Being Your Dog’s Pack Leader

By nature dogs live and survive in packs. When we take the dog out of his element we, and those he lives with, become his pack. A healthy dog, and a healthy pack, needs a clear leader. In your dog’s world this should be you. If you do not take on this role your dog will, which can lead to many problems down the road.

Being the “Pack leader” means that when your dog is sitting in your chair and you say “move” he does so without hesitation. Growling or snapping or resisting should never enter his mind. You eat first, you make decisions and he must abide by them.

This does not mean being abusive! This does not mean you can’t give your dogs treats or hugs. It does mean that you decide when to do so. When you walk through the door and he’s bouncing off the walls is not the time to do so! If you do then you reward him for his behavior, which then can lead to anxiety when you’re gone and destruction of the home.

Being the pack leader means he gets attention when you decide, not because he’s being pushy and begging (which should be ignored). So many small things that mean nothing to us mean everything in the dog’s language.

When you place his food down you should be able to equally reach down and remove it with a minimum amount of resistance or, better, NO resistance! When you go to a doorway or hall you should be the one to go through first, even if it means putting a leash on your dog and holding him to insure it. In the dog’s world the pack leader and dominant dog leads the way here – if you allow him to you’re allowing him to be your boss! When he snaps, bites or then does other behaviors that are inappropriate then we have a problem with it – but at that point it is reacting, not being assertive.

Being your dog’s leader is something that leads to a great pet. This helps insure a dog that is happy to give to your wishes. It should not ever be abusive. If you watch dogs interact or even wolf documentaries their disagreements are settled quickly. An effective leader is not questioned.

Be an effective pack leader!

For more information please visit Cesar's web site.