How To Communicate With Your Dog Effectively
73Just like communication between humans, in order to communicate with your dog effectively, the conversation has to go both ways. First you have to try to understand what your dog is telling you through his/her nonverbal expressions, and then you will be understood in return. Here are some good little tips on how to talk and listen to your dog.
1. The eyes are the windows to the soul
Look into your dog's eyes, and you'll see whether he is happy, sad, bored frisky or grumpy. If he blinks rapidly, it could mean that he is nervous or feels threatened by something. If he blinks repeatedly after you give him a command, it means he is deciding whether or not to obey.
2. Barking is not babbling
Dogs don't just bark meaninglessly the same way some humans babble. So listen closely to how your dog barks. A short bark at a medium pitch is a friendly greeting. Long drawn-out barks at a high pitch with pauses between each one imply that he is bored and lonely. If he barks at you falteringly, he is asking you to play with him. If he barks fast and continuously, it usually means he either senses some problems or sees a stranger invading his territory. Some dog owners who know their dog very well can even tell by the tone of their dog's bark whether the person who is approaching their house is a friend or a stranger.
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3. The Tell Tail Heart
Have you ever noticed how your dog wags his tail? There is a new study about dog tail wagging, which is pretty interesting. The study says that when a dog wags his tail predominantly to the right, it means he is excited and glad to see you. If he wags his tail to the left, he is also excited but in an unsure or anxious way. So if you find a street dog staring at you and wagging his tail to he left, I suggest that you'd better back off.
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4. Lick and Lean
You should often allow your dog to lick you or lean against you. Young puppies lick their mother's lips when they beg for food. When dogs lick people, it's a sign of affection and submission. When your dog leans against you, it usually means he is counting on you and asking for your protection. If a dog nudges you in the crotch, don't feel too strange or push him off coldly; he's just trying to get to know you from your scent.
5. Find the message behind your dog's graffiti
Urine marking is a way of communication for dogs. He does not pee on the wall just because he's rude. The areas he unrinates on could indicate his territoriality or possessiveness. So try to observe where he marks and you will be able to understand his concerns better.
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6. Less is More
Dogs can understand lots of words, but most of them, just like kids, don't understand and don't like hearing lengthy sentences. Therefore when you tell your dog to do things, keep your command short and simple. Try to say it slowly. Enunciating is even better. Believe it or not, dogs can also pick up on your tone of voice and learn what kind of mood you are in, then respond accordingly. So watch your tone of voice when you talk to your dog. A grumpy owner will likely make a mean dog.
7. Quit the redundancy
When you were a kid, did you like your parents to tell you the same thing over and over again? I suppose you didn't. Well, dogs don't like it when you repeat yourself too often either. In fact, voice commands should be said just once for the most effective result. Most dogs are not stupid. They can hear things better than you do. If they don't respond, it doesn't mean they're not hearing you, but they just decide not to listen. What you can do is find another way to say that same command. Be tricky. Be creative. Outsmart your dog. Don't just simply repeat yourself.
8. Speak with your body
Sometimes when your voice command doesn't work so well, you should also use your body language to maximize the effectiveness of your order. Dogs can actually understand our gestures very well. For example, when you point at something, he won't assume you're just stretching your arm, but will look toward where you're pointing.
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Aww...you don't think dogs should wear clothes, huh? Well, that's understandable; you are a guy. I guess only women like to see their dog dressed up in a little outfit. It's silly I admit, but cute. hehehe
It is simply too much for my taste. I am obviously quite old fashioned and taught, that a dog is an animal and not a human.
But, it doesn't mean, that even I didn't dressed 2 of my wife mother's dogs for cold winter days, when I went out with them, because they were so 'very spoiled or just modern'.
Thank you for your comment!
Aha, so "anti-cutesieness" = "old-fashioned". I see. lol
Thanks for stopping by again, solarshingles. =D
great hub....now i feel better that when my dog pees on me he is actually saying he loves me
That's right, funnebone! LOL You should let him pee on you three times a day.
obviosly dogs are just as intelligent as us, why would anyone think otherwise? i mean, its not as if they are dum because they cant speak you know, Animals are cleaver enough to speak to eachother by not making a sound, something far more complex that just blerting out careless speach! in fact, if you take a look around , were the odd ones out!!!
Yeah, exactly!
This was a great hub. Thanks for the information.
this website is so helpful
this page is so awesome! my 2 pitbulls (one of them is a mix)
and the mixed one is SO naughty this really helped
ive got a baby jack russel too!
i have a 1 year old jackruussel
shes to cute but my dog wears clothes all the time and yet shes not spoiled
Amyone's dog communicate with snorts or fake sneezes or like a heerumphs like sound? And anyone whoose dog will not and never licks an owners hand or face? Those that were not taught to not lick. If so what breed and have you owned other dogs of that same breed that don't lick people or other dogs?
Fake sneezes? And no licking? Wow i've never heard of a dog like that.
this has realy helped. my dog is always realy mischevious and loves to cause trouble. but i have always wanted to 'talk' to him and this hub has helped a LOT
Cool! So glad to hear that. :)
Lol puppiees r cool too but sometimes........nevermind but this works very well!
My toy poodle does a fake sneaze that indicates he wants to play.....Great site. Thanks
LOL that's funny. Thanks for sharing. :)
this hub has really helped me i have a staffy cross pitbull who is 2 and he is so cheeky and mischevious but he is an amazing listener wen he wants to be that is... so hopefully i can teach him that i know wat he is on about lol.....
i also have a bitch who is staffy cross and i have never met a more abideient pup as she is and she is only 1.
Hi Baby Doll. Both your dogs sound awesome. With fun companions like them, you will probably never get bored. Thanks for sharing! :)
wow this sure did come in handy,I love this thing.
Really good and useful information.
I'll have to pay attention to that tail wagging. I had never heard about the direction of tail wagging meaning different things.
My mother's Pomeranian dog that we inherited thinks he is a hearing aid dog. If the telephone rings, he barks. If my husband or I call to each other from another room, he barks. When the garage door goes up, he barks. Not to mention barking at things he sees looking out windows...he is quite the noisy boy!
I enjoyed reading this hub and also enjoyed your humorous answers to some of the people who have commented. Rated up!
Haha my mom's Poodle is pretty much like your Pom. Barking is his expertise! :)
Om, I didn't know about the tail wagging thing, I'll have to watch my dogs to see which way they wag. My puugle curves herself into a comma shape when she is excited to see me. I wonder if it means anything more than "Hi". Great hub.
Hi, KoffeeKlatch. Your puugle has a very interesting and adorable body language. Maybe she means to say, "Hug me, please." :)
I'm not even a dog person, but after seeing these little videos I want one!
Hehehe...glad to hear that. Hope you get one soon. :)
This was great! I have a very strong bond with my 4 dogs. I can tell they respect and love me as much as I love them. And they are all lickers! People tell me they have never seen such a licky collie. I love kisses from my doggies and cuddles too. After a walk they'l all gather around me to cuddle. They now respond to 'kisses' and 'cuddle'!! :)
How cute. Thanks for sharing your story. :)
my border collie cross doesnt make much noise, but she has every expression in the book. She goes out of her way to get her wants and needs across. She goes to my husband for support and guidance, and she comes to me for love and understanding. She has occational seizures and runs to my husband when she feels one coming on. But for food or when she is unsure she runs directly to me.
Sounds like you guys are really great owners. It's nice that you understand your dog so well. Thanks for sharing your lovely story with us. :)
I really enjoyed the content and videos. I especially like the video with Maggie the dog that did math.
Hey dude now that I'm not a hamburger and Irene is gone I can hub a little bit more lol. :) I LOVE this hub! I was just reading someone else had a dog Maggie as well, but it wasn't the same Maggie. Anyway, about the tail wagging, if I had my say she'd have her tail. I have a Rottie and her whole behind wags when she sees kids because she has to sit in order for them to pet her. So, how do I tell which kind of wag she's doing (other than that kids=bum-wag)? Everything in both these hubs are the same. One of this guys hubs has your keyword "CommunicationWithYourDog."
My dog has NEVER went potty on the floor up until recently although she lets me know when she needs out. The problem is, I've also trained her not to wake me, unless, say a fire or someone at the door, so now with age my ol gal is losing her kidney function so rather than wake me she goes by the door. I feel so bad for her because she puts her head down like she's been bad, and I tell her she's not bad to "wake mommie it's ok" so do you think it's the "old dog-no new tricks"? Cos I don't scold her, she can't hold it and I sleep like the dead! Any idea's on how to get her to learn to wake me? (Mets outfit is totally cute btw):)
Awwwww poor thing. I don't know.....well...Does she usually have to do her bathroom business about the same time everyday? If so, maybe you can try to wake yourself up (hehehe lazy hamburger!)and take her out around that time to make her feel like it's a routine and there's nothing wrong if she has to wake you up during those hours. Not sure if it will work or not but you try. :)
When i look my dog in the eyes, she just stares into my eyes. Today, she doesn't look like she's feeling very well. I just wnat to know if she's mad, sad, happy, or she doesn't feel well. Please help!
Hmmmm....I'm not sure how I can help you, Rylee. I've never met your dog. These 8 tips are pretty much all I know. Hope you dog is ok.
we have got a patterdale rescue dog of about 2 years of age... instead of his name, if we want him we call sausages and he comes running, but when we take him for walks and let him off the lead he runs off for a few hours then comes home and sits by the gate.. obviously we are worried one day people will see him on his own and take him, so how can we train him to come back when on walks?
Hi, Emmyy. Honestly, I have no idea how to train a dog to do that. It's not recommended to let your dog off-leash during a walk, by the way. Ideally, if your dog isn't properly trained, you should allow him to run free only in your own backyard or a fenced dog park.
Hi.i have a dog and her name is husky.and she's turning 5 months 2day.and i need 2 know and understand my dog better how to really communicate with her and i dont knw how plz help
Hi John. These tips are pretty much all I know about communicating with dogs. If you want to learn more advanced techniques, maybe you should consult a pro dog trainer.
Thanks maybe i should try that thanks omparampoonya.
You're welcome :)
What if my dog is old can I still do that stuff he knOws how to spell like when I spell R I D E he kkows what I am saying
My dog is ten do u think I can teach him a trick like shake???
The most important I think is that you show your dog you are the boss.
@Cheyanne - I believe old dogs are still trainable. But don't ask me how. You'll need to consult a pro dog trainer about that.
@Turkic - That might be true. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thought.
An interesting and useful hub.
Thank you for sharing.
Take care;
Eddy.
Thanks for dropping by, Eddy. Glad you like this hub :)
yeah right...,,,, my dog's name is cute.. she really understands my feeling....when im crying she comforts me....when she know that she have done bad, she felt sorry .....i love her
amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow!!!!!!!
I found this site by when I was searching about my dog's fake sneezing habits. I see Dave had the same issue but it was 2 years ago. I have a Valley Bulldog (half English Bull half Boxer) who is extremely lovable, but like Dave's dog above - he doesn't lick at all but rather fake sneezes on everyone and everything! I tell people it's his way of saying welcome to MY home....lol
@Christine - That's so cute. How do you know he wasn't really sneezing, though?
that info is very helpful i never knew about the tail
stuff
Thanks, eddie. Glad you found these tips helpful!
I love my dog! His a weimeraner and understands almost everything we say to him, we didn't train dim to do anything except shake, but he knows exactly when we tell him no he stops when we tell him to go chek out the yard he walks around the house! We can even tell him food and he will be so extatic! He does the u-shape with his body too when we come home from school or someware, we love and respect him and he gives us the same back, at night iv watched him every half hour he would walk around the house and make sure everything is okay, Amazing how he does this, uur.. How does he know how to do all this? =)
@ZaYp3r - I have no idea how he did all that stuff, but he does sound like a very smart and adorable dog!
solarshingles 4 years ago
I simply love this nice hub! So very real and practical. Your video: 'Puppy Potty Training' is especially educational!!!
p.s.
the only thing, which I don't like are that silly dog dresses at amazon