Tone of Voice and Focus
This past week this topic came up for discussion in one of my group classes, so I thought it would be a good one to share with you…my Training Tribe peeps.
Remember that tone of voice your mom used with you when you did something wrong? When you heard it, you k-n-e-w you are were in trouble.
Dogs also respond to that “mom voice”, which can be handy when you are in a pinch, but if you use it all the time, for everyday cues when asking for something …. that will diminish the value of your voice.
Dogs think of life as a game, they want to have fun, and their fun does not always equal our fun. Here is an example …. Your dog is outplaying the yard, he finds a fun critter hole and is now digging away. We see yard destruction and work in our future to fix it, your dog is having the time of his life.
You then call your dog with a stern “come”, what does your dog do?
Most are so into their zone that they keep on digging. Some may pause their actions for a split second, then continue with their fun. A few may stop and come to you, but honestly, that is not the norm and is generally done out of fear of punishment.
I often get the question, “well, then how do you get your dog to stop?”. My answer may surprise you….
You have to be MORE FUN than the hole that your dog is digging in. Yes, I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now. But hear me out.
Remember when I said life is a game? If your dog knows he/she will have more fun when they come to you, they will leave what they are doing and happily come on over. For those of you who will now say “that does not work”, I challenge you to be more fun!
Your dog is the one that has the fun gauge. Just like when training with some treats that are lower value, and you may have to pull out the steak. This is the same thing!
Trust me, I too struggle with this AND I AM A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER!
Here is the bottom line, we are always building our relationships with our dogs, each interaction shapes it. The more you can highlight the positive interactions, over the negative, your dog will start to duplicate the positive more and more. It is truly that simple.
So, lighten up your tone of voice, start looking at life through your dog’s eyes, you just may be surprised how much more willing your dog is to cooperate and play the game with you!
Essential Oil Tip:
I even recommend applying topically 20 minutes before heading out to dog class, I can literally tell when my clients use their oils ahead of time, in most cases it is day and night in the dog’s behavior and ability to learn with distractions.
Upcoming online education opportunities:
A huge thank you again to all of you who attended my “tester launch” for my newest online essential oil class for dogs. I am working on tweaking it from your feedback and it will be ready for an official launch later in April.
Also, for those of you who are part of my Paws 4 Essential Oils FB group, I am working on a new Animal EO Bootcamp (this name may change…I am still working on it). This 3-4 day educational opportunity will be FREE, I will be sharing the basics that everyone should know before and after they start using oils with their pets. Stay tuned for more info on this exciting new endeavor!!
CONNECT WITH ME! Join our Training Tribe and get a Free EO Dog Cheat Sheet
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