Help! My Dog is Stupid!

This is part two of three common pet owner complaints: "My dog is stubborn"; "My dog is stupid"; and "My dog is spiteful". All three can be translated as, "I have done everything I know how to do, my dog still isn’t behaving, I am soooo frustrated! PS: It’s all his fault!"

Now I--the Amazing Psychic Dog Trainer ;) , Sarah Wilson--will tell you what is going on in your home if you are thinking those words. Drum roll please….

Part II: My Dog is Stupid
You tell your dog something and he stands there and stares at you. You stare back at him. Simultaneously you both think, “ ???, ” and walk away. Or you’ve shown him a million times what to do and he still doesn’t get it. Obviously he can’t be too bright.

Sound familiar?

What’s Happening? You may have shown him many times, but if you made no sense to him, he could not learn. I recently saw a lovely family with a jumping dog. Every time their dog jumped up, they gently guided her to the floor and stroked her. They thought they were showing her how to stop; she thought jumping was a nice, praise-filled activity. Uh-oh! Confusion central!

Quick Fix: If your dog isn’t learning, assume what you’re doing isn’t making sense. Either you need to tweak your technique, or you need to try something else. The great news is there are more training approaches available today than ever before. You’ll find one that fits you and your dog!

The good news? In my twenty plus years as a professional dog trainer, I have met one dog who was not bright. One. Probably brain damaged during birth, he was a sweet animal just could not put things together. Every other “stupid” dog I have met were dogs with plenty of brain power, they just had a communication problem with their human.

Hint: Review your behavior to change his. Is your voice calm and clear? Are you using simple words consistently? Do you follow through right away? Is your praise warm and genuine? Does your dog seem relaxed and happy? Your dog can change his behavior, but you have to change yours first.

Want some more ideas? Read my article Six Steps to a Better Behaved Dog--training doesn’t have to be complicated to work, and you don’t have to be “mean” to work it. I want you and your dog to have fun!

Next, dealing with that “spiteful” dog.

--Sarah Wilson, MySmartPuppy.com
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Sarah Wilson is a pet behavior specialist, author, media personality, and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex. Pre-order Sarah's new book, "Dogology: What Your Relationship with Your Dog Reveals about You", out this fall.