All dogs need leadership and it
is vital that your dog comprehends that he can trust you to be an effective
leader so that in times of uncertainty your dog trusts that he can depend
on you to provide proper and understandable guidance. They understand
hierarchy, so we want to adhere to a leader-and-follower structure in our
homes. It is important that your dog knows that you’re capable of handling
the role of leader, or your dog will take control and establish his own rules.
Leadership doesn’t mean it's necessary that we act like a dog, nor use force,
fear or intimidation techniques. Quite the contrary. A proper
leader establishes his position by creating an environment that is fair and
firm, where others want him to be in the leadership role and are willing
followers. Leaders are privileged, influential with the dog's pack
and possess authority roles to make decisions for the welfare of the pack.
The following steps will help you establish a leadership position with your
dog. Start these no later than 12 weeks or the day you bring home your
puppy or adult dog.
With an effective leadership program you don’t need force to demonstrate
to your dog that you’re the person in charge. You need only to control
their most-desired resources so they can earn them back from you by performing
a simple obedience cue, such as sit. Everything in your house belongs
to you, including the dog’s items: the toys, bones, food, crate, bowls, bed
(your’s and their’s), couch, chairs, throw rug. You allow your dog
to borrow them. You should be able to handle, move, or remove any of
these items and resources without harassment from your dog – including removing
your dog from your bed or couch. This rule teaching begins as the adult role
in the household (you) and once the dog starts to understand the rules, then
you will help your child to take a leadership role. But YOU,
as the adult, must first teach the rules to your dog! Just because
you bought the dog for your 8-year-old daughter doesn’t mean that you can
thrust the responsibility of teaching the dog on her.
Leaders do not use fear, force or intimidation techniques such as hitting,
rolling, hanging, pinching, dunking, or flooding. Leaders are not vindictive.
Leaders do not throw shaker cans or chains at their dogs nor spray water
in their dog's face. They are firm, fair, dependable, consistent in
adhering to the rules, willing to gently demonstrate the rules, and they
are wonderful to be with. Leaders learn to “listen” to their dog’s
input and make decisions based on what they may be trying to tell us.
Your dog is NEVER allowed to bite, nip or mouth anyone at any time.
No sleeping on the bed or any piece of furniture until he learns to sit as
his way of asking for an invitation from you and until you issue that invitation.
If he is already growling at your or any other family member while on the
bed or furniture, do not allow him access to that furniture and immediately
call a professional positive reinforcement trainer or behaviorist.
Your dog is ‘resource guarding’ and is letting you know by growling that
he claims that area. This will likely become a much more aggressive
behavior resulting in his biting one of you.
Dogs who demand to be picked up by jumping, pawing or barking should not
be touched until they sit and are quiet. Also, if they demand to be
put down, you must wait until the barking and squirming stops. After
they are quiet and settled, you may pick up or put down on the floor.
Otherwise you are teaching them to use bad manners to control you.
Petting or other attention should not be given if your dog nudges or paws
you. If this happens, ignore it and when he starts to walk away you
can then call him back to you to give attention. You are the leader
and leaders decide when attention is to be given, not the dog by using bad
manners.
A simple manners cue, such as “sit”, needs to be executed before you give
your dog any attention such as throwing a toy, getting on furniture, petting,
getting on your lap, giving food, going out/in the door or car or crate.
This “sit” becomes your dog’s way of “asking your permission” in order to
earn his most-desired goodies.
Sit means sit now not when you get around to doing what I request. However,
you need to practice with your dog in order for him to learn that he needs
to perform your request the first time, every time.
Your dog needs to be taught how to move out of your path on a floor or stairway
or doorway even if you can easily step over or walk around him. You should
not step around them - leaders have the right-of-way.
No free feeding meals.
Do not leave your dog's food out all day so they can eat when they desire.
Your dog needs to understand where their food comes from (you) and
that they need to earn their food, whether from your hand or in a bowl.
Feed scheduled meals and have your dog sit and stay in the sit until the
bowl is on the floor and you have given him permission to eat. Leave
it there for no longer than 30 minutes and then remove the food until the
next meal. Your dog doesn’t need to graze.
He who gets out the door first is the winner!
Therefore, YOU will always go out the door first and release him from
the other side. You need to go out first until he learns to wait at
the door for your decision on whether you will go first or simply release
him from inside. Be sure, too, that he doesn’t bolt back into the house
until you have given him permission to enter. Teach him to sit/wait
until you give him permission to go through the door.
Your dog needs to make eye contact with you whenever you request it.
But, NO stare-down contests, please, because your dog might see it
as a threat. Direct eye contact to a dog is rude behavior, however
it is also vital that they learn to make direct eye contact with us in order
to understand our guidance. Therefore, you must include teaching eye
contact as part of your training plans.
Teach your dog a solid "drop it" for things in his mouth you don’t want him
to have. Prevent your dog from taking (stealing) your belongings, but if
it does happen,he needs to be taught how to release the item at your request,
and this also
needs to be practiced on a daily basis. Be sure, too, that you aren't putting
your dog into an environment where they can't possibly resist temptation
- like with your kids' toys. You have to set up your dog for success
rather than leaving them to no choice but to fail.
ALL dogs need training and should know eye contact, sit, down, stay,
drop it, leave it, come, wait at the door, wait for permission, settle and
walking nicely on leash without pulling.
Never play tug-of-war games with your dog until:
1. Your dog has learned a solid “drop it” so you can keep his emotions
from escalating to an aggressively competitive state
2. You start and you end the game – not the dog
3. Your dog knows that teeth on skin is NEVER acceptable. Even
if it was an accident, you must immediately end the game
4. Your children know they are never allowed to play tug games with
the dog
Your dog should NEVER be left unsupervised with children or anyone
who cannot maintain leadership with your dog. Your child should NEVER
hit, scold, pinch, kick, or throw anything at your dog ... nor should your
child ever take away a toy, bone or food from your dog. These are adult
responsibilities.
The one with the higher head is king!
Do not put yourself in a lesser height level than your dog. Children,
especially, should not lie on the floor for any reason with the dog.
ANY child under 8 years old does not possess mature reasoning skills
of an adult. Children under 8 need to be CONSTANTLY SUPERVISED with
the dog. Your dog’s antics of hair grabbing, ear biting, climbing on
your child’s back, and nipping noses are never acceptable. Teach your
children never to encourage your dog by giggling when the dog bites their
nose, hair, face and head. Remember that 79% of dog bites to children
happen around their head. Dogs are born with “natural opposition reflex”
which means they will push at whatever pushes them, and pull against whatever
pulls them. If your child pushes your dog away from them, the dog will
simply come right back at your child. Remember that what your child
learns with your dog they will also do with a strange dog and that dog may
aggressively refuse of your child’s interactions. Set up safety for
both your children and your dog!
Your dog should be taught not to pull when walking on a leash. This is called
Loose Leash walking. Your dog needs to learn to walk on your side, not in
front of you pulling on a retractable leash. Remember - you can be
in the leader OR the follower position. If your dog is in front
of you, that makes him the leader. YOU control the walk.
When on a walk your dog doesn’t need to sniff or mark everything in order
to enjoy himself. Your dog needs to learn to pace himself to you.
You may decide that it is ok for your dog to sniff something -- BUT
you need to follow leadership rules of having him sit first and then walking
over to the item -- NEVER allowing him to pull you to it.
Put your dog in the crate other than when you leave the house. First,
teach your dog a cue for going into the crate so this isn't a struggle.
(If it is, you need a crate training program.) Let your dog learn to
settle while you are cooking, eating meals, visiting with guests, watching
tv, playing games with the kids, reading a book, taking a nap, on the phone.
You are the leader and you decide when your dog needs to take a relaxation
period, even if that happens when you’re home. Remember that your dog
needs to learn to sit and wait in the crate until you open the door and give
him the release cue to exit.
reprinted with kind permission from Denise Lukacs
The Pet Teacher www.ThePetTeacher.com
Helping You & Your Dog Become A Better Team!
