Читать книгу My Dog, My Buddha - Kimberly Artley - Страница 21

12.

Clarity fosters understanding.

What many people don’t realize is that they’re often sending mixed messages through a combination of their body language (standing tall and confident vs. slouched and unsure), vocal inflection (is there a question mark at the end of what’s being said, or a period or exclamation point? Is their tone in the lower register, sure and assertive, or is it high-pitched, soft or squeaky, and end on a rise?), and energy (are they feeling calm, patient and assertive, or doubtful, insecure, frustrated, impatient, angry or anxious?).

We usually act from an emotional or reactive state of mind, instead of a grounded, proactive state of mind; mixing confident body language while masking insecure, doubtful energy. Sending mixed signals that are totally out of alignment with one another.

When dogs communicate, they do so using their energy and entire bodies. The level of the head. Position of the ears. Open vs. closed mouth. Standing erect vs. lower to the ground. How their weight is shifted. Is the tail tucked under, stiff and pointed, or level with a soft wag. The shape of their eyes. And so on.

Everything with dogs is a conversation. They make their point with absolute clarity to other dogs; however, we humans often misinterpret what they’re actually saying. Case in point: picture a lip curl and a few teeth bared. Most people would throw their hands up declaring, “Aggression! Aggression!” When the dog could simply be over-excited in a good way, offering what’s called a “submissive grin”. Or the dog may be giving a warning due to discomfort, which we should appreciate. We want a warning if we’ve crossed a personal boundary.

When we’re communicating with dogs, we tend to speak, treat, and relate to them as we would other humans. Yes, we can love a dog to the point of imbalance and instability, and it happens more often than not. As with everything else, too much or too less of anything creates instability and imbalance.

Dogs have brains, but they don’t process information the same way we do. When we throw a ton of verbiage at them mixed in with various signals (or lack thereof), how could they possibly understand what it is we’re trying to get across?

In order to be understood, it’s important we’re short, concise, and clear in our communication. We need to help Dog understand what it is we expect. Match (ideally) single word commands or short phrasings (consistently) to single actions. Using our body language to guide, point out, and show. Repeating and practicing with patience, and rewarding to punctuate when they give us exactly what we want. “Sit” means “butt to the ground”, every single time. And nothing else. “Off” and “Down” often get used interchangeably.

It’s important to remember that every dog is different, as is every human working with them. We’ve got to take baby steps, and be aware of the tiny indications of forward progression and “getting it” Dog may give.

Dogs don’t speak English but, when delivered in an appropriate and effective manner, do have the ability to put 2 + 2 together. It’s up to us to help them connect those dots.

Using our body language to guide and direct, our calm, patient, “we’ve got- this!” energy to help them feel confident and more at ease will work wonders. Training is about connection. Relationship. Team building. Establishing rapport, trust and respect. Our pups will appreciate the time we invest to help them understand, and will strengthen the bond tenfold. Clarity fosters understanding.