When your Dog Lays on its Back

In dog body language, exposing the underbelly is a gesture of submission or appeasement. However, when a dog feels safe and calm, she may sometimes relax and snooze belly up. Forcing a dog onto its back is scary and threatening, but gently teaching him/her to take that position and relax can improve your dog’s confidence and sense of safety.

Begin by kneeling beside your dog and have him/her lie down. Show your dog a treat then move it slowly toward its hip, letting it lick and nibble on it. When he/she rolls its weight onto the opposite hip, give him/her the treat. From there you can lay it on its side by using a treat to lure its nose toward its ribcage.

Once on its side, feed several treats in succession, each one rolling him/her a little further onto its back. Then help him/her relax on its back by holding a treat for it to nibble on while you slowly stroke its chest. Allow it to lean its weight against you or gently support one of its front legs to help it balance. When it is has done this movement a few times, add verbal cues like, “On your back” saying it as you lure your dog in that direction.

Teaching your dog to lie on its back will help it relax and make grooming easier to handle.

The main purpose of Doggie-Corral.com is to provide dog owners with an entire line of dog supplies needed to care for their beloved pets. We ship to the entire United States and provide a one stop shopping experience. We offer dog-training aids, dog insurance, health care essentials, dog apparel (e.g. dog shirts, Dog Pro sports apparel, dog boots, dog coats, dog College Sports apparel, dog blankets, dog sweaters, dog pajamas),dog beds, plastic and wood doghouses, dog crates and kennels, dog toys, dog chews, dog treats, dog and puppy foods, dog grooming products and more. Feel free to check us out at Doggie-Corral.com.

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How to Stay Calm Training your Dog

It is easy to lose your cool when training your dog. They don’t always learn as fast as you would like them to. Part of it can be due to how you are training them and part of it can be due to their breed. Some dogs just train faster than others, where other require more patience.

Anxiety is contagious emotion, but fortunately so is calmness. Dogs and puppies gather information from their owner’s body language that can either calm them or increase their anxiety. If you are worried when your pup is anxious, that is likely to increase their reaction and can leas to fearful or aggressive behavior.

Our bodies tighten up when we feel anxious. We clench out teeth and fist. We speak louder and faster and our breathing becomes quick and shallow. Here are some techniques to help you remain calm while training your dog or pup, or at least give the impression of calmness that your dog will mimic.
• Stay conscious of your breathing and keep it slow.
• Loosen up your arms and shoulders. Shift the weight slightly and even slouch a little. This will give the impression of being relaxed and not worried or uptight about the training.
• Keep your speech slow and in a lower pitch. This will reassure your dog that things are OK.
• Yawn occasionally. A yawn will help you relax and will give your dog the impression that you are calm.
Remembering these tips for remaining calm when your dog is anxious can help both of you maintain composure during training.

The main purpose of Doggie-Corral.com is to provide dog owners with an entire line of dog supplies needed to care for their beloved pets. We ship to the entire United States and provide a one stop shopping experience. We offer dog-training aids, dog insurance, health care essentials, dog apparel (e.g. dog shirts, Dog Pro sports apparel, dog boots, dog coats, dog College Sports apparel, dog blankets, dog sweaters, dog pajamas),dog beds, plastic and wood doghouses, dog crates and kennels, dog toys, dog chews, dog treats, dog and puppy foods, dog grooming products and more. Feel free to check us out at Doggie-Corral.com.

We would also love to have you connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
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