subject: How To Become A Dog Whisperer [print this page] Dogs are highly-intelligent animalsDogs are highly-intelligent animals. On the scale of creature aptitude, dogs fare at a mental level akin to a four-year-old child in understanding human language. Dogs far excel humans in the ability to maneuver, smell, see and hear...and they readily sense changes in human mood. They are quickly able to appraise situations, people and other dogs, both threatening and non-threatening. This makes them attentive, as it also contributes to a bit of attention-deficit behavior. Finding the balance between the natural inclinations of the animal and what is desired of him is the work of the Dog Whisperer.
The right combination of approach-ability, maintaining interest and exhibiting non-aggressive behavior toward the dog is key to developing rapport with the animal. This groundwork paves the way to better performance for the trainer and a better working relationship and experience for the dog.
Dogs Love Surprises
A dog shows the greatest interest in new things. His ears will come up, his tongue will be pulled back into his mouth and he will freeze in place. His gaze will be directed at the object of his interest...he is assessing the situation to identify what a person, object or animal is, that he is seeing or hearing. He is also making a determination if the thing offers something good, or if it is something to be avoided. Once he is satisfied he has identified the new thing as non-threatening, he will ignore it and go about, looking for new things. This is because dogs LOVE surprises and will hunt for them.
When the trainer shows interest in something, the dog naturally follows suit. Dogs, as social animals, take a number of cues from their companions when assessing their environment. If their companions are uneasy, they will be uneasy, too. If their companions are playful, they will want to play. The Dog Whisperer works off this natural tendency by continually offering the dog something new to discover. When integrated into learning tasks, not only will the dog show attentiveness, he is eager to learn, enjoying the trainer and the training process.
Tools of the Trade
Every Dog Whisperer worth his or her salt carries certain items when working with new, as well as familiar, dogs. These are a small squeaky toy, a pocket of tasty nibbles and a lead. When the dog shows distracted disinterest, the unexpected, short cry of the squeaky toy will make him stop in his tracks. Calling his name clearly, then squeezing the toy once to make it wail, will bring him forward. Say his name again when he comes up to you, looking for the source of the sound. Put a tasty nibble under his nose and you'll have his complete attention.
by: Peter Wendt
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