This is "Hoss," my 9 year old working Labrador Retriever. He is the inspiration for the K9 Education Center! I've been training dogs my whole life, and teaching people and dogs to understand one another for the last ten. When I take Hoss to the park, I realized that people were attracted to my dog, and it was more than his good looks. People noticed how fit and young he looked, and they noticed how well he followed my commands as I put him through his favorite exersizes.
They don't call 'em "retrievers" for nothing! When I let him of the lead at the water's edge, I realized that others found it impressive that Hoss would walk around me, sit at the heel, and wait for me to throw the dummy. When I let the dummy fly, and Hoss waits at the heel, eyes glued to his reward, I've gotten cheers when I finally send him without a word.
"How did you teach him that?" People would ask me, and soon I found myself showing other people how to teach their dogs. Most people, of course, just wanted to teach their dogs how to heel, come when called, stop barking or chewing. In short, they wanted to know how to make their dogs behave.
There is no need to make your dog do anything. Dogs are naturally amenible to following a leader. Absent a leader the dog will instinctively become the leader in order to fill the void. Most dogs do not want this unenviable job and will willingly hand over the leadership role as soon as their human owner can communicate this to the dog.
Dogs can't speak. Their language is action and interation. Luckily for us humans, we have the intellectual ability to learn other languages and way to communicate. We can very easily learn "how to speak dog," in fact, if you have a dog, you already do it. If your dog is having problems it is because you are communicating to your dog that this is proper behavior.
By understanding how and why your dog interprets your intentions this way, you will then be able to let your best friend know what you really are saying. Once your pup knows what's expected, it's amazing how readily they change and how better off they are for it.
They don't call 'em "retrievers" for nothing! When I let him of the lead at the water's edge, I realized that others found it impressive that Hoss would walk around me, sit at the heel, and wait for me to throw the dummy. When I let the dummy fly, and Hoss waits at the heel, eyes glued to his reward, I've gotten cheers when I finally send him without a word.
"How did you teach him that?" People would ask me, and soon I found myself showing other people how to teach their dogs. Most people, of course, just wanted to teach their dogs how to heel, come when called, stop barking or chewing. In short, they wanted to know how to make their dogs behave.
There is no need to make your dog do anything. Dogs are naturally amenible to following a leader. Absent a leader the dog will instinctively become the leader in order to fill the void. Most dogs do not want this unenviable job and will willingly hand over the leadership role as soon as their human owner can communicate this to the dog.
Dogs can't speak. Their language is action and interation. Luckily for us humans, we have the intellectual ability to learn other languages and way to communicate. We can very easily learn "how to speak dog," in fact, if you have a dog, you already do it. If your dog is having problems it is because you are communicating to your dog that this is proper behavior.
By understanding how and why your dog interprets your intentions this way, you will then be able to let your best friend know what you really are saying. Once your pup knows what's expected, it's amazing how readily they change and how better off they are for it.
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