Graeme Hall's 5 tips to instantly improve communication with your dog
Could you be a dog whisperer? If you've ever watched Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, trainer Graeme Hall makes it look easy.
And though he does have the benefit of experience – having rehabilitated over 5000 dogs in his career – he's happy to share some tried-and-tested techniques that can transform your relationship with your pup.
The fundamental principle that underpins all of his dog training advice? The way we communicate with our pets is the key to managing their behaviour. Here's what he suggests, in his own words.
Encouragement is more effective than discouragement
Graeme tells us: "If your dog is barking, the trick is to add a “good boy” or “good girl” in the hiatus when they’re not making any noise.
"If you praise them during the quiet moments, they’ll catch on much faster."
Practice calm
"Dogs feed on the energy around them," Graeme explains.
"If they’re revved up, using a soothing but firm tone of voice is always better than shouting. And if you’re on the lead with an overexcited dog, there’s a golden rule to follow: don’t walk anywhere until they’ve calmed down. The reward for them waiting quietly is continuing the walk."
Be consistent
Graeme adds that chopping and changing the rules or the techniques you’re using to train your dog just leads to confusion. It’s the same with people – no one wants to work for a boss who changes their mind left, right and centre.
A dog's ability to read our face is something else
"Make sure that your facial expression matches the point you’re making," continues Graeme.
"Because dogs live in the moment, they won’t understand it if you frown at them as a 'warning' when you’re anticipating bad behaviour."
Know when to get help
Dog training classes can be very useful for any dog owner, explains Graeme.
"It’s especially important if you’ve adopted a strong-willed dog; breed-specific legislation is not a good idea in my view, but there is something to be said for mandatory training for the owners."
Don’t forget to check out Country Living’s weekly column My Dog Dilemma. We also want to hear from you - email any questions or queries you have to dogs@countryliving.co.uk
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