At least in the beginning I train all dogs exactly the same regardless of breed, age, or size. They are all canines first. The purpose behind this article is to identify the five areas where if you don’t lead your dog they will lead you. Some breeds require stronger leadership than others, but these go for any dog. Not being educated and taking control of these things can cause maladaptive behavior ranging from aggressiveness to separation anxiety. Start being intentional in these areas and watch the difference in how your dog behaves. The hard part is that humans talk too much and all these things require little to no talking. The more you talk, the less they listen. They relate to you as if you were another dog, so success comes when you act like a dog, instead of trying to relate to them as if they were human. Use calm energy, assertiveness, eye contact, and your body to communicate as much as possible. Remember working with your dog should be calming and relaxing, if it’s not, you are doing it wrong. Take a breath and relax.
Like everything in life, it all hinges on mindset. Your mindset has to be that you own everything in your dog’s world and you give them access to it.
Food– this is the BIG one. There is nothing more important to a dog than food. If this is not the case, unless the dog has a medical issue, then you know you are not in control. Healthy dogs should not have a take it or leave it attitude when it comes to their food. We say two words during feeding time starting when they are pups. We get the food and say “box”. The dogs know that this means go to your box and sit. In the beginning, we just put them in the box and hold the food up by our eyes. This causes them to focus on our eyes whenever we point to our eyes. They will begin to automatically sit when this is done because it takes the pressure off their neck caused by standing and looking up. This is also how treats are given. When they sit, we put the food down. If they move towards it, we pick it up without saying a word. We continue this until they stay. Once they stay, we softly say “OK” and they eat. There is no need to yell. They are fixated on you. The reason we say “box” is to associate that place with their favorite thing…food. It is a positive connection. Over time anytime you say “box” they will automatically just go there. We do not use the box for punishment. If your dog is crazy during the feeding ritual, it is doubtful that they respond to you with any consistency. Food gets eaten in 15 minutes. If not, it gets picked up. Leaving food out leads the dog to believe it is his food and not yours. In nature, when a dog or wolf walks away from food it means that they are finished and other pack members can feed. When your dog comes back to food that is left down, they begin to think nobody is above them in the pack. Whether it is a puppy or a rescue, you need to periodically put your hand in the bowl and take the food away. If anyone in your home is unable to do that, you have a problem and should seek professional help. Once a dog backs you up off their food, you have no control over them. They know it and it will not get better.
Water– I know it sounds funny but yes, they will try to control water. We currently have five dogs in our pack. Since all of them are fed separately, they attempt to use this to show dominance. Whenever water is placed down, Odin drinks first. If another dog walks up, he just looks at them and they back up. Each dog does the exact same thing until they all drink. Before I put the water down, Odin sits. I put it down, and say OK. This cements me as the pack leader over and over. If any dogs use anything more than a stare, I intercede with a loud noise that forces all of them to look at me and immediately stop what they are doing.
Movement/Space– Remember, dogs are pack animals and a huge part of pack life is movement. Whether or not you have a yard, or more than one dog, your dog should be walked regularly. In a pack, the leader decides where the pack goes, what they pay attention to, and what they ignore like other dogs. Unless your dog understand one word commands such as HEEL, SIT, DOWN, STAY, and COME there is no sense in talking to them, especially when you are flustered. If your dog is walking in front of you without any slack in the lead, they are leading you and you are not in charge.
Where a dog prefers to lay is very important to notice. People always ask whether or not their dogs should sleep in their bed. Personally we live as a pack and love our dogs to sleep with us, but there is a way it has to be done. Odin for example has been trained since he was a puppy to get out of the bed when I come in the bedroom. When I get in the bed, I say “Up” and he takes his spot. The same thing is true with my chair. You can’t let your dog think that they are sharing their space with you. Another example of how something so mundane can give you the opportunity to show your leadership in a way your dog understands. If your dog is occupying a space and growls or barks at you when you attempt to remove them, again seek professional training. This will eventually lead to a dangerous situation. Also when it comes to controlling space, do not make a habit of letting your dog walk in or out a door in front of you. They will try because they understand that is something to be controlled. Don’t walk around your dogs; use your legs to push through them around the house or on a walk. Dogs will purposely use their bodies to block or protest something.
Behavior– Keep in mind that behavior is behavior. There are two only two types, adaptive (desired) and maladaptive (undesired). If you have not clearly identified to them, which is which with consistency, you cannot expect them to read your mind. This of course covers all types of of things, especially everything they do that stresses you out. Dogs won’t follow an unstable leader. When we get stressed, we are emotional and have a tendency to yell, and in generally act silly. Dogs ignore crazy. If this is the way that you deal with maladaptive behaviors, your dog just totally ignores you. To deal with these behaviors first you need to identify and list exactly the behaviors you want to change and begin. If you have one or more dogs, it is up to you as the pack leader to nip aggressiveness in the bud, and not by yelling.
Things– These include toys and bones. Anything that is guarded should be taken away and reintroduced on your terms. If there is anyone in the home that cannot take an object away from the dog without the dog growling or otherwise becoming aggressive, seek professional help. Here is another example of how I used this to my advantage. If Odin comes and pesters me with a toy, I ignore him. Later when he is sleeping, I get the same toy and initiate play.
When a dog bite occurs, it is usually over one of these five things. As mentioned several times in this article. If your dog shows aggression and guarding over food, space, and things, don’t attempt to deal with it yourself because you have an emotional connection to the dog. It will take an outsider to modify these behaviors. DO NOT attempt to use force in response to these behaviors. Even if the dog gives in, they are likely to redirect the aggression on someone else.
Our first one hour in-home training session is called Love & Leadership and we cover all of the above and much more. Click HERE to schedule an appointment today.
George F Matheis Jr 2018