CHARLOTTE – Hi there! This week I’m discussing one of your dog’s pet peeves: repeating words over and over.

We’ve all done it. Somehow our human brains think that if we say it enough times, our dog will finally perform the behavior we’re asking for. “Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit.” It makes perfect sense to us. However, remind yourself that your dog does not speak English.

What language does he speak? Body language. Dogs have been watching our body movements for hundreds if not thousands of years. They are extremely good at reading our movements and what they mean. So if you’d like your dog to sit, ask one time, nicely, and use your hand signal for sit. If he’s already paying attention, don’t use his name, just cue the behavior: sit. Then, let your dog think! Just because he doesn’t do it immediately, doesn’t mean he’s not thinking about it and if you repeat the word over and over, 1) he can’t think clearly and 2) he’s desensitizing to your word.

Even the well trained 4-legged friend can forget what the English word means when they’re over-excited. Help them out! Give them a hand signal with the word. Putting less pressure on your dog and letting him think will make for better, solid learning in the long run.

Have a topic you’d like for me to discuss? Send me an email, (camille@sspdogtraining.com), I’d love to hear from you! Look for more training tips next week. 🐾