dog ignores human. Reason : Dogs do not listen to unstable beings. When one dog wishes to tell something to another dog they do not start screaming and yelling.

2. Dog barks at human to ask for the food the human is eating. Human hands the dog a piece.

Problem: This is going to lead to the dog getting the message that he is boss. This is not respectful in the canine world. A lower member of the pack would never dream of barking at a pack leader while they were eating.

3. Dog sees another dog and starts to bark. Human tells dog, "No" and proceeds to pet their dog on the head giving affection. Problem: This is really like saying "Good dog for barking.". The fog has received mixed signals and until they are made clear he will continue his behaviour or increase it.

4. Dog is on a leash and pulls the leash tight to sniff where he pleases as the owner talks to another human.

What is Needed:This is bad leash manners. Asking the dog to wait patiently would provide the dog with a mental challenge, which all dogs need.

5. Owner corrects the dog by yelling the dogs name over and over again, but never actually addresses the dog with any type of body language. The dog does not know what it is the owner wants. Human proceeds to have a conversation in human words with the dog stating they are going to punish the dog.

Correction: One should only use a dog’s name for positive things so the dog associates his name with something good. Otherwise he will stop responding to his name.

6. Owner allows small dog to greet a human by putting their paws on a person’s leg. In the dog world this is not a respectful way to greet another being. There is no difference between that 5 pound Lhasa Apso and that 90 pound German Shepherd in regards to the meaning behind the behavior.

7. Owner corrects a dog long after the deed was done and the dog has moved onto other thoughts. Whatever the dog is doing at the moment you correct them is what the dog will think you are upset about.

8. Dogs only being corrected ‘some’ of the time. Bark bark... Allowed... Bark bark. Dogs name yelled. Bark bark.No follow through, no real communication, no consistency. When you are not consistent your dog will not listen to you as they will know that ‘sometimes’ they are allowed. Also, the dogs name should not be used in the correction.

9. Dogs walking slightly in front of the person holding the leash. Then the human expects the dog to ignore other dogs when they LET the dog lead. The signal to the dog is : you are my leader, but listen to what I say. That is confusing for a dog

10. Humans approaching a gate or doorway let the dog nose their way first. Dogs should be sent back a step and be watching for the humans cue that it’s their turn. Not pushing.

11. Human attempting to go first through an entrance way, telling the dog to wait but never following through. Dog paused, but still had their his nose in the doorway and was tense in posture, showing he did not give in to the idea. Dog should have stepped back and relaxed before the human allowed the dog to pass.

12. Owner picks up small dog. Dog wiggles, and or whines to get down and the owner obeys, reinforcing the dogs power over the human.

13. Dog barks at another dog. Human corrects dog by telling them "No". Dog turns their head to avoid eye contact with the human. Human turns the dogs head back to get the dog to look at them, thinking the dog should look at them when being reprimanded. When actually the dog turning away was the dog communicating to the human that they do not wish to challenge them. In the human world making eye contact when being spoken too is respect, however in the dog world staring straight into ones eyes can be taken as a gesture of a challenge.

14. Tiny dog is being carried by owner and barks and growls at another person. Owner laughs, grabs dogs snoot. Says "stop" in a neutral tone. The laugh by the owner and their tone were praise in the dog’s eyes. Dog barks and growls even more. Owner repeats the "correction" laughs and apologises to stranger. Later dog is seen pulling on the leash. All humans including the stranger laugh thinking the aggression coming from such a small dog is funny. This dog is going to become a biter.

15. Owner is sitting with tiny dog on lap. Tiny dog barks at someone passing by. Owner pulls the dog close to her body trying to get it to be quiet. Owner just gave the dog affection for barking.

16. Another dog walks by a small dog who is on their owners lap. Owner covers the small dog’s eyes to try and stop the small dog from barking. The small dogs excitement escalates as dogs do not need their eyes to know another dog is near. They can feel it, smell it and hear it.

17. Small dog is on owner’s lap and barks as some kids run by. Human hugs dog to their body while smacking it’snose. Again: mixed signals of affection and smacks.

18. Little dog is in a heightened, excited, dominant state as it barks at people and other dogs passing by while sitting on owners lap. Owner gives dog hugs, kisses and scratches behind the ear as they tell little lap dog in human words to "be good, do you hear me?". Human words, ‘be good’ mean nothing to the dog. The affection tells dog you agree with how they are feeling at that moment. Good dog for being excited and dominant.

19. Dog wanders too far out of the house. Owner calls dog back. Dog lowers their head and walks back to owner. When dog gets to owner, owner smacks dog and says, "You are not allowed over there!" Owner just told dog it was bad for coming back to them.

20. People trying to win over an aggressive dog’s affection with words of praise and affection. When one sweet talks a dog who is in a defensive or aggressive mood it is like saying, good dog I agree with how you are feeling. Food should only be tossed to a dog for rewarding good behavior, not during bad behavior. Remember, however the dog is feeling or acting at the time of the reward is what you are telling the dog you agree with.

21. Owners going for a family walk with the kids and allowing the dog to walk in front of the stroller or a walking child. This is communicating to the dog that they are above human children in the pack order.

22. Dog frightened by firecracker. Owner immediately looks through window or opens door. Owner starts petting dog.

Problem: This reinforces dog’s fears that something is not normal. The correct action would be to ignore the crackers and behave normally with the dog. He will calm down.

23.Dog vomits in car. Owner stops and gives him biscuit.

Problem: All food snacks should be associated with good achievement. Now dog will behave weirdly in car as his activity has been praised.

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