Are You the Leader of Your Dog Pack?
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Has your dog trained you well? Does your dog get you running around doing pointless tasks just because it can (barking at the door then turns away when you go to it)? Does your dog growl at you and bite if you want him off the couch?
These are signs your dog is your pack leader.
It is important for you to be the pack leader. If you are the master, your dog will look to you for leadership. This makes for a better relationship as your dog wants to please you; and does not expect you to please them.
Dogs have an inherent strict social order and the higher in the pack order you are the more likely you are to get what you want.
Leading your Pack
Being the leader is simple. There is no need for punishment.
Most dogs are bred for working in some way and are happy to work for rewards.
Dogs are gamblers and, once a particular action is trained into them, a random reward is a great way to maintain the training. This teaches your dog they can earn anything.
A dog’s four favourite things are:
1. love and attention
2. food
3. play
4. exercise
Earning Rewards
Before you give your dog its favourite thing, teach your dog to earn it.
For example: sit before a pat; sit and stay before dinner; sit, stay, drop and roll over before play; and the same again plus heel before going on a walk.
Your dog now knows how to earn what it wants; so how do we get the message across when they misbehave?
Dealing with Bad Behaviour
The first thing is to reprimand in a deep voice. If they don’t stop immediately, they are taken (within 1 second if possible) to a quiet place, with nothing to do. Let your dog out after 2 to 3 minutes, without any fuss, when it has been quiet for 2 to 3 minutes.
If your dog stops the behaviour immediately, reward with ‘good dog’. You can even use a treat or a toy.
For behaviour that is ‘inexcusable’ use distraction. Sometimes this works better as you are giving your dog attention when telling it off. The best method is to use distraction without paying the behaviour direct attention. For example, if your dog is barking at the fence try a squeaky toy to get its attention and play for a few minutes; or call the dog to you and reward with a treat if it comes the first time. If you dog does not come, ignore and walk off, remove your company from the dog for a few minutes.
Random reward for quiet behaviour helps reinforce the training.
So often we soothe our dogs, tell them it is okay, when they are scared or behaving inappropriately. What this actually does is tell your dog it is okay to misbehave.
Ignore the behaviour if it is not potentially dangerous.
These are signs your dog is your pack leader.
It is important for you to be the pack leader. If you are the master, your dog will look to you for leadership. This makes for a better relationship as your dog wants to please you; and does not expect you to please them.
Dogs have an inherent strict social order and the higher in the pack order you are the more likely you are to get what you want.
Leading your Pack
Being the leader is simple. There is no need for punishment.
Most dogs are bred for working in some way and are happy to work for rewards.
Dogs are gamblers and, once a particular action is trained into them, a random reward is a great way to maintain the training. This teaches your dog they can earn anything.
A dog’s four favourite things are:
1. love and attention
2. food
3. play
4. exercise
Earning Rewards
Before you give your dog its favourite thing, teach your dog to earn it.
For example: sit before a pat; sit and stay before dinner; sit, stay, drop and roll over before play; and the same again plus heel before going on a walk.
Your dog now knows how to earn what it wants; so how do we get the message across when they misbehave?
Dealing with Bad Behaviour
The first thing is to reprimand in a deep voice. If they don’t stop immediately, they are taken (within 1 second if possible) to a quiet place, with nothing to do. Let your dog out after 2 to 3 minutes, without any fuss, when it has been quiet for 2 to 3 minutes.
If your dog stops the behaviour immediately, reward with ‘good dog’. You can even use a treat or a toy.
For behaviour that is ‘inexcusable’ use distraction. Sometimes this works better as you are giving your dog attention when telling it off. The best method is to use distraction without paying the behaviour direct attention. For example, if your dog is barking at the fence try a squeaky toy to get its attention and play for a few minutes; or call the dog to you and reward with a treat if it comes the first time. If you dog does not come, ignore and walk off, remove your company from the dog for a few minutes.
Random reward for quiet behaviour helps reinforce the training.
So often we soothe our dogs, tell them it is okay, when they are scared or behaving inappropriately. What this actually does is tell your dog it is okay to misbehave.
Ignore the behaviour if it is not potentially dangerous.