Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Dog Training – Why You Should Never Shout At Your Dog

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If you have a new puppy in the house and are unclear about whether or not you should use yelling as a way to get him to stop doing something wrong or barking too much, then this dog training article should clear up your confusion about proper dog training.  If anything, you should learn the simple fact that yelling at your dog it does nothing to fix a problem, stop what he’s doing, or induce any type of positive reinforcement.

Yes your dog may stop doing a certain activity temporarily after yelling at him, but he will only return to whatever behavior he was displaying which made you angry in the first place. Why? Because when you shout at your dog it does nothing to fix the issue, yelling only works as a temporary solution.

Most puppies think of their owners as other dogs. And when you start yelling at your pet, it only increases how excited he is about the situation. You also cause your dog to create a negative association between yelling and how he feels around you.  He will soon start to connect yelling with the idea that he is disliked or unwanted, and will not have the ability to know that he is actually breaking a rule that you are trying to establish.

Not All Loud Dog Training Voice Commands Are Bad

Even though yelling at your dog is considered to be of poor communication skills, there are definitely times when dog training you need to firm up the tone of your voice and change the way you come across to him.  There are three general forms of communication in terms of the way you speak to your dog that you can apply:

1. The soothing tone of voice. A soothing and delightful tone of voice should be used whenever you want to give praise to your dog. When you communicate this way, you should be able to relax and soothe him as opposed to creating excitability. Speaking to your puppy in a soothing tone of voice makes him feel secure and proud knowing that you are happy with him.

2. The second tone of voice used when communicating with your dog is more of a direct tone. A direct tone would be the same way you give commands to your puppy when you want to get his attention. It should be short, firm, and authoritative.

3. The third general tone of voice you can use with your dog is more of a disciplinary tone. However, you must learn when dog training to draw a fine line between a disciplinary tone and a yelling tone.  Remember, you do not want to yell your dog but there are certainly times when you need to get across to him to back away from something quickly or to stop doing something immediately, all without actually scaring him off with shouting. Personally,when dog training, I like to use two syllables such as “DOWN BOY” or “SPARKY NO”.

Dog Training – Use The Right Body Language So Your Dog Understands

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Dogs are highly intelligent creatures and many  owners do not give them enough credit when it comes to dog training and how they can read and understand our body language.

Some people have no idea that the body language that we display has a major impact on how well a dog will listen to us and obey our commands. Using the correct form of body language can also quickly stop your dog from displaying an improper behavior.

Let’s use a very common example, such as the overexcited dog who likes to jump on every guest that comes to your door.  We all go through this with our puppy or adult dog at some point in time.  As soon as the guests arrive your dog is overwhelmed with happiness and excitement about who is at the door and whether or not they are going to play with him.

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Do they have dog treats? What do they smell like? Do they want to play? How about I just jump all over them and see? This is exactly what your dog is thinking if we were to decipher his emotional behavior.

And meanwhile, you are giving every command possible to get your dog to stop being so excited and jumping on everyone.  You try shouting but it only makes him more excited.  You try giving harsh and loud “Off” commands but it’s not working.  Eventually, you are so stressed with yelling and trying to pull your dog off that it turns into one big chaotic party.

And yes, the term “party” is a great way to explain it because to your dog you are just joining in on the fun and excitement that he is feeling. Can you see now how your body language and the way you are communicating with her voice comes across to your dog? You are only adding to the situation as opposed to changing our dog’s behavior.

Communicate better with your dog by using the following body language tips

In the above example of the overexcited dog who can’t seem to stop jumping all over the house guests, you understand now that your body language and excitability only made your dog feel more enthused about what it is he was doing. Therefore, you must take a different approach to the situation, regardless of what action you are trying to communicate with your dog.  Below are a few basic body language tips that you can use:

1. When you’re angry at your puppy or adult dog, do not chase him around the house.  You may be upset with them, but to your puppy, he thinks you’re playing a game and he will run around forever.

2. When you give your dog a command, display a very bold and upright body position.  Stand up, chest forward, and head back. Your dog will have more respect and a slight bit of intimidation, which can help with training him.

3. If your dog is extremely excited then do not add to the problem by getting feisty.  Instead, move slowly and talk in a soothing tone of voice.  Display the same behavior you wish him to use.

Doing so will calm him down and it will be much easier to change his behavior. during your dog training

Is Your Dog A Door-Dasher?

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About half of dogs that dash out of doors do so because they are frustrated by captivity. The others are often leader types and either trying to get into the house to socialize with their owners or to continue their social contact by attempting to leave with the owner.

Whatever the basic motivation, the act can be both financially and emotionally costly. Such door-dashing has seriously injured children and elderly people, caused premature birth in pregnant women, resulted in injury and death of the dog and, in many cases, causes an automobile accident when a motorist swerves to miss the dog.

When the problem involves a dog that dashes merely to get out there to run about the neighborhood, avoiding its owners’ pleas to return, the pet is usually unruly in other circumstances as well.

These cases often involve an independent, self-oriented (spoiled) dog. Other factors may involve an early history of unrestricted outdoor activity, followed by restriction because of some problem that has arisen outside (fighting, car chasing, etc.).

Some cases involve continuous frustration relative to neighborhood activities, such as the dog’s “fretting” behind a gate or at a window.

Depending on the excitability of the animal, it may develop the same type of stereotyped behavior seen in fence-running dogs.

Simple freedom-dashing may be tension relieving in itself, or the escaped dog may have a frustration target, such as passing cars, playing children, mail carrier or other animals.

Correcting The Problem

1. Approach the door or gate. (Of course, the door-dasher will be close by.)

2. Given an inward-opening door, abruptly open it no more than 2 inches and abruptly close it. An outward-opening door should be opened no more than an inch and then closed very quickly, or the dog may push through or get a pinched snout.

3. As the door is closed, the owner must abruptly move away from it at least 8 feet and praise the dog for following, after which the owner should be encouraged to remain still for at least a minute. If the dog remains at the door, steps 1, 2 and 3 must be repeated until the dog retreats along with the owner.

4. Step 3 must be repeated until the dog stays away from the door when the owner approaches it and when the door is opened. When this occurs, the door should be opened a full foot. If the pet dashes, the door should again be slammed shut and Step 3 applied with this larger opening.

5. Step 4 is repeated until the door can be opened to its normal exit width, with the dog staying at least 8 feet away from it. When this is accomplished the owner must stay inside, close the door, return to the dog and praise it quietly. Then the owner should remain in the house, going about some other activity for at least half an hour before repeating the procedure.

6. When the dog stays away from the door on the initial approach, the owner should then proceed outside, close the door and stay away for at least 15 minutes, after which she should return as nonchalantly as possible

If this method is applied daily for a few days, most dogs begin to ignore the comings and goings of their owners.

Dogs that are extremely tenacious in their efforts to dash through a door ahead of people often have a long history of frustration about barriers, or are highly motivated by a strong stimulus on the other side of the door.

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