04/08/2025
I teach most clients about voluntary attention. Silence can be very powerful in helping your dog focus https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JHsPLcdKK/?mibextid=wwXIfrr
Silent Connection: Why Saying Nothing Can Speak Volumes in Dog Training
In the dog training world, silence really can be golden.
Many dog owners and even some trainers, rely heavily on verbal cues to communicate with their dogs. We chatter, call, command, repeat, and coax, often without realising how noisy and unclear we can become. But here’s the thing: dogs don’t communicate the way we do. And when we quieten down, they often begin to listen more.
One of the most powerful yet overlooked exercises in dog training involves doing… very little. It’s deceptively simple, but the results can be profound.
The Exercise: Silence on a Long Line
Here’s how it works:
• Take your dog to an open, distraction-managed space, somewhere safe but interesting (a quiet field, a large park, or an enclosed paddock).
• Pop them on a long line (ideally 5–10 metres), ensuring they can explore but remain safely under control.
• Begin walking away from your dog without saying a word. Don’t call them. Don’t coax. Don’t tap your legs or whistle.
• Stand still for a few moments, then move off again. Stay relaxed. Crucially, do not create tension in the lead.
• And here’s the twist, when you’re back home, continue this silent approach for 24 hours. No verbal cues. No talking to your dog. Nothing.
You might think this sounds a bit odd, even cold. But trust the process. For many, this short exercise becomes a turning point.
Why It Works: Understanding the Canine Mind
Dogs are masters of reading body language. In fact, over 90% of a dog’s communication with both dogs and humans is non-verbal. When we rely too much on words, especially when they’re repeated, emotional, or inconsistent, we muddy the water.
Silence strips all that noise away. It puts the focus squarely on physical presence, posture, energy, and subtlety. Suddenly, your dog doesn’t have to sift through endless verbal clutter to understand you. They can observe, assess, and engage with your body language instead.
And because you’re not constantly correcting, calling, or commanding, your dog doesn’t feel the pressure to perform. Instead, they begin to self-regulate, to choose to stay close, follow, and connect, without being told.
A Reset Button for the Relationship
This kind of silent work can be particularly helpful for dogs who are anxious, overstimulated, reactive, or constantly seeking feedback. For them, constant verbal input can feel like emotional noise, heightening arousal, confusing expectations, or even fuelling behaviour you’d rather avoid.
By taking away the voice, we take away the tension. We give dogs space to think and permission to just be. In that quiet space, they often become calmer, more curious, and more in tune with their handler’s movement and energy.
For the human, it’s a lesson in presence. You become acutely aware of how much you talk, how often you unconsciously tug the lead, how you lean, pause, or shift your weight. You begin to realise just how much you’re saying, even when you think you’re not.
It Builds Engagement—The Right Kind
This is not about ignoring your dog or being cold. Quite the opposite. It’s about letting your dog choose to connect with you, rather than being told to. That kind of voluntary engagement is far more powerful and longer lasting than anything you can command or bribe into existence.
In a training context, this kind of voluntary checking in builds the foundation for solid recall, reliable focus, and loose lead walking. But it also fosters trust. Your dog learns that your presence is predictable, calm, and worth watching. They begin to anchor off your energy rather than your words.
A Useful Tool in a Trainer’s Toolkit
For dog trainers, this exercise is a brilliant way to assess where the relationship stands. If a dog immediately orients to the handler when they move silently away, brilliant. If the dog doesn’t notice, or seems disinterested, that tells you something valuable too. It becomes diagnostic.
It’s also a great exercise for owners who over-talk, over-handle, or unknowingly add pressure to their dogs. For those struggling with reactivity or nervousness, this simple practice can help recalibrate the emotional climate between dog and handler.
Some Things to Bear in Mind
• Don’t confuse silence with withdrawal. You’re still present, still calm, still engaged. You’re just not speaking.
• You don’t need to be stone-faced. A relaxed body, soft eye contact, and gentle movement are all part of the non-verbal conversation.
• The goal isn’t to remove verbal cues forever. It’s to remind both dog and owner that communication starts with clarity, not chatter.
Final Thoughts: The Quiet Path to Connection
Training doesn’t always have to be high energy, clickers, or commands. Sometimes, it just takes a quiet field, a long line, and a bit of space to breathe.
This silent connection exercise can reveal more about your dog and your relationship, than you might expect. So give it a go. Ditch the words, lean into presence, and let your dog surprise you.
You might just find that saying nothing at all is the best way to be heard.
www.k9manhuntscotland.co.uk
