Words, Woofs & Meows

For the past two months, I have addressed why dogs can appear to be "stubborn" In my following two columns; I will introduce twelve steps to help you and your dog become best friends for life, a far cry from stubborn. I believe that dogs are never "stubborn" but simply misunderstood.

Step #1 – Focus on being your dog's best friend, not its master.

Be committ ed to the idea that you and your dog are a team working together. Make it your goal to thrive on a life of companionship and the adventures you share, not blind, perfect obedience. Your dog will noti ce your positi ve and considerate atti tude, and it will respond in kind.

Step #2 – Take ti me to learn

about dogs. Your dog is a senti ent being very diff erent than a human and far more complicated than your smartphone. To make the best of

by Don Hanson

ACCBC, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA

your life with your dog, you need to take ti me to learn about your dog. You need to understand its senses, how it communicates, how it interprets communicati on from people, the best ways to teach it, how it expresses emoti ons, what consti tutes normal and abnormal behavior, and what it needs to have a long and happy life. A dog training class taught under the directi on of a credenti aled professional dog trainer or canine behavior consultant should address all of those subjects. Meanwhile, an excellent place to start is with these two books; Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You A Bett er Friend to Your Pet by John Bradshaw and On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas.

Step #3 – Build and nurture a relati onship based on mutual trust.

You cannot be a best friend or have a relati onship with your dog unless you trust one another. Trust is earned. It takes ti me and pati ence, especially if you have a rescue dog who may have had a rough start. While it can take weeks to achieve your dog's trust, that trust can be lost instantly.

Step #4 – ALWAYS be kind and

pati ent. Smile at your dog instead of making "frowny faces." Speak soft ly and gently, not loudly and with an authoritarian tone. Handle your dog gently, and don't grab at them. Never use force or fear to inti midate your dog; instead, be pati ent and help it learn.

Step #5 – Show empathy and understand your dog's emoti ons.

Dogs have a rich emoti onal life and

PHOTO CREDIT: DEBRA BELL experience positi ve emoti ons such as joy and contentment and negati ve emoti ons like fear, grief, and anger. Help your dog through those negati ve moments just as it may try to help you when you feel bad. Understand that an emoti onal response cannot typically be "trained out" of a dog. If you need help addressing your dog's negati ve emoti ons, seek help from your veterinarian or an accredited dog behavior consultant sooner rather than later.

Step #6 – Let your dog make

choices. Trust your dog's insti ncts and understand that it will feel bett er when it has opti ons like you. Be its advocate when it is out in the world. Do not allow others to force your dog to interact.

Step #7 – Understand the world from your dog's point of view.

While we share our dog's fi ve senses of hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch, it prioriti zes them diff erently. For example, we might enjoy a brisk walk around the same block every day, letti ng our minds wander. However, most dogs will enjoy a walk that involves following its nose and making frequent stops to sniff and explore. Your dog may even choose to go in an enti rely diff erent directi on at any moment in ti me. These are prett y incompati ble ways to walk, so it is our responsibility to take your preferred walk without the dog and then take the dog on a walk it will enjoy. Think of it as your dog helping you increase your daily steps. Next month, steps 8 through 12 to be a canine best friend.

Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he isthe co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) and the founder of ForceFreePets.com, an online educati onal resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditati on Board (PPAB)and a Bach Foundati on Registered Animal Practi ti oner (BFRAP). Don is a member of thePet Professional Guild (PPG), where he serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committ ee and chairs the Advocacy Committ ee. He is also a founding director of Pet Advocacy Internati onal (PIAI). In additi on, Don produces and co-hosts The Woof Meow Showpodcast,available at htt p://bit.ly/WfMwPodcasts/,the Apple Podcast app, and Don's blog: www.words-woofs-meows.com.The opinions in this post are those of Don Hanson.

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