Training Your Pyr

Training Topic:  Doggie Language
by
Natalie Wolf
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
GPRS Adopter and Volunteer

As both an owner and a trainer I often wish I could just talk to my dogs..."How are you feeling?  What is bothering you?  Why are you doing that?  You are safe here; I promise I will come back.  How can I make this better for you?"

Sometimes a dog communicates with me really clearly.  There's the unmistakable full body wiggle of happiness and the equally unmistakable barking/snarling dog that is telling me to stay away.  But what about everything in between?  Knowing the more subtle cues our dogs use to show discomfort or unease can make life much easier for our dogs, and help us prevent training and behavior problems before they start.

Take a look at the Doggie Language poster and then watch your dog carefully for a few days in a variety of situations.  How often do they shake off as if they were wet?  That's your dog's way of shaking off excess stress or excitement, and a good indicator that something in their environment is a challenge for them.  Suddenly sniffing the ground like it's the most interesting thing in the world?  That's a great avoidance tactic.  "If I don't look at that scary thing, it will just go away."  A big lick over the nose is your dog's way of trying to soothe themselves.

Once you notice some of these signals, start paying attention to the environment when they happen.  What might be there that is making your dog uncomfortable?  If you are able to give them a little space do they start to relax?  Just like people, it's difficult for our dogs to learn, train, or relax in situations that are stressful, and it helps to remember that every dog (and person) has a different idea of what is stressful.

Once I learned to pay attention to what my dogs were telling me I was able to make better decisions on their behalf.  I realized that my sweet sensitive Pyr actually found our therapy visits at the hospital stressful, so we stopped going.  Hanging out at the library while kids read him books was much more his speed.  I discovered that my leash reactive Pyr was giving me a lot of signals before she turned into a barking snarling maniac at the end of her leash and I used that to help her feel better about seeing dogs on our walks.  It is our job as owners to advocate for our dogs and set them up for success.  So, what's your dog telling you?

Natalie and Grace

This poster and other great graphics can be found here.  It's a site I use frequently.
Check it out!  https://www.doggiedrawings.net/educational

Natalie

(Check back next month for some more great training tips from GPRS volunteer trainers!)