TOIt barks, runs away, attacks anyone who comes near it, in short it behaves really badly. If we think that our dog could use some dog training it probably means that we would need that dog training. «Starting from the idea that the dog is behaving “badly” to spite us is the biggest mistake what we can do.” He explains it Angelo Vairaexpert in ethology, animal cognitive science and human psychology. As well as creator of the Cognitive Relational approach to the dog and founder of the ThinkDog Schoolwhich organizes the. on Sunday in its centers throughout Italy National Dog Education Day: an open-door appointment for Making the dog capable of being in the world (this is the slogan of the event). «Animal behaviors are never, ever, ever caused by spiteful intent. Instead, they originate first of all from racial motivations: reasons that we mostly ignore or neglect, choosing the dog based on aesthetic criteria.”
Dog training within everyone’s reach: Angelo Vaira’s advice and the invitation to a special day
The basis of dog education as ThinkDog intends it is then, naturally, knowledge of the animal. Fundamental to prevent behavioral problems and improve safety levels in coexistence but also to promote the dog’s well-being at 360°.
For example? «If we have a Yorkshirewe need to know he will love to bark like he did to save his life in the mines. Or that the German shepherd he will easily use aggression to defend us from suspicious strangers on a walk. Again, that the hunting dog will take long distances. It seems to us that it “runs away” when in fact it does what it was selected for: following the tracks of the wild.”
The other big cause of problematic behavior is distress. «We don’t realize that he is mentally ill and in some way he tries to compensate, perhaps by destroying the house when we are not there. Not out of spite but a way to calm down and not feel anxiety, fear or anguish.”
Dogs essentially need to be understood and there can never be any education if we don’t begin to understand the dog’s fundamental needs. “Too many dogs lead a prison life: for many of them, the hour of exercise becomes 20 minutes for two or three walks a day.” The rest of the time they spend at home doing nothing. Not only that: «Even when we take them for a walk, we stay with our faces on our cell phones: it’s already a miracle that they don’t go crazy”, explains Vaira.
Angelo Vaira, expert in ethology, animal cognitive sciences and human psychology. As well as creator of the Cognitive Relational approach to the dog and founder of the ThinkDog School, which on Sunday organizes the National Dog Education Day in its centers throughout Italy
Educational objectives within everyone’s reach
1. A first objective, simple but fundamental, is to learn to read your dog. Recognize signalsi of stress, excitement, calm. It’s the basis of everything.
2. The second is to build a good one daily management: go out at adequate times (at least two hours a day outside the home), offer varied experiences, avoid monotony.
3. Then there is the work on calm. Help the dog to know how to regulate himself, to not always live in a state of activation. This is much more important than any command.
4. Again, work on the quality of stroll. Don’t pull the dog from side to side, but create a fluid conduct, made up of mutual listening. A tip to keep in mind is to explore 15 different itineraries that start from near your home: every week a different park or natural environment.
5. Finally, develop the trust: become a safe base for the dog, someone to refer to in moments of uncertainty.
5 tips to improve your relationship with your dog (even “dangerous breeds”)
1. Let him be a dog, every day
Smell, explore, stop: a walk is not a military march.
2. Build confidence in difficult times
If he is afraid of something, don’t force him: stay with him, give him time. Trust is born there.
3. Avoid overstimulating him
Continuous games, excitement, activities without a break: a dog also needs silence and recovery.
4. Don’t ignore the small signs
Licking your nose, looking away, tensing up: these are early signs. If you listen to them, you avoid bigger problems.
5. Offer them experiences, not just exercises
Take him to new places, let him encounter different environments. The world is his gym.