Critical Canine

Now that we have had time to examine the first reason of “why dogs disobey us”, today we will explore the second reason why.  Confusion. 

 It takes little effort to convince ourselves that our pets have a cognitive understanding of the words spoken verbally to them. Therefore we rely heavily upon the spoken language to command our dogs. But the actual WORD that is being spoken to the dog has little value; rather, the tone and body language that accompanies the word are more telling. For example, you come home from a long day’s work, you walk in the door and immediately greet your dog. With a smile on your face and a high pitched baby talk, you simultaneously touch the dog but just want the dog to sit and be calm. Your expectation is for the dog to sit; however, your tone, body language, and touching of the dog communicate a completely different thing, therefore causing Confusion.   

Timing and consistency play a role in removing Confusion. Dogs have a short memory and need to be rewarded/corrected with that in mind. Rubbing a dog’s nose in it’s potty accident is not only cruel but ineffective for timing purposes. Marker/Clicker training can be effective as long as the mark comes when the desired behavior is displayed.   

To remove as much Confusion as possible, it is vital to have a layered obedience system. One that allows the dog to hear, see, and feel a clear communicated command to the dog from the owner. Here at Critical Canine, our obedience system incorporates each of those layers into communicating with your dog. Once you remove the Confusion, the dog can begin to focus on you.