Dogs make the world a better place.
I love dogs. My family loves dogs. Every day, I work on improving my relationship with my dogs, and every day, my connection with them grows deeper.
Insights
I have worked with trainers in the past; They have trained me more than the dogs. LOL.
Dogs respond to pointing and posture as much, if not more than, audible tone. Your chin, elbows, hands, and head are equivalent to a dog’s ears and tail. Dogs communicate using gestures.
Understand a dog’s motivation before you react to their behavior. I learned to understand that my dog tries to protect or alert me by barking at times. I let him know that he is a good boy before I give him the command to stop.
Always address the dog by name before giving a command or response.
Cowboy, sit.
Always include the name of the command when responding to it.
Cowboy, good sit.
Do not let a dog pull on the leash. Always respond to a pull with a series of pulses. Never simply pull back with a steady force.