You’re your dog’s teacher. Teaching involves two parties — the learner and the teacher.

The teacher must communicate effectively to make the learner understand. Learning doesn’t happen otherwise.

However, there’s one problem. You and your dog don’t have a common language to communicate. Here’s where Science comes at your rescue. Understanding how dogs learn will help you communicate to your dog. Dogs learn through consequence.

Let us step back a minute. We will have to figure out a way to tell our dogs what we like and what we dislike.

According to Science, dogs will exhibit behaviours that they find rewarding and cut down behaviours that are unrewarding.

You, being the teacher, can cause behaviours like coming when called, lying down calmly, highly rewarding to your dog. This way you’re communicating to your dog that you desire more of such behaviours.

On the other hand, you can make behaviours like barking, humping unrewarding by not permitting to happen in first place. This way you’re communicating to your dog that you want such behaviours to go down with time.

Knowing how to get the behaviours you want and knowing how to stop behaviours that you don’t desire will put you in a better spot and help you and your dog avoid human dog conflicts.

I know you’re eager to learn how. You’re about to find out in the next article. Stay tuned!

Today, I’m grateful to conduct business with and learn from small business owners.