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Training Tips: Exposure

When working with puppies or young dogs, getting them acclimated to their environment will go a long way in helping to build a positive relationship with you.

Exposure training is not about teaching behavior but allowing your dog to take in the information he is given about his environment and process it without stress. When we throw too much information at our dog, we are setting them up to potentially suffer from anxiety and fear.

Check out our newest informational video below where Nikki takes Willow out for an exposure session.

Blog: Four Pillars of Dog Training

At DogSpeak, we don’t believe in dominating your dog when training. We believe you should act as your dog’s upper management and your dog’s tour guide (because you have more knowledge and experience related to this world). To build a relationship with your dog, you must focus on the four pillars of training which are communication, understanding, empathy, and patience.

Communication is the most crucial part of a relationship. Without a clear pathway for communication, a relationship can’t be built. Communication goes both ways. You may communicate using commands, but you also communicate using body language. Body language is a dog’s primary language. Because of this, dogs are acutely aware of the changes in your mood. When you learn how dogs communicate with their body, you can then understand more about your dog’s emotions, desires, and needs. This allows the dog to trust that when they are feeling nervous or scared in a situation, you will recognize it and help them navigate to safety.

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