You and your dog don’t speak the same language, so you have to teach a dog what words mean, but you can’t really do that if you don’t know how to speak to the dog. The thing is – it’s not what you say but the way you say it.
Dogs learn more about what you think and feel by the tone of your voice than the very content of your message. Only by speaking properly to your dog, will your message get across.
An encouraging tone is usually high pitched, enthusiastic and it can even be a little silly.
A commanding tone should be firm, low and serious.
A scolding tone is the lowest and most serious tone, and it should sound disapproving or even unhappy.
Make sure you don’t overdo it. If you are too enthusiastic with your encouraging voice, you can put your dog into an excited frenzy mode. On the other hand, if your scolding voice is too loud or too angry, you could frighten you dog.
Timing is essential. You must use the right voice at the right time. If your dog doesn’t respond to a commanding “come”, for example, he may respond better to an encouraging “come.” Try it out and experiment in order to see how your dog reacts to different tones.
Tone of your voice is important, but consistency is even more crucial. Always use the same words and phrases when you’re trying to communicate with your dog, otherwise he might get confused.