Communication with Your Canine

Communication With Your Canine Understanding the Native Language of the Domestic Dog

Relationships are built on communication, so having a common language that both sides can understand is of paramount importance. Part of that is the lingua franca of the training language that you create with your dog.

But before that…there is instinct and the dog’s native language. The one HE comes with. How well do you really “speak dog?”

It takes years of observation to get really good at this, and it requires seeing huge volumes of dogs, not just in training, but interacting more freely in large groups.

How are you supposed to get that experience? Well, video and photographs are a huge help and indispensable in your education. But just looking at film footage and photographs is not the answer. You need interpretation.

When I wrote “Canine Body Language” it was 5 years of intensive research, some of it going on in my own home, in which 10 dogs, primarily Smooth Fox Terriers were living in, sometimes, a rather uneasy peace. I got good at reading dogs, because it literally became a game of how-fast-can-you-read-the-dog-to- prevent-a-trip-to-the-vet. Not the way I would recommend learning take place, but it was an effective, if rather violent way to learn aspects of dog body language.

I was also practicing my skills in the boarding kennel and working with the many aggression cases that veterinarians kept referring to me.

So here I am, to help you learn how to interpret the native language of our species of interest - the dog.

Once you know how to read your dog better, that knowledge makes you a much more effective trainer. It also keeps you safe, because getting bitten by dogs is a horrendous experience and it hurts! And on yet another level, it makes your bond with this species even more meaningful and deeper. As dog professionals, it is important for us to show efficacy and humanity to our clients and the dogs. By reading the dog, you can make judgements in your training that is right on, which doesn’t just help dogs, it grows your business.

Brenda's extensive background in dog behaviour will give you a very perceptive look into what really makes your dog “tick.”