Body language and spacial pressure, along with eye contact, are huge in dog communication. Dogs aren’t verbal, so they rely on these things to communicate with each other, along with the noises that they make. Body language isn’t just a way for dogs to communicate with each other, but is also a way for us to communicate with dogs, and one that is often over looked and under used.
In this short video I will describe a way that we can use body language and spacial pressure to communicate to a young puppy what we want. It’s not always about obedience commands, and often, in many in home situations, obedience commands aren’t needed. Rather it is about being calm and clear to our dogs. Often we muddle our intentions for them with too many words, and too much energy, and then we get irritated when the dog isn’t understanding or doing what we ask. Using spacial pressure and body language gets the job done without overwhelming our dogs with endless words that they may or may not understand.
I encourage you to try this with your own dogs, as long as you are not experiencing any aggression issues. Remaining calm and consistent is key, just like it is with obedience training, but also quiet and meaningful. Often, less words and more action is better for the dog.
Happy training!
Smart Dogs Canine Training Milton 