Don’t Be Afraid To Look Stupid When Training A Dog

Shyness is a top success killer in dog training. Being attractive (and sometimes stupid and funny) is one of the most important tasks dog owners have.

In example, if praising dog after executed command, do you whisper “good… boy… good” or do you yell like crazy “Yeah, Good BOY, that’s the spirit, GOOOOOOD!!!”? See the difference? Your dog does.

Get The Attention Of Your Dog By Acting Funny

When we talk to babies, we usually use funny voice, hand movements and face expressions to get their attention. It’s similar to dogs.

If we, in example, want the dog to come, success is more probable, if we (besides showing a juicy steak) call him in a friendly, bit funny tone, wave our hands or even run in the opposite direction yelling: “Here dog, here!”, clapping our hands and jumping up and down like crazy.

However, many people are afraid to do this in public. I don’t know how it’s where you live, but here, people are usually suspicious about those speaking to themselves or to someone not human. It started to change when blue-tooth headsets for mobile phones appeared, but yet, it’s improving slowly. I heard people are more understanding in other parts of the world, but I don’t know, so giving me a hint about this in comments would be appreciated.

Unfortunately, the more public (that is, the more crowded) the place is,  the more actively you must communicate to your dog in order to hold his attention.

Being Stupid Gives The Result In Dog Training. Who’s Stupid Now?

However, there’s no need to be afraid talking to your dog. I think it’s more embarrassing being in public with a dog who is not listening to you, than acting like a crazy.

After all, being attractive, funny and loud guarantees a success in most dog training situations. By “in most” I mean, when it’s necessary.

In example, if you want your dog to heel, permanent contact is a must, and so is talking to your dog like you would to a baby. On the other hand, when you want your dog to sit, and remain sitting until you release, being calm and steady is a must. And again, if you want to release your dog from sitting, all you have to do is jump up, clap your hands or make a rapid step backward.

Sometimes those actions may look funny, or even stupid to people who know nothing about dog training. But they usually look stupid only untill observers notice what impact they have on your dog.

Photo By: El Frito.

About Mario Monk

Hello, my name is Mario. I love to share what I've discovered while trying to become a better owner to my pets here on PET-happy.com. Currently I'm broadening my field of expertise in cat behavior, so probably you can expect more posts on the topic soon. Creation of most articles are co authored with a veterinarian Signe, who is also my wife. I'm also a bit active on twitter and would be pleased if you chose to follow me.