Awwww thanks ladies. I do love my dogs and try to do what I can for them.
I got into studying animal psychology when we had horses. We used to buy weanlings that had never been handled by humans and were just leaving their mamas. Some were docile and willing to attach to the nearest taker. Some were terrified and frantic to avoid us. Some were of the mind that to survive they must defeat us... the old fight or flight mentality animals are known for. So in order to effectively bond with each of the babies I had to learn to think as they do and work around their particular reaction to bring them to trusting and cooperating with me.
I'm sure many would have thought I was nuts if they'd have watched some of the silly things I did to win over the foals. I'd sit for hours on a fallen log in their pasture and just sing quietly to myself. It reminded them I was still there, gave them the chance to approach me and check me out (or not) depending on their state of mind, and let them see others that did come to me getting their ears rubbed, manes nibbled (a greeting in horse language) and actually enjoying it!
The ones who wanted to attack me weren't big enough to really hurt me, so I learned to speak to them in their own language too. I'd wait till they made a threatening move, spin and stomp a foot behind me in their direction to let them know I was capable of threats too... then I'd turn away and ignore them to show them I didn't see them as a threat. If they approached me quietly, I stayed calm and still and let them sniff and get used to my scent gradually.
It was all much more involved than this, but was just fascinating how well it worked. Once I was able to communicate with them in a way they understood, they came around a lot quicker and with less fear.
There was only once that I was actually scared by any of them and that was a young stud who's hormones had just started raging. He'd been a real teddy bear to this point, but one day I walked into the pasture and he decided to challenge me for control. He charged directly at me snorting and shaking his head to let me know it was time for a showdown. I admit my knees were shaking. He was at least 700 lbs by this time and seriously could have beat me into the ground if he chose to. So I froze and just stared him down. He came so close that he slid to a stop and put his nose out and touched my hand. Then he flipped his tail and walked away as if nothing had happened. My not responding told him he wasn't big enough yet to be taken seriously and he accepted that without question because I was the boss. LOL I had to go in the house and check my underwear.
The same kind of stuff works with dogs. If we just remember to use it. It's too easy to try to see them as humans and treat them as such, when in truth, it's us who have to adapt to their ways if we really want to have successful relationships with them.
**getting off my soapbox now** it's one of my favorite subjects obbviously.