Language and Communication

Most trainers speak about body language and how the postures and manners speak volumes when dogs meet and silently speak to one another. Why are they for the most part silent? what is spoke is important and the words are generally few. When I speak to my dogs I have always tried to use few words. I say things like relax, slow, close, cross, go----, and these words are understood not as commands but the clues of plans to come and readying for those plans. I try to also speak with a confident leadership posture, keeping greetings with others positive with my higher pitch friendly happy greetings and ignore his caution when it is unwaranted.
Why are postures important. Honestly I find dogs are very visual and learn better with hand signal commands than with actual verbal cues. I notice when my dog is confused and does the wrong command it is because my hand signal resembles the other signal very closely and I was lazy in signalling difinitively. There have been studies which have disclosed certain breeds are more visual than others and some dog breeds which are widely known as unintelligent actually are the strongest visual breeds and are not being taught correctly. Think about how differently we humans learn and how some developementally challenged students face difficulties due to their individual needs. All dogs are different and we need to do what is best for each individual but, if we know that they all learn better visually we should adjust our own verbal world to meet those needs accordingly. That being said, what is the best way to get your dog to follow visual cues, they don't always see you. They may be far across the yard or downstairs in your house but, if you are a good leader they will have one ear on you or have you in their periferal sights. They don't want to be left behind by the leader. They are ready to move with your slightest indication.... unless they find somethine else more interesting.
In puppy class I learned you must bond with your puppy and be more interesting than anything else. This starts with good socializing to ensure that what they see out of norm is no big deal. My dog grew up in a house under construction so he hears jack hammers or roofers and sleeps through it. The contrast there, because you can't expose them to everything no matter how you try, the other night we walked by a house decorated for halloween and they had 2 straw scarecrow decorations and he froze staring at them with a hint of low growl. He had no idea what to think. I did not make fun of him and call him silly. I simply stood there a moment told him "sniff" and walked in a non direct path toward them.(dogs approaching mysterious dogs or people, like to approach in a arc veer off to the side,keep moving and depending on the fear intensity give wide berth to greater fear and shallow to less fearful items, arc in towards item) He was cautious and slow but I touched the sleeve of one of the scarecrows and his ears softened. then he leaned far forward ready to bounce back if needed and gently sniffed the sleeve. Realizing it was nothing to fear he let go and sniffed the ground instead. His way of saying "oh, that was silly of me now I am embarrassed and will sniff this spot on the ground so you don't look at me" Dogs arte sensitive creatures and we may not know all that passes through their minds or fully understand what they mean to tell us but, we shouldn't be afraid to try to understand. Afterall do we understand the opposite sex? and we still speak the same language and live in the same social world.
I went to a trainer in the past who was teaching we are the providers and leaders and therefore the subordinates (animals) should get out of our way and do what we say the first time and if they block us they should be stepped on etc. I understand it was because the people coming there needed to see themselves as the leaders and had to take it to that extreme to get results but, I was outraged because without respect in the relationship, you can never get to the point where the leadership is given over to you. It is disrespectful to tell a dog something and expect them to do it when they don't know what you are saying. There is this game where people at training class are paired off dogless and one acts as the dog and the other gives commands using words totally unrelated such as fruit names. The leader is to get the person to obey using these words and gestures such as raising the treat hand overhead (sit) etc. It is to feel the confusion a dog must experience living with a new person and wanting to please them and not knowing what they mean. It starts off with just the words and people get louder as they yell "apple" the trainer shows them they are to show the dog with directions and then it sinks in. You must lead with respect if your dog is in the way don't yell at them to back off or move simply teach them the command for "side" and as they leap to the side they won't get stepped on. They want to have respect and with giving them what they need you will get what you want.
more on this later.