Tips on Dog Training - How to Think Like a Dog

Dogs and are smart, aware, affectionate creatures but don't be fooled. Underneath that lovable, tail-wagging, face-licking exterior lurks a wolf.

For all our efforts at domesticate dogs, they are still very much part of the natural, animal world. It's up to us to recognize this and modify our behavior, rather than expecting them to modify theirs.

How a Dog Sees the World

A dog's thinking is based on drives and instincts. Their basic needs are food, a place to sleep, and a strong pack for protection. This means by extension a strong pack leader, one they are prepared to follow without hesitation. This is where you come in.

Your main role as a dog owner is to provide the leadership your dog needs. Do this and he will obey your every command. Fail and you have a problem dog on your hands.

As you consider this you should think about how you communicate with your dog, because one of the keys to understanding dog communication is that they do not think in words.

Now you are probably thinking about how your dog sits, when you give the command "sit", or looks up when you call his name. What you are seeing is merely word-association. Dogs are incapable of understanding words, what they mainly understand is body language.

They learn to associate actions with actions, so if you praise your dog when he obeys a command, he understands that when he obeys, you react by being pleased with him.

As part of this chain of action and reaction, most dogs learn to react to single words, so he may for example learn to associate the word "walk" with going out, but most likely it is the "pre-walk rituals" - putting on his lead, for example - that he recognizes.

Think Like A Dog

If you want to learn how to think like a dog, first understand that tone of voice and body language trump voice cues every time. By understanding that your dog thinks in images, and responds to actions you will have a much greater influence over him.

Dogs become very tuned into routines. If you always return home at a certain time your dog will anticipate and expect your arrival at that time. If you are caught up in traffic or otherwise delayed the dog may become anxious.

This is because your dog forms expectations based on past actions. The actions you take lead the dog to expect a particular outcome. If that outcome is not carried through it creates anxiety.

How to Be the Alpha Dog

In a wolf pack the Alpha controls all of the actions of the pack including when they eat, when they move and who receives attention.

These are the same things you control in your dog's life. By controlling when he receives food, walks, and attention you reduce frustration and anxiety.

Where does affection come into this? Good question. Giving affection makes you a strong leader if it is given in the right way and at the right time. Given any other way, it marks you out as a pushover. Your dog will sense that and exploit it.

The right time to give affection is when your dog is calm and well-behaved, so that you re-enforce that behavior.

Being consistent, firm and even-handed is what alpha leadership is all about.

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