6 Ways for Humans to Communicate Better with Their Dog Part II

Part II- Food, Boundaries and PACK

HI Everyone! This is Donna! I’m going to wrap up this series and you’ll see me later in many other training lessons! Enjoy Part II!

4. Feeding

We spoke about food in the last section, and this is another important point that should be known.

Food is very important to us. It is huge. The person who feeds us – we know and REALLY care about them. We will die for them. Many people minimize the importance of eating – but it’s a really big deal. It’s not about being excited and going crazy, it’s simply one part of a daily routine. My dad will feed us twice a day at the same time. I would sometimes not eat right away. We have 20 minutes. I’m done in ONE. He calls Grady ‘GREEDY GRADY’. He laughs and he wags his tail and gets his butt scratched (above his tail).

We’ll handle Food Aggression in a later post!

*TIP Every day before we eat, we practice SIT, DOWN, STAY.  Every meal. With the hot food right in front. We know those commands in our sleep. Later there will be some videos. Stay dialed in!

5. We love hanging out with you – so we confuse boundaries.

We love your smell. Addicted to it. It is a positive identification- 100% accurate. I KNOW MY DAD. Been all up in his butt and his ‘stuff’ – armpits too. I chew out the armpits of his shirts. He yells and screams – ‘Another one! – well I guess you love me…damnit!’ Then PICKS UP HIS CLOTHES. It’s his fault. Arfarf (LOL) Here’s me after tearing up a Luffe

I love this thing! It smells like you. My bad…

So when we lay in your bed and and on the couch with you – your smell is there. This is where HUMANS confuse things. If we are sleeping with you and laying up with you – when you want me to do something – well – you are more of a pack member – and not at the top. Your expectation is off. We are friends. Equals – well you feed and I walk you so…

We are kinda on TOP here. And We KNOW it. 

So when you yell at us to do ‘whatever long Charlie Brown’s teacher sounding‘ command you are yelling with all that negative energy (frequency -again) – we are going to be stubborn and likely not respond the way the Human wants. Make you laugh by doing something ‘cute’ and you give in. You know who YOU ARE. My Dad won’t have it. And we try with all our cuteness (he does sometimes shhhh! our secret!)

As a rule – if we aren’t in the bed or couch and have our own comfy area – it establishes a boundary and level of respect and increased obedience is the result.

*TIP Lay in my bed with me after you run and come back sweaty and smelling wonderful!!! THEN you’ll always be in bed with me….SO GO GET SWEATY! (I’ll go too!)

6. We are a PACK not a FAMILY. 

Grady especially hates this confusion of PACK and FAMILY . We are a PACK. You are a family. When you include a Dog – well it changes – it’s not a Family but a PACK. I have no concept of a HUMAN family. You are apart of my Pack. In the wild we are Packs. Seldom if ever alone. Thus the “Lone Wolf” deal kinda of a jerk – but whatever.

Living with Humans means YOU and the Small Humans ARE a PACK to us. You say this word ‘Family’ and call me your ‘Child’ but I am a DOG and YOU ARE  PACK MEMBERS. 

The two are not the same. And to me – YOU ARE MY PACK.( #mypitismypack on Instagram is where you will see lots of pics of Donna and I!)

Lots of Humans argue and fight over this and it’s really simple. We like to hang out together. And though we don’t hunt like in the old days, we still maintain the social aspects of our nature.  In a mixed species situation like with you Humans, food is provided for domestic dogs – so socially, we include you – in my PACK. Lots of stray dogs stay in PACKS and roam scavenging for food.  We like to stay together. Safer that way.

Not being allowed on the couch or ONLY on bath day (we will remember being allowed on that day only) helps to establish the hierarchy of the PACK. If all the humans are ABOVE DOGS then things work out better for the PACK. Try “no couch no bed” for two weeks and watch what happens. We will GUILT you and you’ll relent. If you don’t give in, and remain ASSERTIVE, and keep a routine – we’ll listen much much better.

Is YOUR Pack balanced? How do you do it?

*TIP We like to charge out the door. Making us SIT and all humans go OUT the door first and come IN the same way. All Humans IN first is a great simple, effective way of helping to establish the hierarchy of the PACK.

*TIP Everyone in the HUMAN PACK – giving consistent, sharp, short, deep voice, commands will go super far!

Here’s an example of BANG BANG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPTQiAa–TM

Donna signing off – time to go nap! I hope this helps in communicating better with your Dog – my cousin from another bitch! (Now you’re thinking like a DOG!)

My Dad said to Please comment! and remind everyone of one rule.

RULE ELE.

Everybody Love Everybody

Our YouTube Channel! and see us in ACTION. High energy action!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl1cFBn4KcRf5DKEDjFdHAQ/videos

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