The first thing you want to understand is the basic needs of dogs. I’m not talking about the basics of food and shelter. I borrow Tony Robbins ’concept of people’s basic needs and apply them to dogs.

1. 1. Security. In other words, security and predictability. People like it, dogs like it. Routine is a good thing.

2. 2. Diversity. It is too predictable and dogs are bored. And when the dog is bored, he will give himself projects like digging, barking and chewing to alleviate the boredom. So you want to answer the question, “How can I safely make room for diversity.” You can walk every day at the same time, but go different routes. Or you will have a variety of toys. Or you will buy them food of the same brand, but give them different flavors: beef, lamb, chicken, salmon. Teach them that they will feed, but not every moment; they could eat at different times or sometimes from a bowl and sometimes not, or have to play hide and seek to find their dinner. Don’t force them to do anything.

3. 3. Love and belonging. You want the dog to feel love and belonging. That they are part of your family. You want them to know, “I care about you. You are very important to me. This is where you fit in. ”

4. 4. Significance. Make your dog feel great. I want you to identify what your dog is naturally good at, to acknowledge it, and to help the dog feel special. It’s like when your child brings home a drawing from preschool and you say it’s amazing and hang it on the fridge. Turn all your natural habits into skills.

5. 5. Growth. In order for a dog to progress, it must learn and grow. Learning languages ​​is a great way to grow them. So when they’re doing something or going somewhere or seeing someone, give that word a word. Give it a name to show the child the color and give it the name yellow, green, red. “Drink” while drinking, “couch” while they go to the couch, “eat” while they eat, “leash” when you put them on a leash for a walk. Start learning the names of your friends and the names of their friends and their favorite places. When you give them words, you create a growth environment in which the dog can understand you better as you talk to him.

Think of the small details that make us comfortable or uncomfortable.

Give them a place. I really love that the dogs are on the couches and in bed with us. For me, it’s part of the treatment as a family, not as an animal. But if people don’t like the dog on couches and beds, or if the dog moves too much or takes up too much space to be comfortable, I teach people to throw the dog a towel that you can put on the couch or bed and teach them it’s theirs. It is not a matter of ownership but of habit. In the same way that we as humans have a place on the couch or chair at the dining table, we want our dogs to have a space that is comfortable for them. Dogs are social animals, so keep this place close to your place.

Make sure your dogs are not uncomfortably hot or cold. I like my house to be very, very cold, so I keep the air conditioning on. But sometimes when I call my dog ​​to hug her, I feel her ears to check if she’s cold. The dog’s body does not give you that information; you have to feel their ears. If her ears are cold, I cover her with a warm blanket. You want to consider whether your desired temperature is comfortable for your dog. And if not, can you put a fan on them to cool them? Can you cover them with a blanket if it’s too cold?

Choose cleaners, fertilizers and fragrances carefully. Dogs walk barefoot on our floors and lick our feet. The cleaners you use on the floor can end up in your stomach and potentially cause problems. It’s the same thing with fertilizers in your yard and everything you use to kill insects. Candles and diffusers can also be a problem. People use scent to mask the smell of their dogs, but many scents and essential oils can be unsafe for dogs. Make sure what you use is healthy for them.

Dogs have a love language just like us. The love language of some dogs can be play, play, play, and the love language of other dogs can be food. Maybe it’s with you on the couch or bed. Maybe it’s the only dog ​​in your life and they don’t want to play with other dogs or interact with other dogs.

When I meet a dog, I meet him and start fulfilling their wishes and dislikes as if they are a person who can fill out a questionnaire. Do you like toys? Yes. Okay, what kind of toys do you like? Plush toys, chewing toys, toy pulls or toy throws? Of the plush toys, which one do you like? The one with the creak? The one with the longest legs? Which toy has the most value for you? Which ones are less exciting? You can do this with food, treats, activities, friends.

One of the mistakes I see people make is that they assume what a dog is should as. They throw the ball to the dog to bring, and he does not return it, or when he returns it, he does not release it. She prefers to play with him pulling the ropes. And then the person tries to press retrieve. When you create a relationship with someone, you want to see what they like. You won’t take someone on sushi if you know they don’t like it and then blame them for not liking the food. So, when your dog comes and wants to play with the rope rather than reach, don’t mistake him for it.

I want people to think about what brings pleasure to their dog and what brings pain. When I talk about pain, I’m talking about emotional pain.

If you see that your dog is stressed when you leave the house – when you put on your shoes, put on perfume, everything that signals that you are leaving – I want you to start doing other things to help your dog connect your leaving the house with something pleasant. I want you to understand that moment behind “Oh, fuck, the house will be quiet. No one will be here. “You’ll turn it around. For example, before you leave, you could leave your dog sitting and staying while setting up a treasure hunt with treats or toys around your home. And as you close the front door behind you as you leave, let them go in search. .You have set your routine so that the only time in search of treasure is when you leave the house.You condition them to look forward to your departure because they play their own special game.They stop thinking about your leaving the house as if you left them and instead associate it with anticipation finding their treasure.

This technique will be unique to each dog. You can apply it to any stressful event – just be sure to take advantage of the reward your dog really loves.