Two Important Words Your Dog Needs To Hear

The three full-sized Scottish Highland cows with enormous horns circled the paddock. We had just bought these cows and needed them to get in the trailer to bring them home. That was our goal, but the cows had a different goal: to stay out of the trailer.
Having bought lots of cattle, I know that planning is the key to success. When the owner of cattle I’ve purchased says, “I’ll lead them on with a bucket of grain. They’ll follow me right in,” it’s a plan that rarely works. I’ll tell the owner to try, but I’ll prepare Plan B.
Plan B works because I fasten tall, cow-proof panels to the trailer. Steel pins hold the portable panels together. Once the cow is enclosed, I rearrange the panels to make the pen smaller. I keep shrinking the pen until the cow’s only option is to jump into the trailer.
Sometimes, an owner thinks words will persuade cattle to enter the trailer. At one farm, the owner’s daughter stood outside the pen babbling to the cows. “It’s OK, Bessy. I promise it’s OK. You’ll be fine, Wilma. Just get in the trailer. It’ll be fine. You’ll love your new home….” and on and on as the cows dashed around the pen. They were unpersuaded, and the prattle was annoying me. So I asked the chatterbox to get a halter from the barn – a half-mile away.
The cattle were loaded when she returned from her pointless errand. Quiet does work.
Cows communicate non-verbally and occasionally with vocal moos. A nod of a cow’s horns is a signal to move back. A swishing tail means the cow is annoyed. That’s how cows communicate, and words get in the way. Working with dogs is similar. If you wonder why your dog doesn’t obey you, maybe you use too many words.
The command, “Sit,” is not the same as, “Now, sweet boy, I want you to sit. Guests are coming, and you need to sit there.” That’s a lot of words, and the dog won’t know what you’re asking. Words make you feel comfortable, but they confuse dogs.
There is also a big difference between “Sit” and “Sit down,” especially if your dog has been trained that “Down” means lie down. The command is, “Sit.” One. Word. Period. Unless you include your dog’s name first.
Dogs don’t understand the human concept of a name because they don’t use names with other dogs. A name is just a prelude to a command to your dog and is used to get their attention. When I say, “Flora,” my dog knows a command will follow. “Flora, come,” makes sense to her. If two dogs are together, and I say Flora’s name before a command, she knows the command is for her.
When can you talk to your dog?
These rules apply when you expect your dog to obey. During idle time, feel free to chat with your pooch, a process I call human therapy. You’ll feel better, and your dog will love the attention. But put away the words when asking your dog to obey. He’ll love you for it, and I will, too.

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Carole Soule is the owner of Soule Coaching. Carole trains cows, and now she also trains dogs and their owners. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com.