Your Dog Wants You to Know…

                                                                   

If our dogs could talk to us, I’m certain they’d have lots to say.  They’d tell us pizza is good for them and that cats are fair game, but along with this stuff, they’d probably give us some good advice.  Here are some things I think they’d want us to know:

 

“I don’t really understand English, and I don’t always know what you want.”    Unless you’ve taken the time to teach your dog what words and commands mean, you can’t assume that he knows what you want him to do.  We may know what the command “Come” or “Stay” means, but the words are meaningless to him unless you’ve taught him how you want him to respond.

 

“I’m afraid to come to you when you sound angry.”  Dog trainers everywhere will tell you that your dog must always feel safe and welcome when you call him.  Anger or frustration in your voice may cause him to stay away, especially if he has ever been disciplined right after coming to you.  It’s easy to say in theory, but hard to do in practice.  No matter what you’ve had to endure to get him to come, you’ll have to grit your teeth and tell him he’s a Good Boy when he gets to you. 

 

“I don’t do ‘revenge’ and I won’t ‘get back at you’ for something you did.”  Your dog probably didn’t get into the trash can or chew your favorite shoes to get back at you for not taking him to the park.  Chances are he did it to relieve stress, or it was accessible and he was bored.  Thankfully, revenge isn’t an attribute of dogs.

 

“I have a ton of energy that I have to burn off one way or another.”   All dogs need exercise and some breeds need lots of it.  Others are sedentary by nature and can get away with much less.  The amount of physical exercise a particular dog needs should be one of the main things taken into consideration before bringing a dog into the family.  Need for vigorous exercise varies from breed to breed, and from individual to individual.  If you don’t provide the dog with an acceptable way to burn off his energy, you might not like the results.

 

“I’m way too little to feel safe with some kids.”  Some of the tiniest breeds really don’t belong in homes with small children.  The kids will inevitably want to pick up the dog to play with it or dress it up.  Young children don’t know the proper way to handle small dogs, and they can injure them badly, especially if they drop the pup or step on it.  Some tiny breeds are notoriously snappy around small chldren, no doubt a character trait that has its roots in self-defense.

 

“There is a whole world of adventure out there.  My breed was born to chase and to run.  How do you expect me to stay home if my yard has no fence?”   Dog trainers hear this all the time – “My dog won’t stay on my property.”  Physical boundaries such as fences or, in some cases, “invisible” fences are the only real way to keep your dog home unless he’s never let off the leash or is on a tie-out when he’s outdoors.  Get out there and let him experience the world in a safe manner – with you and under control, but keep him safely contained in your yard when he’s outdoors without you.  Don’t expect your hound, husky, or terrier to just sit on the porch.

 

Living in a kennel at the far corner of the yard is so lonely.”  It’s not fair to a dog to make it live in a kennel with minimal attention.  Dogs are social creatures who need to interact with their human families.  Train him and bring him into the house at least part of the time.

 

“I like being a dog.  Why don’t you try to see the world the way I do?”  Try to see things from your dog’s perspective.  It will help you teach him what he needs to know to be the perfect pet.

 

By Dorothy Miner

Dorothy Miner, featured above with her Airedale puppy, "Fergus," is a long-time dog obedience and tracking instructor, judge of canine events, and author.  She teaches weekly classes for the Allen Correctional Institution’s PETS Program in Lima, Ohio and provides training and consultation under the banner of “Sidekicks” and “Training for Dogs and Their People.”