Poodles don’t speak French…Corgies don’t speak Welsh
Bulldogs don’t speak English and Setters don’t speak Gaelic
Now you’re beginning to understand the challenge. Dogs don’t come with a language translation handbook no matter what country you live in.
Dogs have great communication skills. They communicate with us all the time. The catch is that they communicate in their own language. Our responsibility as pet guardians is to learn what they’re trying to communicate to us, as well as help them understand what we expect of them.
Dogs struggle to navigate our world. Some live in high rises with elevators, while others learn to settle into the chaos of yardmen, buses, kids, and delivery men. They’re so eager to please their guardians and so willing to try to understand what we expect of them.
Those of us sharing our lives with dogs experience lower blood pressure as well as living longer more fulfilling lives. We get more exercise, socialize with other dog owners, and definitely laugh more!
When volunteering at animal shelters, I saw dogs thrown into the shelter due to the lack of manners, because no one took the time to teach them. It became apparent that the honeymoon between humans and dogs was often over when the dog was between the ages of 6-months and 1.5-years. These weren’t “bad” dogs. These were dogs who were neglected because their guardians were unwilling or unable to help them make the transition from exuberant wild child to a well-behaved canine citizen.
We need to remember that dogs are a different species trying to live in a human world. Once taught, these domesticated wild animals have the ability to understand the meaning of verbal commands (or specific sign language). These amazing companions have learned how humans communicate verbally!
“Debbie came to our home to help us with our two dogs. She helped us better understand their body language and how to better communicate with them. Her approach was effective and fun. I would highly recommend her if you need help training your dogs.”