Something every dog owner should read!!

As a dog trainer I firmly believe that all dog owners should be the leader of the pack. I put together this little article to give to my clients when I go and work with them and their dogs and I always suggest that they print it out and put it on the fridge so they can refer back to it time and time again. If you would like me to email you a copy so you can do the same please let me know.



LEADER OF THE PACK FACTS
Some hot tips on the road to a happy dog-and-owner leadership relationship
NO DOGS ALLOWED
Don’t let your dog on the furniture with you. No couches, no beds, no loveseats. “All four paws on
the floor, all the time” By letting dogs share furniture with you, “you’re telling them they’re equal
to you in the pack” In their mind, they’re confused! This doesn’t say that dogs are never allowed on
the furniture, but they must never be up there uninvited and must always vacate when told to do so
or issued the off command.
NO PULLING
When out on walks, your dog must not pull you down the road. Instead, practicing the heel
command and helping your dog learn how to walk nicely by your side is important.
ME FIRST
Don’t let your dog charge out the door in front of you. As leader, you walk through first. ALWAYS!
ME FIRST, AGAIN
Leaders eat first, it is recommended that allowing your dog to see you eat, then feed him for about
20 minutes before the bowl, even if empty, is picked up and removed. “This puts you in charge of
the dog’s biggest resource FOOD
NO, YOU MOVE
Don’t step over a sleeping or lounging dog blocking a doorway or hallway. Gently yet firmly make
him move (perhaps with a shuffling of your feet) so you can pass.
SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Use your voice to summon respect. Don’t yell, but don’t issue commands in a singsong, high pitched
tone, either. In other words, no baby talk, and no bully speak. Be firm and confident when you
speak to your dog. Don’t ask him to obey —tell him! Be generous with praise, but don’t go so
overboard you ramp your dog into a hyper state and make him too excited to listen to you.
STAND TALL
Use body language — head held high, shoulders back, standing up straight — to convey your
message. Don’t crouch down to the dog’s level while giving commands.
USE A CRATE
Crate train your dog. Aside from helping with housetraining and safety issues a crate or kennel gives
him a den-like environment of his own to sleep or chill out.
All dogs will test you in your quest for leadership.
They will do subtle, almost so much, you don’t even notice it until it’s too late.
Example: They may sit a few inches in front of you instead of right by your side,
or they’ll put their foot on top of yours while doing this. These are all dominance
things, It’s all these subtle little things you watch for. These are the kind of things
you have to get right on top of.
Remember You are in charge!

Those are all good advice and I guess it doesn't do any harm to follow through with it.
But personally I don't agree with all of them. Especially not that all dogs are out to become top dogs. In fact, I think that way of thinking is being put way out of proportion. Dogs are perfectly well aware of us being humans and them being dogs. For example; If a dog looks a human in the eyes, it doesn't naturally mean the same thing as when they stare each other in the eyes.
I also highly doubt that a dog will "sneak" a paw onto their owners foot, to display dominance and then slowly work himself up from that. The whole point of dominance behavior is that it's a game of display and showing off and making sure your point comes across.

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NO DOGS ALLOWED
Don’t let your dog on the furniture with you. No couches, no beds, no loveseats. “All four paws on
the floor, all the time” By letting dogs share furniture with you, “you’re telling them they’re equal
to you in the pack” In their mind, they’re confused!

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So... sitting on furniture tells a dog that they are equal to you in a pack? What about dog beds? What if I sit on the floor, does that mean we're on the same level? Does that mean that in the wild, the alpha dog in a pack sits on a really comfy high-up boulder and none of the lower ranked dogs are allowed on their boulder?

Unless a dog is guarding furniture, or refusing to get off when told to, I find the whole "furniture conspiracy" complete BS. My dogs don't enjoy sprawling out on the couch because that makes them DOMINANTALPHARAHH, it's because it's super fluffy and comfortable. :p If they are on the couch, but they're laying spread eagle on their back in a submissive position, does that make it ok?

Should I just buy a whole zebra carcass, and tear into it while growling at my dogs to keep them away until I'm done? I'm not going to force my dogs to watch me eat before feeding them... making them sit and wait with their bowls on the floor for several minutes without flinching is adequate for me. Ugh, dominance theories are tiring and trite.

I don't really agree either. I guess it all depends upon what you want to get out of your dog. Mine is a companion. I haven't ever really seen a need to make her see that I am dominant, she basically understands that.

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Originally Posted by happylabs

I don't really agree either. I guess it all depends upon what you want to get out of your dog. Mine is a companion. I haven't ever really seen a need to make her see that I am dominant, she basically understands that.

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Agreed!

bckrazy, here is another bit that was posted by kayiyacreekkennels on the furniture thing:

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This doesn’t say that dogs are never allowed on the furniture, but they must never be up there uninvited and must always vacate when told to do so or issued the off command.

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As she said, she writes these out for clients - and these will be people that are having TROUBLE with their dogs, and not realizing that they aren't showing who is in charge. A lot of PTrs have worked things out with their pups, but that doesn't mean guidelines like this aren't needed...first-time owners, especially, may need it written down in black and white.

bckrazy - the sarcasm about the zebra really wasn't necessary. JMO Suggestions about eating first, and being the leader of the pack, have been suggested in PT before by other people.

If you know people having trouble with their dogs, this may be a good thing to print out for them.

My closest friend here in Vermont has a doggie about 10 y.o. now. Its a Springer Spaniel. Abby, the doggie, has full run of the house, but must wait to be invited into a certain room or on a chair etc. The dog also waits until she is told it is ok to eat her food from her bowl. The dog sleeps in a crate on her own, and will swap off to sleep in her doggie bed later in the day. But her preference is her crate. Abby is a wonderful pupster. She knows sooooo many tricks and knows her toys by name. She is in love with her Dad, the leader of the pack and is totally out of sorts when Dad is out of town!

My friend and her husband have always spent much time with their dogs, including training them to remain dogs. I, on the other hand..... read next paragraph!

Oh, by the way, whenever Abby stays with me, I let her sleep with me (invite her on my bed to sleep with me....) hehehehehehehehehe.... my friends don't understand why I would want a smelly, warm doggie in my bed. Abby loves to cuddle.... but she loves her DAD more than anything.... He's the leader of the pack!

Am I right? Are they right? Nope! We just think differently about doggies and where they may or may not go. Also, because Abby stays with me so seldom, having dirty sheets is no big deal for me....but to have smelly sheets day in and day out, wellllllll.... I don't think so.:):eek:

Even with problem dogs, I still don't see that sort of mind frame as being very helpful. Not that it's harmful per-say...But basically just... pointless. >_>

I dunno. I guess my major grief about the whole "dominance theory" is that it makes the whole dog/human relationship seem so .... forced. There is just no need to make it so complicated, you know?

I mean. What is a problem dog anyway?
Most "bad" dogs I've met, have been dogs with a bad past. Improper socialization as a puppy, bad experiences with people, other dogs, other animals or something else.
And then there are the "problem dogs" which are just dogs who are entirely not suited for the people who own them. Like having a Border Collie, and then expect you can get away with a 20min walk around the block a couple of times each week.

And to be fair. She/he did title the thread "Something every dog owner should read!!". Not "Something every owner of problem dogs should read".

So yeah. Just saying. :)

Exactly, and she didn't say "Something every dog owner should read and follow to the letter regardless of the dog's temperament!"

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NO DOGS ALLOWED
Don’t let your dog on the furniture with you.

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No I have yet to have a dog try and rule the roost just because they sat on the couch with me.

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NO PULLING
When out on walks, your dog must not pull you down the road. Instead, practicing the heel command and helping your dog learn how to walk nicely by your side is important.

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I agree that a dog should not be yanking you down the street but I don't agree that they must be by your side. First of all dogs walk faster then humans that is why the are a head. Secondly I walk dogs for their enjoyment not just for me. What is the point of a walk if they aren't enjoying it?

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Leaders eat first, it is recommended that allowing your dog to see you eat, then feed him for about 20 minutes before the bowl, even if empty, is picked up and removed. “This puts you in charge of the dog’s biggest resource FOOD.

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I see the wolf theory reference that could be argued but once again I have yet to see dominance take effect with a human-dog relationship over who eats first.

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NO, YOU MOVE
Don’t step over a sleeping or lounging dog blocking a doorway or hallway. Gently yet firmly make him move (perhaps with a shuffling of your feet) so you can pass.

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Ever heard of that saying..."let sleeping dogs lie"? Why would I bother a dog just to get by. My late dog, Blue, was a huge mutt. Anywhere he laid was pretty much 'in the way'. It would have been cruel to make him get up constantly.

Some of the points you have made hold some truth but I don't believe that these are all....needed.

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Originally Posted by Christmas_Hamster

Ever heard of that saying..."let sleeping dogs lie"? Why would I bother a dog just to get by. My late dog, Blue, was a huge mutt. Anywhere he laid was pretty much 'in the way'. It would have been cruel to make him get up constantly.

Some of the points you have made hold some truth but I don't believe that these are all....needed.

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It is funny, when I was growing up, my maternal grandfather, Bummy, would have dinner at our house once or twice a week. Our Saint Bernard, Freckles, loved sleeping in the doorway that separated the kitchen from the rest of the house. We all just stepped over her. But Bummy was elderly and literally could not pick his feet up very far. He was still quite strong and powerful physically, but walked with a cane, and was not capable of stepping over 185 pounds of sleeping dog. As soon as he got up from his chair in the kitchen, she would seemingly wake from a sound sleep, move out of the way long enough for him to pass safely through the doorway, then go right back and settle back to sleep, letting the rest of us step over.

Dogs are smarter than people often give them credit for being.

Some of this I do believe is good advice for people having trouble with their dogs. New dog owners who get a dominant dog often have problems. Implementing some of these rules will stop many of the dominant behaviors.

If a dog is pulling you down the street, it is important to make them walk by your side at first. Once they have understood that pulling will not be tolerated, I do believe they should be allowed to walk ahead, without pulling.

And a dog should only be allowed on the furniture if they listen to you when you tell them to get off.

Many dogs will not have dominance issues their whole lives, and others will be constantly testing you. I think it's just a matter of what works best for the owner and their dog to have a peaceful relationship.

You are right and you will never get your clear, educated and helpful message across here.

If you have not already, you will be accused of stealing ideas off other behaviourists despite the many years of study and accreditation you have gone through.

The site is, as it says, for pet owners. They have little knowledge or interest in behaviour and do not understand the terminology that you use. You can see that by the responses to your post.

It is really great of you to try to help people who are actually asking for help, they do not understand what you are telling them. "My dog is just not like that!"

We both know that dogs are dogs and people are people but when you get responses that ask if wild dogs lie on comfy rocks?

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Originally Posted by carrie

You are right and you will never get your clear, educated and helpful message across here.

If you have not already, you will be accused of stealing ideas off other behaviourists despite the many years of study and accreditation you have gone through.

The site is, as it says, for pet owners. They have little knowledge or interest in behaviour and do not understand the terminology that you use. You can see that by the responses to your post.

It is really great of you to try to help people who are actually asking for help, they do not understand what you are telling them. "My dog is just not like that!"

We both know that dogs are dogs and people are people but when you get responses that ask if wild dogs lie on comfy rocks?

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I think you have the wrong idea of this forum. There are many very well educated people here, who know about the behavior of dogs. This is a forum, and you'll get different responses when you post something. Many of us do have knowledge and interest of dog behavior and health. I know I certainly do, and I have actually learned a lot while on this forum.

Both my dogs follow all those rules. My dogs are still allowed on the bed with us, but only if asked(they are asked quite frequently:) ). but they are big so if my fiance or i come on the bed there is no room, a quiet off and off they go. The food thing is a major for me. That is a major rule in (99% of the animal kingdom) so its a rule for my animals too. Everything becomes habit and you are still letting your pooches be your best friends, they seem more at peace when they have guidlines. If taught from pups they or you dont notice that they are rules anymore. both my dogs are still quircky little turkies and have loads of personallity. none of those rules took that away from them.

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Originally Posted by carrie

You are right and you will never get your clear, educated and helpful message across here.

If you have not already, you will be accused of stealing ideas off other behaviourists despite the many years of study and accreditation you have gone through.

The site is, as it says, for pet owners. They have little knowledge or interest in behaviour and do not understand the terminology that you use. You can see that by the responses to your post.

It is really great of you to try to help people who are actually asking for help, they do not understand what you are telling them. "My dog is just not like that!"

We both know that dogs are dogs and people are people but when you get responses that ask if wild dogs lie on comfy rocks?

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First of all... old thread... troll alert...

Second of all... how can it be assumed that a member with 1 single post has gone through "many years of study and accreditation"? That assumption is just as presumptuous as the assumption that everyone with a different opinion has little knowledge or interest in behavior and does not understand the decades old and outdated terminology used.

Dogs are DOGS, not wolves. And people are PEOPLE, not dogs, or wolves, or badgers, etc. Dominance is used and abused to explain practically any behavioral problem by "dog psychologists"/negative-training/pack-themed trainers, when a small minority of dogs are truly dominant... they have, after all, been bred for thousands of years to be followers and puppyish for life. A dog who lacks manners, guidance, mental/physical stimulation and just some time from their owners is not automatically a dominant dog. I don't disagree with everything posted - crate training, timed feeding, basic NILIF - that's pretty much a given. But to suggest that my dogs are dominating me because they enjoy furniture, walk ahead of me on loose leashes, and eat at their normal time regardless of when I eat, is just close-minded.

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Well said:D
I agree a thousand times over with you!!!!!!!!