Dogs are Not People Too

A common problem that most dog owners make is treating their dog like a human. Dogs are not human and when we treat them as a human we are sending them the completely wrong signals. Dogs need and desire leadership. When we treat our dog as we would say our three month old baby for example (you know what I mean the high pitched voices etc. etc.) it sends them a signal that we are not strong but we are weak. If your dog perceives you as weak, the dog will believe that there is leadership void in his pack and try to fill that void. This clearly is not a desirable situation. Dogs taking over the leadership role in a human household will lead to all kinds of undesirable behaviors within the dog. What is needed is to treat your dog like a dog.

To project confident and strong leadership to your dog there are some simple things you can do:

1. When leaving the house for a walk with your dog, never allow the dog out the door first.

2. Keep your dog at your side or behind during the walk.

3. Always talk to your dog with a strong confident voice, while the dog does not understand the words it will certainly pick up on the strength of the message.

4. Dogs read body language, always walk tall and confident with your dog.

5. At meal time be sure your dog is calm and submissive, not overly excited. Make your dog sit and be calm before you give him the food.

6. A personal touch of his food, i.e. mixing it with your hands, will help the dog to understand that you are the leader. In the wild the pack leader (Alpha Dog) always eats first. Your scent on the dog’s food will simulate that you have finished with it and now he/she may eat.

These are just some of the ways we can show our dogs that we are the leader that they desire in their lives. Experiment with your own and watch for results that your dog is submissive to you.

There are some who will read this and say that by doing all these things to obtain pack leadership that we are being mean to our dogs or somehow giving them a lesser role in our lives. To the contrary what we are doing is relieving our dogs of responsibilities which they cannot perform. Leadership within their pack is as important to a dog as any thing else in their lives. By you fulfilling this role the dog will be well-balanced and calm. The dog will be in control and as result will be easier to train and more fun to be around. You will not have to keep your dog away from social situations; it can be part of them. The dog will be a bigger part of your life, and as result the dog and you will be more fulfilled.