Our dogs are constantly learning from us; everything we do tells them something about us and defines their relationship with us. Basic training and socialization should begin the moment a new puppy or dog enters your house to establish the routine of the household and set the stage for raising a well-mannered dog.
Good dogmanship is crucial to successful training. But what is it? Dogmanship is often defined simply as the ability to interact with and train dogs. It goes much deeper than that. The term is a spinoff of the term horsemanship (generally defined as the ability to ride a horse), which reflects not only riding and training ability, but also treating animals with respect, fairness, and understanding. For Loren, dogmanship is a philosophy, an attitude toward dogs rooted in respect for the animal. It is diplomacy, the ability to deal with dogs in a sensitive and effective manner. It is an approach to training based on establishing communication and building a relationship with the dog, and it requires the ability to read canine body language and 
understand canine behavior in order to elicit the desired responses from the dog. Train the dog in front of you, addressing his particular needs, instead of taking a cookie-cutter approach to dog training. Dogmanship is the wordless conversation we have with our dogs in training through our overall demeanor and body language; it is about motivating the dog to do something rather than forcing him, helping him make the right choices, and rewarding him when he does.
Training is all about communication and relationship; whether it is a matter of simply managing your dog in your home and everyday life, behavior modification to eliminate problem behaviors, or preparing him for dog sports or shows, you must help your dog understand what you are asking of him and understand what he needs from you in order to succeed.
