Training Is More Than Commands – It's Communication

When most people think of training a puppy, all they can think about are commands like “Sit,” “Stay,” or “Come.”

Yet, if that is all you give your attention to, you will miss the real fun with your furbaby. The secret to a well-behaved pup isn’t just in what you say; it’s the way you say it.

Dogs do not understand human language, but as a matter of fact, they are extremely smart when it comes to understanding their ‘hooman’s’ tone, body language, and energy.

Well, as a pet parent, you must keep in mind that training isn’t about giving orders; it’s about building a bond with kindness that they can understand and reciprocate.

Let’s take a closer look into how you can train your dog with communication and not commands:

Table of Contents

The 3 Pillars of Dog Communication

1. Body Language, Because For Dogs Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Always know that your furball is similar to a stalker who closely observes your every move.

Maybe more than you’ve ever realized. The way you stand, how you move, or even a certain expression on your face might be telling your dog what you want.

Do you want them to stay still? Then, you must not lean forward as that tells them you’re about to call them or walk away.
Do you want them to come to you? Then, don’t stand stiff and still in front of them. Instead, bend down to your little one and wide open your arms for them.
Want to put a stop to their endless jumping and zoomies? Well, trying to get a hold of them or pushing them might look like a game to them, and they probably won’t stop.

That’s why you can rather try turning your back on them but calmly.

Sometimes, your movements say a lot more than your voice. So make use of them!

2. It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It

Dogs do not necessarily know what “good boy” or a “good girl” means, but they do distinguish a happy tone. Alternatively, a frustrated or panicked voice can create confusion for the dog or even scare them or make them anxious.

Here’s where many pet-parent go wrong with their training:

Most of them command their dogs in the same tone – When you do this, the dog is just confused and treats your voice like a background noise.
When you keep repeating your commands, and that too in a louder voice — The dog refuses to reciprocate when you give them the same command repetitively until both dog and human are frustrated.

3. Conveying The Right Message at the Right Moment

Dogs tend to live in the now, unlike human beings. If you give them a treat too late for being good during training or correct them too soon, they may become confused about what they did right or what they did wrong.

For example, Your dog sits. Great!

The minute your pooch sits, if you say “Yes” and reward him with a treat, your dog learns the following: “Sitting = reward.”
But what if you get delayed just for a bit, maybe ’cause you reach into your pocket for the treat, and your dog stands up in the meantime? Giving it then will bring your dog to conclude: “Oh! Standing up = reward.“

Good timing helps your dog learn faster and with less stress.

Here’s a little tip that most vets and trainers share with newbie pet parents:

When ordering a command, try to keep your voice firm and neutral rather than loud and lengthy.
Try to use an encouraging tone to praise them for their good behavior.
Try to use a low and calm voice to correct them if they’ve done an undesirable behavior.
Stop giving them long commands like “Jack! Please come and sit here.” – this sentence is meaningful to human beings, but dogs will just get confused, and chances are they would not even respond. Instead, saying “Jack, Sit!” will be a more effective command.
As a responsible pet parent, you must praise and reward their good behavior with treats and toys. However, at the same time, you also need to ignore or calmly correct the bad behavior.
With dogs, you can never assume things, especially when it comes to understanding commands. Dogs aren’t meant to know what “Leave it” or “Come here” means. So, if they aren’t listening, they’re not being “bad boys or girls”; all they need is clear guidance and maybe little rewards in the form of treats.