A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding What Your Dog Wants

Knowledge is power, and if you know exactly what goes on in your dog’s head, training them can be easier than ever. Many experts say that they can speak to dogs, and they know exactly what they think. Believe it or not, you can study the behavior of your four-legged friend and understand their preference to implement changes into your training schedule, making it more effective. Whether you are a professional dog trainer, or just want your pet to respond to some basic commands, you will find the below steps useful.

“dog in training” by megan ann is licensed under CC BY 2.0“

All Dogs Like Being Praised

Praise works much better than punishment with kids and dogs alike. Dogs love being praised, and they are proud of their achievements. Make sure that you keep on moving the goal post and target, so your pet has a new challenge every day. In some cases, praising your dog can be more effective for training than treats. It also helps you communicate the standards of behavior with your dog.

Understand Your Dog’s Preferences

Does your dog like doing exercises for hours, or does he get tired easily? Would they prefer a familiar environment, or do they like exploring? Are they easily distracted by other dogs or wildlife? Every dog comes with a unique personality, and while dog trainers say that there are some general rules, you have to listen to the signs of likes and dislikes when creating an exercise or training schedule.

Find Out What Works

Does your dog have a favorite toy or treat? Find out more about his dog taste now. You can get help from experts who can design the nutrition content of your unique dog treat or food that optimizes the diet of your pet. Take into consideration the age of your dog, his history, and how long he has been living with you. Ask the previous owner about his habits if you just adopted a new friend. Learn from fellow dog owners about designing a tasty diet and adding healthy treats that your dog prefers.

Understand Your Dog’s Feelings

Even though dogs cannot talk to you, they can understand commands and let you know what they like and dislike. If you learn to pay attention to the signs of distress and joy, you are halfway to understanding a dog’s wish. Your dog - just like people - wants to be loved, looked after, and considered useful. He will bring you items he finds valuable, and protects you from those he considers enemies. Listen to his behavior and you will see a clear pattern.

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend” by Soggydan Benenovitch is licensed under CC BY 2.0

When you are planning to train your dog or making him more obedient, you might need to learn to read his emotions and preferences. Look up his history, ask experts, and use praises often along with healthy treats to make him feel comfortable, accepted, and a part of your tribe. This way, you can build a long lasting valuable relationship with your dog. Never let him down, and he will reward you with his friendship forever.

Poorly Pup? Here's How to Help Them Get Better

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Dogs aren’t just man’s best friend, they are a part of the family. So when they get sick, you want to look after them just as well as any other family member. But what are the best methods for treating your furry patient?

Water Little and Often

If your dog is being sick or has diarrhea, they will want to drink a lot. The problem is that they might want to drink too much at once. You should give them cooled boiled water little and often so that they drink enough over the day, but not all at once. Boiling the water first makes sure that it is free of any potential bacteria but make sure it is cold before your serve!

Keep an Eye Out

Changes in your pet’s behaviour could be a sign of illness.Pet MD have a symptom checker you can use to see what the causes could be. If your dog is under the weather for more than one day, you should take them to the vets for a check up. The vet will be able to do some tests to find out exactly what is wrong and prescribe some medication to help with your dog’s recovery.

Finish the Prescription

Like humans, it is important that your dog finishes any medical prescription given by a vet. Though it can be difficult to persuade dogs to take pills, it is well worth the effort to ensure they return to their normal selves without a relapse into illness. One trick to get even the most resistant dogs to take a pill is to use a sneaky pill treat like Pawsiq. These are hollow treats that mean you can fill them with the pills for easy administration. Your dog won’t even realise what he’s begging for!

The Right Bed

Like us, dogs have an instinct about how and where they want to sleep off an illness. It might be tucked underneath a blanket nice and warm or they may prefer somewhere a bit cooler. Follow your dog’s lead and let them decide where they should be sleeping. You might need to relax the house rules for a day but once he’s better, you can reinstate the ‘not on the couch!’ rule.

Be Ready For an Emergency

It’s not likely to happen, but if your dog is unconscious and not breathing, you may need to perform canine CPR. This is much like performing CPR on a human but you need to close their mouth and breath down their nose in between compressions.

Staying Healthy

Once your dog is back up and running circles around you and your family, it’s important to give him the best chance of staying healthy. Dogs are just like us and they will get ill from time to time naturally, but a good diet, plenty of exercise and lots of love should keep them healthier for longer. And don’t forget that human foods like chocolate can cause real trouble for our canine friends.

With these five tips, your dog will be on the road to recovery and back to his happy self soon.