Verbal commands is just the tip of the iceberg when you are training your dog. Canines use unique dog communication styles to "speak" to one another and you are wise to learn them, not just for your own protection, but to enhance your relationship.
While it is true that you can manage if you teach your dog the basic commands such as sit, stay, down, come, and heel, you will be missing a lot if you do not take it to the next level. It depends on what you want to accomplish and what kind of relationship you want to establish with your dog.
Dog communication relies more on body language than on oral sounds. That's because they need a means to send a message to other dogs from great distances. In your world, that would be dogs across the street or in a neighbor's backyard. From a distance, a dog can easily see if the other dog is planning to challenge them or make friends simply by how they look at one another.
Stares and glances are just one aspect of dog language. How they hold their bodies, whether they face each other, how they hold their ears, and even the expression on their faces help to deliver the message.
If you learn to read dog language, you can incorporaste it into how you communicate with your dog, especially during training.
With practice, you can teach your dog your body language. You can do this in part by copying the dog's body language. Playfulness, for example, is often indicated by a dog lowering the front part of his body while keeping his butt in the air. If you did this yourself, he will know right away that you want to play and will become animated himself.
Take some examples from what your dog is trying to say when he stands still with his tail level and taut. He will do this when he confronts another dog that has "told" him that he is challenging his authority. By lowering his head, however, he is submitting to the other dog.
You can use certain body posture to let your dog know that you are not pleased with something he has done or is not doing. In some cases, it might mean pointing or gesturing in some way, but you can also teach your dog to respond with a raised eyebrow or a tilted your head depending on what activity you want from him. This is where knowing dog language can benefit you.
This makes dog training fun and entertaining both for you and your dog. You will figure out how to stand to get the right reaction. But there is another benefit to studying dog behavior. You avoid accidentally sending the wrong message and getting an unexpected and possibly dangerous result.
By standing tall and staring down your dog, you'll give him the impression that you are challenging him. If this is not your intention, you can confuse him - at least until he learns your expressions and habits. Even your facial expression will tell him something, so make sure that it does not conflict with your verbal commands.
On the other hand, if your goal is to let your dog know that you are the boss and he is being rebellious, standing tall and looking him in the eyes will let him know that he must obey you.
As you can see, you can make dog communication work for you once you understand his language and teach him yours.
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