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Sending Your
Dog Mixed Messages
Dog
behavior problems are frequently the result of unclear communication.
The owner may not even be aware that the messages he is sending to the
dog are confusing. The owner of a well-trained Standard Poodle was
unaware of her confusing messages during an epic long session of
grooming.
The Poodle tired and attempted to sit. The owner, wanting the
dog to remain standing, yelled "Don't sit." The dog stood for a few
seconds in a crouched position, and, confused about what the word
"don't" meant, tried to sit again. Totally perplexed, he was trying
very hard to comply with what he thought was his owner's request.
Good communication with your dog is comprised of clear, consistent,
distinct messages. A dog cannot possibly respond correctly if the
vocabulary or the rules change at whim from day to day. Another example
of inconsistent, mixed messages is demonstrated by the owner who allows
a behavior occasionally, punishes the dog for it at other times, and
does not use distinct cues to inform the dog when the conduct is not
acceptable.
A dog who is petted for jumping up when the owner arrives home from
softball practice is going to be encouraged, to the owner's dismay and
anger, to jump up when the owner comes home from a party all dressed
up. Unfortunately, few dogs are able to distinguish between the owner's
softball jump up clothes and the owner's party stay off clothes.
Consequently, without any distinct warning, the dog may receive a swat
for jumping up on the wrong clothes. The dog learns that jumping up
will sometimes be rewarded by petting and other times, for no apparent
reason, will elicit a smack.
The only lesson a dog may learn from inconsistent messages is that the
rules are unstable. Clear and consistent communication requires that an
owner teach a command for each desired and undesired behavior to inform
the dog about acceptable behavior.
For example, you can teach a jump up
command that tells/the dog jumping up is acceptable, and another
command such as, "off” that instructs him not to jump up. When messages
are confusing, the dog can neither establish a pattern to earn the
owner's approval, nor predict the owner's reactions.
The dog who cannot
establish a way to earn his owner's approval gives up trying to please.
The dog who does not know how to predict his owner's reactions becomes
fearful, mistrusting, and avoidant.
There are more
information articles on all aspects of basics dog training, dog health
issues, dog grooming and dog nutrition in
John Mailer's article directory
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Sending Your Dog
Mixed Messages
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