Tip: Talk to your Dog

You don’t have to be verbally talking to your dog to “talk” to them.

Recently, I was teaching a dog to walk beside me on a leash and the dog owner asked me a question: “Why aren’t you giving my dog any commands?”

My answer was: “Even though I am not giving your dog any verbal commands, I am still giving her plenty of ‘information’. I am communicating to your dog by giving her a consistent leash length, a leash without tension, and a steady pace to follow.” After she learned to walk beside me, I added the verbal commands.

We all talk too much to our dogs. This is natural because they are our companions and we enjoy speaking to them.

Your dog will learn more from watching your body language and feeling your energy than they will from listening to your voice.

When your dog has picked up an inappropriate object in their mouth and you say “Come”….your dog will evaluate your body language, as they hear the command. If you are standing up straight, face front to your dog, with your hands on your hips, feeling annoyed, your dog will to respond to your body language before they respond to your verbal command.

Again, you can “talk” to your dog without actually talking to them! Remember to be aware of what your body language is communicating to your dog!

Happy Training,

Susie 🙂