Dogs respond to body language in the same way that we do. So when you approach your dog with an upright posture and a calm, confident voice, you instantly demand respect. On the other hand a tentative voice and stooped profile indicates uncertainty, while shouting and waving your hands at the dog just creates confusion.

It therefore makes sense to be aware of your body language when you interact with your dog. Your dog is much more likely to obey if you approach him in a calm, self-confident manner.

One of the keys to achieving that is your body posture. If you want to exert control over the dog, stand upright, if you want to appear more approachable, stoop forward. So if you’re playing a game with your dog and he starts to get out of hand, standing up straight and looking away will normally calm him down.

Something else to consider, especially when walking your dog, is where you stand, in relation to him. When you walk in front you are in the leadership position, but when you allow your dog to walk there you give him that responsibility. As the leader, it is his job to protect the “pack”, so he’s more inclined to become aggressive while walking in front. Get him to walk beside you, and he will immediately relax.

Pay attention also to your dog’s tone of voice, which has many nuances and inflections. For example, a high pitched, rapid bark may indicate excitement while a short flat bark is calling your attention to something. A growl may be a warning, but with a different inflection it is an invitation to play.

And your dog reads just as much from your voice tone. He may not be able to understand the words, but how they are delivered carries a lot of meaning for him. So if you want to be taken seriously you need to speak in a confident voice, almost mimicing the dog’s short urgent bark.

Other tones of voice are useful too, for example a soft, loving voice conveys much the same to your dog as it would to a human and should be used for giving praise and affection. An if you want your dog to join you in a game, a high-pitched tone will soon get him worked up.

Something to avoid though is yelling, which your dog will interpret as aggressive barking. This is counter productive and will only succeed in making the dog afraid of you, so don’t do it.

Keep in mind that dogs respond to tone of your voice, rather than the actual words. Initially, a voice command will have no meaning to a dog. But after many repetitions the dog will begin to recognize the sound of the word and figure out what he has to do when he hears it.

One last thing about giving commands, dogs are intimidated by staring and regard it as a threat, so don’t stare directly at your dog. Rather tilt your head slightly upward or to the side.

Visit dogsanddogtraining.com to discovermore about dog training tips, dog care, dog obedience training and other useful dog information.

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