Your dog only mirrors you

This week I read and shared a facebook post by Sean O'shea can be seen on his business page: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=687645261259678&id=133978373293039
"Remember folks, what you pet is what you get. 

If you pet a nervous, fearful, insecure dog, you get more nervousness, insecurity, and fear. If you pet a pushy, disrespectful, bratty dog, you get more pushiness, disrespect, and brattiness. If you pet a hyper, overly-excited, manic dog, you get more hyperactivity, excitement, and manic-ness.

If you pet a calm, relaxed, respectful dog (and do it in a calm, relaxed fashion) you'll create more of that too.

Learn to become super aware of your dog's true state of mind, and use your affection and interactions to cultivate the behavior you want - not what you don't want!"

This is VERY true. I wanted to post about this and add a little more. 

Save your praise and affection for what you really want. Make your praise and touch valuable to your dog. Not something they get all the time. 

We are setting a leadership role for our dog to follow.

If you aren't calm and consistent how to do you expect your dog to be? 

The calmer, clearer, and relaxed we can be... the more your dog will be. Your dog is a direct mirror for what you are doing and teaching them. If you don't like the dog you are looking at in the mirror. It's us that needs to take a closer look at we are or aren't doing that we can change to get our desired results in our dog. 

Praise

• Physical touch or pet
• Calm, slow, soothing
• Eye Contact
• Can be praise in itself
• Don't give eye contact to a mis behaving dog
• Play with a toy
• Verbal "Good" / "Good dog" / "That's it"
• Reserve for awesome - make it special not expected

Verbal

• Calm voice - don't raise your voice
• Say a command once and follow through with it
• NEVER give commands that you have no intention or way to follow through with. 
• When your dog is holding a command try not to say anything additional until you release them from a rare and occasional "good". 

Attitude

• Relax! Be positive and confident about your ability to work with your dog. 
• The calmer more confident you are about working with your dog the more comfortable your dog will be to follow your lead. If your nervous and unsure your dog will be too.