Dog Body Language
You can make your puppy's obedience training enjoyable and easier by learning a bit about dog body language. We already know that dogs communicate with us by barking and wagging their tails. What you might not realize, however, is that your dog also speaks with their eyes, mouth, ears, tail and paws. Understanding dog body language will make your dog training experience both fun and successful.
Here are some basic details about dog body language:
Dominant - A dog showing dominance will have their ears perked up and forward, with their mouth closed or just slightly open. Their eyes will be open wide, intently staring, and their body will be stiff. The dominant dog will stand tall with their tail extended out from their body, and it may be pumped up or rigid. You can also expect to hear a low growl or aggressive bark.
Friendly - The most obvious signal a friendly dog will send out is a rapidly wagging tail. In fact, the whole back side might just get into the wagging motion. Friendly dogs will also display open eyes, a relaxed and peaceful mouth and upturned ears. You may hear small yelps, barks or whining.
Playful - When your dog bends over with a wagging tail, they are telling you they want to play.
Submissive - A submissive dog has their ears pressed back and their eyes are shut. When your dog lifts up a paw to you, they are expressing submission. While this is not a playful sign, it is meant to assure you that they are not going to attack.
Worried - When things aren't quite right, your dog may be the first to know and they will try and tell you with short, quick barks or howls. A worried dog's ears will look smaller and their neck hairs will be standing on end. Pay attention to this body language. Your dog is trying to tell you something is wrong.
Fear - Your dog is expressing fear when they lower their tail and crouch down with a curved spine. Many dogs bark when they are afraid, especially if they feel cornered. In appearance, a fearful dog turns their head, revealing the whites of their eyes and enlarged pupils.
Stressed - When your dog is stressed out, the most obvious symptom is panting and shaking. Usually you will notice the dog's ears pushed down and back, their tail is down and they will appear nervous and jittery.
With these facts about dog body language in mind, you can now better understand what your puppy is trying to say to you based on how they look and what they are doing.
If your puppy sits on command, this usually means they are open to you and are willing to cooperate with your requests. By paying attention to your dog's body language, you will be able to tell when they are respecting your authority and when they are stubbornly disregarding your directions.
Some submissive behavior from your dog - especially during training times - lets you know that your pup realizes you are in charge.
If your dog starts to display behaviors indicating they are fearful, stressed or even aggressive, you must stop the training session immediately and comfort the pup. If this occurs after you have been training for 15 minutes or longer, you need to take a break. After a breather, your training session will continue more successfully.
Your own observational skills will help with dog training too. Pay attention to your pup's moods, likes and dislikes. Knowing your dog's personality will allow you to train them in ways that make them happy thus resulting in more successful training sessions.