What Dogs Notice That People Don’t
So much of dog training focuses on what we want the dog to learn, but those who aren’t open to learning from the animal in front of them are missing out on one of the best parts of training. There are reminders everywhere about how differently we experience the world compared to other animals. We can’t change our senses to better understand our dogs, but we can change our perspective to improve how we train and communicate with them.
Take a walk through nature, and you will find yourself surrounded by animals processing everything in ways we can only imagine. If you look at a patch of flowers, you may see beautiful colors and feel like you’re seeing the entire world as it is. You can lean in and catch the scent of flowers and dirt. You may even hear the buzz of a bee. The bee is experiencing another world entirely.
In his book, The Mind of a Bee, Lars Chittka writes, “ We now know that most animals (and all bees) can see ultraviolet light–– we humans (and most mammals) are quite unusual in missing out on this sensory dimension.”
We don’t see the world the way insects do, and we don’t experience it the way our dogs do either. Looking around you is one way to reflect on how beautifully different the experiences across species are. Bringing that back to dog training can make you a more observant and creative trainer.
Melissa Viera
Much like us, dogs don’t see ultraviolet light. They actually see fewer colors than people, but their scenting abilities are much stronger than ours. While we have language to talk about an experience and ask questions, dogs have their olfactory system, the feeling beneath their paws, and the sounds they hear.
A distracted dog might be taking in information. A pulling dog might be anxious, and a dog that won’t stay might be avoiding pressure behind him. While we can’t ever assume we know exactly what a dog is thinking or feeling, we can be open to the fact that what they perceive is different from us.
For example, sometimes a dog pulls on the leash out of excitement, other times out of anxiousness. What if a simple change in your body language and the way you are holding the leash can travel down to your dog? When your dog relaxes, the way his paws touch the floor beneath him changes. You can see it in the dog’s toes and steps. Suddenly, instead of gripping the floor, trying to pull, the dog finds steadiness. If you only see a misbehaving dog, you might not adjust your behavior in a calm and clear way.
If you assume your dog doesn’t want to listen to you, you might miss out on simple training solutions. It’s an experiment in the way we think. The next time you are frustrated with your dog, try changing your perspective. You might not experience what your dog does, but if you can take away labels and consider the senses dogs have, you might find yourself coming up with creative solutions for better training that will make it look like you hold the secret to success.
