Dogs need a lot more than just love and affection to become good pets. Understanding who they are, including their normal behaviors and their physical, emotional, and mental needs, is a vital part of a happy and fulfilling life with dogs.

The Lap Wolf

Dogs want you to know that they're not furry people. They're not, even though most of them tolerate, even enjoy, being treated like people. What's not to love? Being one the people means comfy places to rest, yummy stuff to eat, and attention on demand…wait a minute! They've got it better than people! All the benefits with none of the responsibilities — what a deal!

For the most part, treating dogs like people is fine as long as you don't expect them to act like people in return. They simply don't and can't think or act like people. It doesn't make them any less wonderful for being who and what they are, but the truth is, from the 260-pound mastiff down to the 4-pound Yorkie, they all have the heart of a wolf beating inside them.

Speaking the Language

Dogs also want you to know that until you teach them the meaning of a word, they don't know what it means, even if you repeat it many times, loudly. Unlike people, they're just not verbal animals, and they don't know any word until it has been associated with its meaning many times. For them, any language is a foreign one, so expecting them to understand and respond to commands they've never been taught is not only unrealistic, it's also unfair. While you're teaching your dog to understand your language, the next several chapters will help you learn your dog's.