I was on yet another Twitter rant.
"There are a million ways to communicate with a dog that do not involve hitting!" I tweeted.
"A million?" Jana asked.
"Well, at least one hundred," I tweeted, because I could see where this was heading.
My friend Jana who has the wonderful website Dawg Business challenged me to come up with one hundred ways to communicate with a dog.
So here goes...Keep in mind these are from a plain ol' non-behaviorist/non-trainer off the top of my head - I am sure there are exponentially more (like 10 to the fifth power maybe... :) ), better phrased and more appropriate communication methods!
Dog lovers, add any I forgot!
1
Speaking
2
Petting
3
Giving out treats
4
Ignoring unwanted behavior
5
Gently leading on a leash
6
Teaching sitting as a way to refocus
7
Clicking
8
Head butting
9
Slow blinking (this is a cat-specific sign of affection, but dogs sometimes love it too :) )
10
Holding
11
Comforting
12
Baby talk
13
Being near
14
Routine
15
Play time
16
Walks
17
Runs
18
Meals
19
Special meals
20
Calm
21
Avoiding Eye Contact
22
Ignoring
23
Getting level with him or her (Amanda)
24
Belly rubs
25
Training time
26
Dog socialization time
27
Socialization/Puppy class
28
Training class
29
Agility class
30
Flyball time
31
Body language
32
Walking through a crowd together
33
Hiking alone together
34
Word recognition training
35
Hand signals
36
Letting them show you their tricks
37
Predictable behavior
38
Scents
39
Pheromones
40
Squeaks
41
Happy voice
42
Low, calm voice
43
Backing off at a growl
44
Head low
45
Arms down
46
Horse hoof trimming style nail trims
47
Immediate rewards
48
Over the top rewards
49
Praise for wanted behavior
50
Exposure to new environments
51
Exposure to new people
52
Exposure to new noise levels
53
Down time
54
Soft Voices (Abby)
55
Snuggles (Abby)
56
Scratches (Abby)
57
Time outside
58
Full attention
59
Alone time
60
Facial expressions
61
Singing (Amanda)
62
Exercise (Amanda)
63
Hugs (for dogs who like hugs)
64
Thundershirts
65
Photo shoots
66
Taking them down a slide with you (Amanda)
67
Reaching out
68
Waiting for them to approach you
69
Smelling like something good - other dogs, kitties, food...
70
Brushing
71
Gentle leading
72
Mature conversation (Amanda)
73
Patience
74
Regrouping and trying again
75
Regrouping and letting someone else try instead
76
Frequent breaks as needed
77
Very small saucers of coffee (Noodle)
78
Apple juice (Joy)
79
Equal treats for each dog (Luna)
80
Equal pets for each dog (Luna)
81
Time to explore
82
Space to explore
83
Using your pet's name
84
Permission to roll in gross things
85
Comfy places to rest and sleep
86
Table scraps - a reasonable amount! Safe scraps! Not necessarily from the table!
87
Compliments
88
Letting them have their own space (Amanda)
89
Gifts
90
Outfits (Amanda)
91
No outfits if they do not like outfits
92
Letting them sniff you before you interact (Abby)
93
A place to hide
94
Let them have hyper time (Abby)
95
Kisses if they like kisses
96
Gentle introductions to new family members (Amanda)
97
Allowing them to choose their actions
98
Providing optimal health
99
Providing grooming that makes them healthy and feel beautiful :)
100
Spoiling them (Abby)
AND?
101...
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 8, 2016