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How to Talk to Your Dog


No tips can give you the ability to engage in fluent conversations with your pet, but there are several useful guidelines that can help you talk to your dog. Here are a few ways that you can talk so that your dog will listen.

1. Use that voice-- you know the one.
 Is hims your widdle schnuckum-puckum puggle-poo? Tell him so! As silly as we animal-people look when baby-talking our dogs, many of us do it because our dogs listen best when they hear the high, sing-songy sounds associated with affection. Dogs are more keen to listen to baby-talking because they associate it with affection and learn that those tones are reserved for them.

2. Say the dog's name first, not last.
 If you say, "Sit, Rover!," your dog starts listening at "Rover"-- and completely tunes out the command. However, if you say, "Rover, sit!" he will begin paying attention before the command comes out of your mouth. A dog who appears to be ignoring or disobeying his owner may be only hearing his name after commands are spoken.
3. Don't combine words or phrases. If you use "down" to mean, "Get off the furniture," what's your dog going to think when he hears "sit down," or "lie down?" Your dog will feel confused if he hears command composed of unrelated words and phrases. Be consistent and use "sit," "lie," and "down" as different commands.

4. Don't use negatives.
 It's a good idea to teach your dog the word "no." In fact, that's probably the single most important word he can learn. Unfortunately, though, your dog is likely incapable of understanding negative sentence structures, such as "Don't do that!" and "Not that ball." He'll only hear "DO THAT!" and "THAT BALL," ignoring the negative qualifiers. Keep things simple and avoid using these phrases in your communications with your pooch.

5. Give rewards.
 Keep your dog's attention by offering treats consistently when he obeys you and gives you his undivided attention. Dogs are rarely fully motivated by praise alone, and dog-treats are a great way to reinforce dogs' positive behaviors. Be sure to use healthy treats, and don't over-feed your dog.

6. Keep it positive.
 Maintain a good attitude and an affectionate tone while communicating with your dog. It's often necessary to be firm, but this doesn't mean that your interactions with your dog must be domineering and commanding at all times. Most of the time, your dog is a friend, not a subservient. Speak to your dog in a manner that communicates both strength and respect.
7. Get others to use the same techniques. You don't want everyone in your family undoing the trainig you provide for your dog. Make sure that your family members use the same rules and techniques you use to talk to your dog. This will help to improve progress and prevent setbacks.

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