Have you ever wondered just how much your dog responds to your mood and voice? You'll be surprised how much the tone of voice has an effect on your pooch! Duke University’s Canine Cognition Center shows that impulsive dogs respond better to a calm demeanor and more tranquil dogs respond better to an excited demeanor! Further, they say:

The study is quite simple and easy to replicate with your own dog at home if you’re interested in doing so. A researcher crouched behind a clear barrier and offered a treat to each dog. To get the treat, the dogs had to resist the impulse to try to go straight through the barrier and instead figure out that their only option was to go around it. Each dog was run through this experiment several times, sometimes hearing an excited voice and sometimes hearing a calm voice telling them to “come” and get the treat. The amount of time it took the dog to get the treat was measured each time.

For an absolutely hysterical look at the effect tone of voice can have, watch this video of Charlie Brown, a 2-year-old female cavalier King Charles spaniel. Poor Charlie. Her “aroused” brain just short-circuited when too much excitement came her way.

No, we do not want you to “short-circuit” your pooch but it is fair to say that some stimulants work better than others. Guidance can also be the key to a calm, obedient and happy pooch!

To read more on this thought-provoking topic go over to Pet MD. Then you may want to think about how you approach your pooch!