Train your Man Like a Dog & Bond Forever

First of all, I think men are way smarter then most women give them credit for. Before I get into the details, it is important to know that in order to successfully train your man he must never find out that you are training him.

Every man is a work in progress, a diamond in the rough or a raw hunk of marble waiting to be chiseled.

In puppy school you get trained as the owner on how to think like your puppy. If you’re going to train your man to treat you the way you’d like to be treated, the same thing applies. You’ve got to understand how his head works. It is not the same way a woman’s head works.

Stop Whining and Shouting

Screwed up tissues, the towels on the floor, taking too long in the bathroom…you name it. Whining and shouting doesn’t work. You do it for years and he will still be messy, forgetful and always late. We women assume that pointing out what we don’t want makes clear what we do desire.

Dogs are famous for selective attention. They have a filter that blocks out constant yelling of their name until they want to acknowledge it. Likewise, your partner has a way of filtering out your voice when you nag, complain, whine or make them feel negative emotions. It is like the sound of your voice becomes white noise and he no longer respond to it.

Catching a dog’s attention then running the other way is far more likely to get a dog chasing you. Moving away from your man when he pull away enables him to come running back.

Study his Needs & Behavior

He may be food driven and can always be distracted, bribed or enticed with food. He may need exercising daily; great for mowing lawns, running errands and trips to the corner shop.

Just as you can’t stop a dog from digging, there may be no stopping your man from losing his wallet or keys. Good trainers don’t want automaton dogs; to love your dog is also to accept it.

Read the Signals

Trainers can’t stand around hoping that the agitated dog won’t bite. They need to be able to read the signals their dogs give them so they can anticipate their every move and act quickly.

For example, your partner likes to take a book or magazine with him to the bathroom which means it’s about half hour before you can get in there. Next time instead of getting angry after he takes over the bathroom, look for cues before this happens. Once he starts wondering around his book or looking for his magazine at the end of the evening, just say “all you need is a minute” and make a dash for it.

Ignore Bad Behavior

Forget arguing about the mess your man makes every time he cooks, or the way he leaves his smelly socks around the bedroom. The idea is that any response, positive or negative, fuels a behavior. If a behavior provokes no response at all, it typically dies away.

Rather than punishing or drawing attention to behavior you don’t like, you should simply ignore it. Ignoring your partner’s irritating habits will help him gradually stop them.

Good Boy!

Whether it’s cleaning the car, putting the bins out or mowing the lawn, make a real point of thanking him as soon as he does something you like. Rewarding the things he does right, just as a puppy trainer would, will reinforce his good behavior.

The more positive you be with him, the faster his defensiveness will fade away. When you ask him to do something, he will be more responsive.

Luring & Baiting

Trainers have used it for centuries. A common way to teach a dog to sit is to hold a tasty morsel right over its head which prompts him to put his bottom on the floor. I am all for luring man, but you must judge if yours will think the prize is worth the bother.

One Small Step At A Time

To get a dog to perform a particular task, you need to break the task down into baby steps and focus on the most important part of it. Overcomplicated and confused messages about what’s required will get you nowhere.

Don’t Take Things Personally

Projecting human feelings and characteristics on to an animal can lead to bad training decisions. So if you’re going to think like a dog trainer, you need to keep a cool head and not take your man’s actions so personally. You might assume your dog chewed your new pair of Gucci shoes out of spite but he didn’t. Not taking your partner’s actions personally is liberating, but no easy task.

Pick Your Moment

People, like dogs, aren’t wired to learn or teach lessons when they’re out of sorts. If you try to tackle a problem when you feel stressed about something, you may mean well but a point made in this way will typically fall on deaf ears. Instead, be sure to pick a time to train your man when you are both feeling calm and in a good mood.