Common mistakes dog-owners make
There are some things dog owners have been taught incorrectly by their dog trainers or by watching other dog owners. Today we are going to talk about three basic common mistakes dog owners make.
Tone of voice
A dog's hearing is far more developed than the hearing of humans. Dogs are able to register sounds at a greater distance and locate them much more accurately. That is something we should remember when we shout at our dogs. Raising our tone of voice is not the way to impose oneself on a dog – as many erroneously believe. There is no reason to even try to impose oneself on a dog but that is material for another article.
If a dog has not performed the command we gave or has not stopped doing what he should not be doing when we said NO, it means that the dog either does not know the command or simply chose to ignore us. It does NOT mean the dog has hearing problems – unless of course he has and then speaking louder to him makes sense.
A confused dog will not understand us any better if we shout at him and shouting certainly doesn’t make dogs more motivated. It is very important for all dog owners to know exactly how their dogs perceive their world and the signals we give them. Effective training depends on the accurate use of appropriate training methods as well as knowledge of the dog's perceptive abilities. Raising our tone of voice does not make us more austere. Speaking in an austere way is not the same thing as yelling.
Approaching a stranger dog
The way we approach a dog we do not know is very important. Because there are poorly socialized dogs, insecure dogs, dogs with phobias and dogs that are cautious towards humans/strangers.
Incorrectly approaching a dog that falls into the aforementioned categories can cause the dog to bite. Unwillingly “pressing” a dog like that can bring him to a fight or flight state. If the dog is on a leash flight is not a choice , he can easily chose to fight.
The first thing to do when approaching an unknown dog is to ask the dog owner if it is okay to pet him. Do not spread hands with intention to hug, do not extend your hand for the dog to smell, do not get into the dog's personal space and avoid eye contact.
When meeting dogs , always give them sufficient time to engage in greeting ceremonies. Crouch down, turn your head away from the dog and avoid staring at it. Your behaviour then shows self-assurance and friendliness and it is entirely up to the dog to make the next move. Most dogs will then greet in a friendly way. However, some care should be taken, since unfortunately there are dogs who do not seem to recognise friendly behaviour either in humans or other dogs and may attack without warning or inhibition.
My dog is friendly
The fact that your dog is friendly does not give you the right to get close to other dogs out on their walk with intention to meet them or let your dog off the leash in public places unless you have an excellent recall.
There are dogs aggressive towards other dogs and there are dogs that are not aggressive towards other dogs but may react aggressively while on leash.
Respect all dog owners and their dogs and protect your dog from a fight he could start by getting too close to a dog that is not in the mood for making new friends.
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