Joe kind of hit on one of the big rewards of having a "good dog". Most dogs, at least the smart ones, are experts at reading and reacting to human emotions. If you're happy then the dog sees this and it's happy, the same goes for if you're sad. The dog also wants to belong in the pack it's genetic, in this case the human pack, and it's always up to the pack master to make sure the dog understands and accepts it's place at the bottom of the pack. This is where a lot of people fail miserably and end up with a dog that tries to become the pack leader instead of being taught to accept the bottom. The dog by instinct knows that there is security, food and companionship in the pack and therefore if it's owner does not offer the dog a pack situation at home then the the dog will most likely find it's own and we know what that leads to. It's all about being the boss and teaching the dog the required commands like sit and stay and "NO" and drop it and always being prepared to reinforce the commands cuss the dog will always be checking to see if the rules have changed. Dog Whisper's a good show and for some people it should be required to watch before they are allowed to own a dog but the show is all about reading the dog and making sure the dog reads you the owner.
