We have all seen it. Someone yelling over and over at their dog to get them to come or get down or whatever the behavior they are trying to get their dog to DO or to STOP doing.
It happens so often most people do not even think twice about it. If the dog does not obey when they give the first command, they automatically raise their voice on the second command and then raise it again on the third. Before long, you end up being “that person” that must yell at your dog to get them to finally respond to you.
There is a reason for this. It is called conditioning. When you yell at your dog to get them to obey, you are teaching them that when you Yell, they must obey. By doing this you are also inadvertently teaching your dog through association and conditioning that if you are NOT yelling, you do not really expect or require them to obey.
We like to refer to it as “Mom’s Voice.” When we all grew up and we were doing something we knew we were not supposed to do and Mom would use that voice to tell us to stop we knew we needed to stop and stop right now because she was serious!
The problem with having your dog respond like this is clear. You now need to do this often to just get your dog to listen to you and obey. We actually do the polar opposite here at K9 Culture Dog Training in the Dallas Ft Worth area. We teach to use the same tone with your voice whenever you speak to your dog. A command should have the same inflection as if you were just talking to your dog.
We want to train dogs to listen and listen ALL the time, not just when we raise our voice. Now this does require teaching your dog how to listen and how to manage and control their impulses otherwise you will get frustrated when they do not listen especially around distractions.
We want our voice to always mean something to our dog, not just when we raise it and because of this, we teach you and your dog how to communicate so you do not need to. Plus, it is a bit embarrassing to be that person that always has to yell at their dog. No one wants to be that guy or gal.
Now that we have discussed the value in not raising your voice to your dog you may ask if you should do the same when loving on them. When we give our dogs love and affection lather it up. Let your voice go and use your voice to help SHOW your dog how much you love and adore them and how pleased you are with what they are doing!
If you are in the Dallas Ft Worth Metroplex, we would love to help you and your dog have great communication skills together. To schedule a dog training evaluation and goal setting with one of our senior trainers just click on our calendar. We can’t wait to meet you!
The K-9 Culture Family
Dallas Metroplex Top Dog Trainer
A Dog That Is A JOY To Live With!