Anthropomophising animals sometimes does more harm than good. So, what works for us humans may not work for dogs (or cats, for that matter). And sometimes, certain things are pretty obvious to us but may not be perceived so by animals.
For example, did you know that saying “it’s okay” to pacify and assure your dog each time something unpleasant is about to happen may cause your dog’s stress levels to shoot through the roof whenever he hears “it’s okay”?
Here are some useful pointers when relating to your dog:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/10/12/stress-triggers-for-dogs.aspx
All 10 pointers will help us understand our dog better…from his/her perspective.