Body Language - Dog Trainer in Milton Ontario

Huge eyes, tense muscles and quick movement are all saying, "throw the ball dammit!"

Dogs are very skilled creatures with reading body language, so be careful what you say with your movements.

Actually, most animals are masters in communication of subtle shifts and changes in the body and face. Because animals do not possess a spoken language such as ours, they reply on the language of the body (as well as grunts, growls, howls, barks, squeaks etc.) for communicating with others. Because dogs have to live with us, deal with us and rely on us, they've become masters at reading us.

Observe your dog next time you make a move towards the leash hanging at the door. Often times this means an outing for your companion, which for them, can garner extreme excitement. As you make your way towards the leash, you wonder, how does he know? Is he reading my mind? Does he know what I'm thinking, that I'd like to stroll with him? Wouldn't it be interesting if dogs were clairvoyant; though it would be almost impossible for them to tell us the winning lottery numbers, and then, really, what's the point in seeing into the future? Alas, they are not all seeing, all knowing mystical creatures, rather, they are picking up cues from your movements about what is going to happen next.

Why is knowing this so important? Well, during training, this can mean the difference between a good recall and a great one. If you are not interested in competing with your dog in formal venues, then you don't need to worry about the fancy sit on recall or finish on recall. What you need to worry about is that your dog will recall, period. Standing stiff, barking out an order, and looking somewhat menacing, is not enticing your dog to come to you nor will running after him when he decides not to listen (instead, that turns into a game of haha, you can't catch me on the dogs behalf). Moving away in a playful gesture, crouching down, and making your voice "biscuit" smooth will definitely entice your dog to come. Why the difference? Your body language is saying I'm fun to be with, and who doesn't want to be with someone fun?

Dogs are also great at communicating with us using body language, though we usually get a C- in understanding what they mean. When you eat your lunch, and your dog is observing you, keenly, waiting for a morsel to drop, watch them as they look at you, look at your plate, look at you, look at your plate, and so on. It's pretty easy to imagine what they mean by this, but often times these communications go unnoticed.

Overall, it is important to remember what our bodies are saying to our dogs during training, as this can greatly improve the results that you will see. And, keep in mind that it is also important to observe what our dogs bodies are saying to us. Who knows, one day it might be something profound.