Dogs are not human beings they don't understand things the way humans do, they cant think or reason nor do they understand some of our more complicated human emotions, but this is replaced with their own unique abilities that we would not trade for the world. That is what makes animals so special; they differ from humans. An effort to learn how they think and what makes them tick will help you successfully communicate with your dog.
As mentioned before dogs cannot think or reason but rather follow their instinct to tackle their problems. You cannot always expect your dog to do things that you feel are cool. For some reason people humanize their dogs and perceive them to have human tendencies. In doing so, the dog suffers because he does not get his instinctual needs met. Lets say that you have a snake as a pet, would you treat it the same way as you treat your dog ? No right, you would rather see the snake as the animal it is and try and give it what it instinctually needs. Why not the dog ? If your answer is that “there is a difference between wild animals and pets” then you are wrongly mistaken my friend, dogs may be domestic animals but that doesn't mean you can force to change their instinctually behavior or needs.
If your dog chews up something like your couch or you expensive shoe, don't blame your dog, blame yourself cause you're the one responsible for its actions. Try correcting your dog in a more tactical and harmless manner. The next time your encounter your dog doing something mischievous don't beat your dog, rather try correcting it by looking at things the way your dog does. Just think how long would it take your dog to bite the crap out of you ?
Dogs are pack creatures and just because the alpha member(you) is shunning them doesn't mean they know why, they just recognize the fact that you're displeased. The slinking behavior is a generalized plea for forgiveness for crossing over boundaries or limitations the pack places on its subordinates (lower members of the pack), not an acknowledgment of a specific wrongdoing.
In order for dogs to successfully live among humans, the humans must be the pack leaders. In the wild, pack leaders do not give affection to lower members of the pack unless it is earned by exhibiting wanted behavior. What they do give are rules the pack must follow, limits to what they are allowed to do, and boundaries that the pack must not cross. This social structure makes the dog feel safe and secure. When dogs live with humans they experience a human trait called affection. Love is embedded in all animate creatures and affection is the exhibition of that love. However, affection is not as frequently displayed in the dog world as it is in the human world. An example of affection in dogs is displayed by licking, like when a group returns after hunting and is greeted by the puppies/adolescent dogs that did not participate in the hunt. Affection between two different species is something humans have introduced to dogs and humans must learn the proper times to give it in order to properly communicate.
Affection is wonderful and dogs thrive on this human characteristic. However, too many times we give our dogs only affectionate love and we overlook the most important canine instincts. The thing that keeps the pack solid and the members secure is consistent, firm, confident discipline. When a dog is lacking in the latter, they loose their direction, become unstable, confused, insecure and unhappy. The lower dogs look to the pack leader for guidance and direction. Their instincts tell them that without a strong, consistent pack leader, they will not survive. Therefore, it is instinct for a dog to try to take over if they do not see you as a consistent strong leader.
The biggest mistake dog owners make is that they forget dogs are animals. We humanize dogs, as it pleases the human inside of us to do so. Too many times we humans use dogs to satisfy our own needs, and overlook the fact that our fellow canines, what we call man's best friend, have their own needs. People do not think about what the "animal" in their dog needs. Dogs help people, and it's high time people start helping the dogs by taking a step back and seeing it is an animal, learning what the animal needs and giving it to them. Then, and only then, can we also be our dogs best friend.
