Learning to connect with dogs and how they interact with each other takes time and practice.
Rules of engagement
- Be an OBSERVER
- Train you, to observe objectively and to accurately label dog body language. For example, dog’s eyes are glazed and mouth is open rather than ” Hey this is a happy dog.”
- Watch Dogs Play. Record short videos and write down your observations to train your eyes to correctly identify what you see.
- Basic training principles. Dog obedience training by Ross Allan.. wrote that dogs learn and remember by exercises being conducted in a repetitive manner.
- Praise the dog.
- Act like a Human. It’s an outdated misconception that humans should be dominant over dogs. “when we try to act like a dog using muzzle grabs, alpha rolls and scruff shakes, we likely appear unpredictably aggressive through the dog’s eyes, “says Loehr. Dogs don’t see us as dogs and are likely to respond better to quiet, non-threatening body language.
- Keep Calm – if a loose dog comes charging, remember these key actions to make you appear less threatening:
a) Stop all movement
b) Avert eye contact
c) Turn sideways
d) Cross or lower arms