Why Your Dog Ignores You (and What Professional Trainers Do Instead)

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Have you ever had a dog who listens perfectly at home and then acts as if you don't exist the moment you're out on a walk?

It isn't stubbornness, and it isn't the breed.

Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens explains that dogs instinctively challenge the pack leader when they sense the leader is losing touch. A dog who feels you're calm and in control relaxes and follows your lead. A dog who isn't sure keeps testing you, and the walk is where he tests hardest.

Your body is talking before you are.

Your posture, your eye contact and your body language matter to dogs as much as your words do. Dogs get social anxiety too, so a tense owner with a tight grip on the leash is often sending exactly the wrong message.

Small daily habits build big respect.

One of the simplest habits Dan teaches is to ask for a sit before the food bowl goes down. Susan, whose rescue dog had earned the name "Jack The Nipper", wrote: "I had no idea that doing something as simple as making him sit before I put his bowl of food down would make a difference in how Jack viewed me."

Consistency is the whole game.

Dan's advice is to be consistent and show good leadership every day. A dog who sees you as a strong leader is far less likely to challenge you, and he goes through life feeling safe and secure.

The good news is that none of this takes a special gift with dogs. It takes knowing what the professionals know. Dan wrote it all down, step by step, in Secrets to Dog Training. Over 220,000 dog owners have used it. Here's how to get it...

See Secrets to Dog Training (affiliate link)