Fun Ways To Achieve Better Dog Behavior

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All dog owners, whether their animals are purebred, show champions or cross-bred works of art, want their pets to be a well mannered part of the family. In order to accomplish this, dogs need to be able to listen, think, comprehend and execute good manners on their own. Dogs, like people, are unique individuals. Therefore, it must be understood that not every training method works the same way for every dog.

The biggest set back to training a dog is its human family, not in a negative way, but in a perplexed sense. Ask 10 people the same question and you’ll likely get 10 different answers! People consistently have their minds saturated with thoughts and judgments which leads to sending cross messages to your dog. Cross messages an lead your dog to make poor choices, causing frustration for both of you. For example: you leave your dog unattended in the house and come home to find your pet has been naughty. As a result, you have fear and anxiety about leaving your dog alone. You may even say verbally "OK Fido, I’m trusting you, be a good boy, don’t chew, I’ll be back soon." If Fido is still doing naughty things, it may be because he’s receiving cross messages. A cross message happens when you are verbalizing one concept while in reality your head is busy telling you all the reasons your verbal concept isn’t going to happen! So if you verbalize to Fido, "Don’t chew" and in your head you’re thinking he’s going to chew everything in sight, odds are Fido will chew, even if it wasn’t on his mind. Had you mentally imagined a sleeping dog and said, "Hey Fido, just be lazy while I’m gone," Fido probably will be sleeping the whole time you’re absent.

All thoughts and speech produce a variety of different vibrations. These vibrations are the animals’ key for comprehending the world around them. When communicating with your dog, it’s important for you to use words, thoughts and phrases which in themselves hold a complete concept or picture. Feel how each of the following words form a picture with feelings in your mind, thus creating a path for comprehending how you should act, feel and respond: Be a gentleman, Be a lady, You slob. Thief. How rude. Are you listening? Be with me, Here. Here, now. Pardon me! Lazy. Think about it. Is that yours? Gorgeous, picture perfect, wait, soft, hard, stroll, walk. Let’s go, Are you ready?, Look at me. Thank you. The point is, some words make it hard for you to react favorably and others make you open and flexible. Example: I am unwilling to stay home for a phone call. Yet if you would ask me to wait for the phone call, I will have the patience because the word wait has a calm and acceptable vibration. The phrase Look at me urges a positive response towards the giving of uninterrupted attention, listening and focusing. The word bad implies becoming rotten. The vibration of rotten is inflexible, once something is rotten, it’s bad, never to be good again!

So, let’s begin to replace cross messages and frustration with fun? Play the following vibration game with your dog for the next week. By the time you finish playing this game you will notice favorable changes in your dog’s behavior.

The vibration game ground rules are: 1) For the next week you must believe your dog can think, reason and comprehend your thoughts. 2) You should use the following vibrational words instead of your normal commands (for those who have performance dogs, you can improvise as needed) replace "bad" or "naughty" with "rude" or "How rude", instead of commanding "Stay," use the words "Please wait" or "Wait here." To keep Fido near you, use the phrase "Be with me" or "Be with me, here, now" (the phrase "Be with me", implies a connection both physically and mentally between Fido and you. The words "Here, now" vibrates the urgent need to be next to you). 3) Before correcting your dog, you should pause a moment and take at least 3 very deep breaths. "No’s" are not allowed. You should say the following phrases instead of no: "Enough" or "Pardon me" (while mentally imagining: What is wrong here?) "Are you listening"? "Pardon me, I’m talking with you". When Fido is touching or mistreating something that isn’t his personal toy, dish, etc., ask "Is that yours?" If no response, say "Fido, are you listening? Is that yours?" When Fido drops the object say, "Thank you for listening." (Always ask Fido if you may touch his personal toys or dish, showing him how to ask before touching or taking someone else’s things) 4) When Fido is around others, say "Fido, be a gentleman." If no response ask, "Did you hear me?" Where are your manners? Please start acting like a gentleman now. Thank you!" A lady or a gentleman is always polite with manners. A dog jumping up, being pushy or growling is not acting like a lady or gentleman!

Let’s pretend you don’t want Fido in the kitchen, here’s what I recommend: breath very deeply 3 times (this allows your though process to become calm and clear) then mentally image the goal you want Fido to accomplish. Now say "Excuse me, but Fido you’re not invited in the kitchen, please leave." If Fido doesn’t respond, simply breathe very deeply and mentally imagine your dog outside of the kitchen again. Now, without speaking (remember a picture is worth a thoughts and words ), gently begin to physically urge Fido out of the kitchen. If you can do this without facing him, all the better. For instance, gently push him with your backside, while making it impossible for him to go around you. When Fido is outside of the kitchen, face him and say "What a gentleman you’re being, thank you for listening."

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Rest assured, if you keep playing the vibration game with your dog, you will begin to see amazing results. Keep and open mind and use the following analogy as a good perspective for better understanding your dog. Analogy: You are a stranger in a foreign country with different customs and culture. You are staying with a host family but you don’t know how to speak their language, yet you can sometimes sense the vibrations of their feelings. Given time and clear vibrations, you will comprehend your foreign environment. Just because you’re a stranger in a foreign environment, doesn’t mean that you’re stupid!

Your dog is a stranger in a human environment, give him a chance to learn your language. You don’t need to limit your dog to a language of commands like Heel, Come, Stay, etc. in order for you dog to understand and listen to you. If you understand this concept, then simply transfer this logic to your dog/human relationship and begin having an even depper and more positive relationship with your dog. The age of your dog doesn’t matter. Be loving, consistent and have fun playing the vibration game. You get extra points for kisses and hugs!

Shirley Hyatt has been helping people communicate with their animal friends over the last 20 years. Beyond conducting workshops, classes, consultations and helping various non profit animal groups, she is finishing her book on "The Lost Art of Inter-species Communications" due out early in 1997.

All comments regarding this article are welcomed. Write to: Winning Communications, 23926 Oakmont Way, Auburn, CA 95602. For consultations, workshops and other information, call (916) 268-9726.