Have you ever tried to see the world through your dog’s eyes?

A new study highlights how crucial body-based communication and understanding the dog’s sensory world are in training.

Training isn’t just about teaching commands—it’s a mutual learning and attunement process, where both the human and the dog adapt to each other. It’s about building a shared language based on body, voice, movement, and touch.

Researchers point out that effective communication means entering the dog’s world—especially their sense of smell and hearing, which are far more sensitive than ours. Tone of voice, posture, gestures, and play often matter more than words.

Trainers often act as translators—helping guardians read canine signals and learn better ways to connect.

Another key element is using “high-value rewards”—whatever truly motivates that individual dog: a strong-smelling treat, a favorite toy, or playful interaction.

This study is a reminder that if we really want to communicate with dogs, we need to become a little more “dog” ourselves—step down from the human pedestal and enter the world of another species.

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Fox, R., Charles, N., Smith, H., & Miele, M. (2022). ‘Imagine you are a Dog’: embodied learning in multi-species research. Cultural Geographies, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14744740221102907