|
FOLLOW THE LEADER! LEADERSHIP
~ Nothing in Life Is Free
All
dogs need a confident support system!
|
![]() |
So,
how do we establish ourselves as leader?
Your
dog should look to you as the sole source for comfort, food, attention and play.
He should look to you as provider and protector.
You
cannot force him to respect you, you must earn his respect. He must learn to
follow your lead.
"He
must elect you as leader of his own free will." - Jan Fennell
|
"Dominance" is a flawed theory.

Position Statement on the Use of Dominance
Theory in
Behavior Modification of Animals
Work
to earn - he gets what he wants, when you see what you want.
Food.
Before you put the bowl down, have your dog follow a few
simple obedience commands. Ask your dog to wait before giving the "ok"
to eat. If your dog tries to dive on the bowl before you give the release, simply
pick up the bowl and start over. When your dog stops eating and walks away from
the bowl, pick up any remaining food and dispose of it. Establish set meal times,
where he eats and how much he gets. No sharing from your own plate. Begging
is learned. Your dog must learn to earn.
Dogs who aren't given the opportunity to work to earn their living (their food)
may see no reason to obey their owner at any time because they have access to
what they want without any conditions at all. If your dog fails to sit when
asked before you put his dinner down or walks away without eating, quietly put
his food away until the next regularly scheduled meal. It's completely up to
him whether he eats or not--don't try to convince him. Let him discover where
his own best interests lie!
|
Sleeping
arrangements. |
Games
& Toys.
The games you play can instill control, build confidence
and establish leadership, or un-do ALL the hard work you've done in training.
Dogs who push toys at you, demanding that you play NOW have been given the impression
that they get to make the rules. Leaders say when, with what, for how long and
leaders end up with the trophy! Put favorite toys away and bring them out when
YOU want to play.
|
Rights
of access. Respecting
your space. Ration
Attention. Ration all the things your dog values in life and establish the rule that you are how he gets them (toys, games, all food (hand feed) and especially attention. Sometimes the aloof independent types get gushed over for daining to bother to ask for a pat - so they control all interactions, they ask, they get fussed over and then THEY dismiss the peon human when they are done. The human ends up on the "oh goodie his highness noticed me" end of the lower pack member scale. If he pesters you for an ear scratch, ignore him- turn away: "not now." When he wanders off, call him back and give him all the attention you want, but dismiss him before he is has had enough. Leave him wanting more. Measure out his food for the day and have him work for his meals. Call him and do a short training session, feed him his daily rations in small installments for work sessions many times a day. The goal is to have a dog who comes running and is willing and compliant to your requests! Be
consistent.
|
See
also:
How to Play With Your Dog and Good Games, Bad Games
You and Your Teenage
Dog and Time Out!
and From the Dog's Point of View
Mounting Behavior
great articles:
Nothing
in Life is Free - Denver DFL
Nothing in Life is Free - Deb McKean
Reconsidering
the Dominance Model in Dog Training
When Good Walruses
Go Bad - Kathy Sdao
Leading the
Dance
Alpha
Roll
Dog
Psychology - the Dog Whisperer Controversy - by Lisa Mullinax, CPDT
Beyond Cesar Milan
This handout may
be reprinted in its entirety for distribution free of charge and with full credit
given:
© CAROL A. BYRNES "DIAMONDS IN THE RUFF" Training for Dogs & Their People -
ditr_training @ hotmail.com - http://www.diamondsintheruff.com
