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Does your dog think he’s the pack leader in your house – or perhaps when out
walking?
It’s something I hear almost daily when people call me for help with
their dog behaviour or dog training problem. Some of the tell-tale signs are dogs pulling on
the lead, not ‘listening’ to their owners, running off, and being aggressive to
other dogs or people. Is yours an obedient dog when it suits them, but ignores you
at other times?
 Does your dog
ever seem to be protecting you even when there’s no need – by barking at others
on a walk, for example? I meet lots of nice dogs who sometimes act
out of character and aggressively. If yours is like this, you’ll be glad to hear that you’re not on
your own – I see it all the time and it’s usually not hard to fix.
If you are worried about your dog’s behaviour, then in my
experience there’s a very good chance that he or she thinks you’re not the pack
leader. In the first quarter of 2009, I worked with 85 dogs in
and around Northamptonshire, and many of them pack leadership was at least part
of the problem. Unfortunately, that’s where it goes wrong because most dogs
(like most humans) weren’t born to be leaders, but followers.
Did you ever have a boss who should never have been given
that last promotion - who couldn’t cope? Were they stressed out most of the
time? Most likely they were very different – calmer – people outside of work.
Dogs can be the same! If no one in your ‘pack’ looks like a leader to them,
they are inclined to ‘promote’ themselves because someone has to look after the survival of the pack.
Dogs who are natural followers - the majority of dogs - are
much calmer when an enlightened owner takes over the reins and leads the way. That's when remarkable transformations are possible.
I recently went to see a lady whose
pet terrier badly bit her elderly father’s carer – a very serious situation
which effectively meant that we had to fix the problem or the dog had to go. I
returned for a follow-up three weeks later and the owner was delighted: “My
friends all think you’ve hypnotised him, he’s so calm and so much happier. He’s
a different dog”. He was also much more responsive to the owner’s requests.
We’d done all of this with a few changes to feeding and sleeping routines and
lots of little signals as to who the boss really was - powerful signal that
dogs instinctively understand without any need for any severe dog training techniques
For the small minority who are truly dominant dogs, the
remedy is very much the same. Their job is to explore the boundaries and see how far they
can push you. YOUR job is to convince them that you are a good leader
and have every right to be in charge in your own house – and on the street. In
fact this isn’t as difficult as it may seem even if you don’t think you’re by
nature that kind of person. Those powerful signals do much of the work for you.
Dominance, incidentally, is not about aggression. Dominant
dogs are rarely aggressive or overly forceful, because it’s simply not
necessary. One whithering look, or a quick growl is often all that is
necessary. When I think of dominant dogs I think of words and phrases like
‘aloof’, ‘self-confident’, ‘in control’, ‘determined’ or ‘stubborn’ even. To be pack leader with a dominant dog, you
yourself simply need to be more determined, stubborn and in control etc. Cesar
Millan sums it up well when he talks about “Calm Assertive”. It’s easy to adopt
the right style, and with a little coaching you too can be a great pack leader in
no time.
Only then, when you’re clearly the leader, will you be able
to set the rules boundaries and limitations in your house – and out on your
walk – with a confident expectation that your dog will really listen to you.
I always think that although I can show people lots of clever ways of dog training,
the truth is that if your 'best friend' is looking at you thinking “..and who do
you think YOU are to be telling me what to do..?”, then you’re sunk before you
start. That’s why I always make sure my clients are good pack leaders first of
all. It’s the foundation that all subsequent good dog behaviour is built upon
Being the pack leader is absolutely NOT about being overbearing or ruling by fear. Good leaders aren't bullies, but they do have the respect and trust of their followers. It doesn't mean you can't have a cuddle with your dog either - at the right time. Affection is NOT weakness - as one of my clients had been told by a previous dog trainer. In a nutshell, good leaders have well behaved and happy dogs - and I can show anyone how to acheive this - even if you don't think you're a born leader (because most of us aren't).
If you’d like me to help
you with your dog, please contact me today.
Graeme Hall “The Dogfather”
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