We know that every word counts because it allows dogs and humans to understand us. In dog training, some of these words have become increasingly derogatory over time. That’s why sometimes it’s better to use one word over another. This will give the dog or the person in front of us a better understanding. In this article, we’ll discover the impact certain words can have.
In a word: no!
We often hear that we shouldn’t teach our dogs the word “no.” In fact, the sign isn’t really educational for the dog because we’re just telling him “no” without telling him what he can or must do. Also, “no” is overused in all contexts: “no” because the dog can jump, “no” because it wants to eat things on the ground, “no” because it wants to play, etc. Let’s take the example of a dog that jumps on us; instead of “no,” we can teach him the “down” command. In this way, we suggest to the dog the behavior we want, namely that it lands on all four paws.
Here are some other examples: When the dog barks, you can say “shut up” or “stop.” You can also divert the dog’s attention by offering a toy.
Instead of yelling “no” to stop a rough dog, teach him the word “gentle.” Many more examples could be cited. What you need to understand is that each situation can have a specific word that the dog can easily record as an average dog is able to retain about 100 words. But don’t feel guilty if you’re saying “no” to your dog too often, it can be hard to get it out of his vocabulary. Just try to use it less and less.
Word: dominate
This word, often used to describe a dog’s personality, is probably the most pejorative of all. First, it is not one of the characteristics that can describe an animal. If you think your dog is “dominant,” you should try to decipher the background and behavior that makes you think dominant and find out why. I suggest replacing the word “dominant” with another, more descriptive word.
For example, my dog is “dominant” because he always wants to get ahead of others, even if it means pushing them.
We can then replace this sentence with the following: My dog is very moody because he allows himself to pass and pushes everyone around him to be number one.
The conclusion to be drawn from this situation is that the dog is a bit insecure, so to make sure he doesn’t get wronged, he always tries to be the first. Or he hasn’t learned to respect people, so he pushes them around.
In this example, we can see that the word “dominant” is too general to give us a deeper understanding of what is really going on. By breaking down the dog’s behavior, we pay more attention to his emotions, which allows us to understand him better and perhaps find a solution.
Word: leader
We still often hear that we have to be the “leader” of our dog. This way of looking at relationships is wrong. We run the risk of forming a bond that is more about fear than cooperation. So the relationship can be conflicting, and we want more mutual harmony. Also, the term “wolf pack” is used to refer to the life that wolves can have. Today, we learn that wolves live in families, while our dogs, wild again, live in groups according to their kinship. On the other hand, a hierarchy cannot exist between two different species. This can be explained by the fact that, for example, we do not have the same needs, nor do we have the same desires, between dogs and humans. That’s why we can also choose to use “I am my dog” instead of the word “leader”
at last:
The words we use affect our thoughts and the reactions of those in front of us. Therefore, it is better to pay attention to the words we use in order to make ourselves understood. In addition, humans’ perception of dogs has changed a lot. Changing some words in our vocabulary will help keep things going.