Getting Started Day Nine - Canine NOT Human...


You are more than half way through the first 14 Days. Congratulations!  Your relationship with Puppy is a barometer of what you and Puppy are learning. Below are facts to help prevent common misconceptions people have about dogs. What we have here is a species-specific failure to communicate.

1.  Dogs are not democratic. They see other canines and humans as either above or below them in rank. Humans tend to treat household dogs as equal children. This is hard-wired.  Go with it!

2.  Dogs do not speak English. They do reflect our emotions but that doesn't mean they understood what we said or did. They read body language and voice tones better than they understand our words.

3.  Say what you mean - mean what you say.  Our words, hand signals and tone need to ALL say the same thing to keep learning fun and stress-free. Don't say, "Stay" if you really mean, "Wait."  Most people that believe they have a bad dog, actually have a confused dog.
 

Parenting Tips™ for Puppy