Natural Dogmanship
This entire website is based on the philosophy of natural dogmanship and dog psychology. What exactly does that mean? To make it simple it is the art of learning how dogs naturally behave amongst one another in order to communicate with the dog in their own language. It takes a special person to fully understand and apply this concept as one has to put aside their human emotions and put the needs of the animal first. Many people work on trying to get their dogs to understand the human so they can continue to act human and communicate human towards the dog. Dogs are less complicated than humans and while it is difficult and sometimes impossible to make a dog understand human, humans can learn the language of the dog if they open their minds to the idea. You must work with the natural instincts of the animal, not against them.
Take horses for example. Some of the best horse trainers and owners are those that apply natural horsemanship. Those that learn how the horse communicates towards one another and uses their own language to speak to them. Every animal is unique in their own way. For example, horses are flight animals, meaning they have a strong instinct to run when they are afraid of something or their life is at stake. Where as dogs are fight animals, meaning they have an instinct to fight as their natural defense mechanism. Just knowing this small fact about the two animals should tell you that the way you handle a horse would be different than the way you handle a dog.
Dogs are different than cats, and cats are different than horses. You do not treat a cat the same way you treat a horse, just like you do not treat a pet snake the same way you treat a horse. They all have their own needs and instincts. Almost everyone would agree that if someone dumped a tiger in your backyard and asked you to communicate with it, that the skills of reasoning with the tiger would be different than reasoning with a human. You would have to know how the tiger would react to your own moves and how they would perceive your intentions. Walking up to the tiger and stating, "Look buddy, I'm just going to lead you to the gate so you can leave my yard. I mean you no harm." The tiger would have no idea what you just said to them and you might get yourself hurt in the process. We can all accept the fact that the tiger would need a professional who understood the animals behavior to remove them from the yard.
Because dogs are so closely bonded with the human species, most humans forget, or never even think about their natural instincts. Some even take it as far as seeing those who do speak dog to the dog as cruel. Dogs have a natural instinct to want structure, rules and boundaries. To know where they stand among their pack and believe it or not, they want to know the rules and they need consistency with those rules. While those who believe it is cruel to use natural dogmanship towards a dog, I am here to tell you that it is more cruel to assume your dog is human, overlooking their natural wants and needs. All dog behavior issues stem from humans who are not practicing natural dogmanship. Not providing what the dog needs in their life, from exercise, both mental and physical, to the leadership they all crave. What one thing means to a human may mean the total opposite to a dog. Dogs all around the world receive mix signals from the humans. Any dog who misbehaves is missing something in their lives. A dog's temperament is a direct result of the owners ability to understand him and give him what he instinctually needs as a canine animal. There are no bad dogs... just uneducated owners. And yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. It's NEVER too late to turn a dogs behavior around.
To learn more about dog psychology and what makes a dog tick, we strongly suggest Cesar Millan DVD's and or Cesar Millan Books to every dog owner, from Chihuahua to Pit Bull. An excellent guide to communicating with, understanding, and controlling your dog.
Written by Sharon Maguire