You’ve probably had a day or two when you felt like your dog just wasn’t paying any attention to you at all, right? You talked, you yelled, you shouted, maybe you jumped up and down and waved your arms, but she just wasn’t interested in anything you had to say to her in any tone of voice. You’re not alone.

1. Your dog isn’t human.

Unless you believe in pet psychics, there’s really no way for you to read your pooch’s mind and figure out exactly what she’s thinking. The good news is that, like many dog owners, problems you’re having can probably be traced to one simple thing: you’re trying to communicate with your dog from a human standpoint, and your dog isn’t a human. Sure, you know that, but lots of humans try to relate with their dogs in ways that they think are rational as humans. The problem is that dogs are driven in every act and every moment by very strong instincts. Deciphering those instincts and leveraging them to build a productive relationship is like finding keys to city.

2. Your dog doesn't speak English.

Take word “no,” for example. Does your dog speak English? Not understand English. Does she speak it? What’s meaningful to her is your tone of voice, not word itself. Now let’s think about that – we’re taking up excess time trying to teach our dog a word she’ll never speak and that probably doesn’t mean much to her anyway. Sure, it’s meaningful to us, but that’s only one side of equation. What about something that’s meaningful to both human and dog?

3. You know what a growl means, and your dog knows what a growl means.

You spoil your pooch as close to rotten as you can get, don’t you? Hey, who doesn’t? It’s almost impossible not to, with those adorable, big, beautiful eyes, little lashes, soft fur just behind ears… they almost beg to be spoiled. But what can you really do? There are all of those new doggie day spas, doggie day cares, and other doggie luxury services, but how often can you really afford things like that? I mean, most people rarely have enough cash in bank to get themselves a surprise manicure and pedicure, much less spring for their pups to get a quadripedicure. You give her a few scratches behind ears, rub her belly, and maybe give her a massage and splurge on some gourmet treats, but you have to pay rent and eat each month. Your budget just doesn’t allow for constant spoiling of your dog…

1. Or does it?

You can make shampoos, fragrances, and skin conditioners doggie day spas use whenever you want for a lot less money than you think. Wouldn’t your pup love to have an at-home spa treatment? Give these recipes a shot next time you want to pamper that pup:

2. Aromatic Dry Shampoo

250 ml (1 cup) cornmeal 250 ml (1 cup) baby/talcum powder 5 ml (1 tsp) rosemary 5 ml (1 tsp) lavender

Combine all of ingredients in a large, airtight container and let them sit overnight. This will allow rosemary and lavender to scent other two ingredients lightly. When ready, sprinkle generously over your dog and brush it into her fur by working your fingers against lay of her coat. Once it’s worked in thoroughly, use your fingers or a hard rubber brush to massage her coat in direction of fur but working in circles. Brush until mixture is completely out of coat. Your baby will smell great, powder and cornmeal help absorb excess oil and dirt to clean her, and she won’t have had to go through trauma of having a full bath! How great is that?

3. Herbal Shampoo

470 ml (2 cups) purified water 10 ml (1 tbsp) rosemary 10 ml (1 tbsp) orange zest 30 ml (2 tbsp) chamomile 10 ml (1 tbsp) lavender oil 120 ml (1/2 cup) baby shampoo