Rules Of The Human Pack

So much of my time is spent attempting to undo the effects of dogs that have been elevated to pack leader in a domestic environment. Small dog owners are the worst offenders of allowing dogs to share their sofa, bed and food.

This "sharing" confuses the dog and leads him to believe he is of equal rank to his owner. This situation normally comes to a head when the dog comes across a resting area, a piece of food or even a toy that's worth fighting over.

The result is usually a snarl or a bite. If the dog is permitted to operate at this level, the snarling and aggressive outbursts will increase in frequency and intensity.Advanced stages of aggression can develop when the dog learns that being aggressive gets results.

For the lucky ones, a canine behaviourist or trainer is contacted to rectify the violent outbursts. Unfortunately the unlucky ones usually end up abandoned in a rescue centre, labelled as having aggressive tendencies. Dogs are being put to sleep everyday for displaying this kind of behaviour.

Most of these behavioural issues can be resolved by implementing a few simple measures.Don't create a monster by treating your dog like a fellow human being. Please remember that you are sharing your house with a domesticated wolf.

Wolves are pack animals, headed by strong dominant pack leaders who lead and guide the subordinate pack members. In the wild, strong leadership is fundamental to ensure pack survival. A pack leader earns respect by making decisions for the good of the pack.

The pack leader's decision is final and acts of defiance or petulance will not be tolerated. Pack leaders will not enter into negotiation over food, property, mates or pack decisions.The alpha male is generally very laid back and contrary to popular belief, rules with a gentle touch rather than an iron fist.

The pack leaders intentions are communicated primarily through body language. Domestic dogs establish rank by interpreting body language in a similar same way to wolves. Owners have to setup their own human pack to incorporate hierarchy and rules in much the same way as a wolf pack.

A well-trained dog will obey the handler because he wants to please, not because he's afraid to disobey. People have a tendency to communicate with dogs in English.

For some reason some people think yelling in a rough voice enforces obedience and respect. The rough voice is simply a method of demanding the dog's attention. A rough voice is not a pre requisite for dog training and you can view more civilised methods of capturing the dog's focus in the clicker exrecises section on this site.I advise you keep your vocal commands to a minimum until the dog understands what is expected of him.The important fact is the dog must know his place in the pack.

When aggression, anxiety or protective behaviours arise, it's a sure sign his owners are sending him mixed signals.I've listed a few of the fundamentals I use to promote and maintain my status of pack leader.

Humans should never share a meal with their dog. Humans eat before dogs.

It's always a good idea to let the dog see you eat and finish your meal, even if it's just a small snack, before he gets his meal.

I don't tease dogs by taking their food away from them or sticking my hand in their bowl while they are eating. Respect is a two way street so give your dog his place at feeding times.

Put the dogs bowl down to him and walk away. Remove any unfinished meals after ten minutes. He must learn to eat when the leader allows him to eat NOT whenever he feels like it.

Regular food is a luxury not a necessity. The pack leader always has the lion's share of the kill and leaves what he doesn't want for the rest of the pack.

If you share your food, you automatically offer equality. Equality inevitably leads to acts of petulance or dominance. Don't demote your position of pack leader by sharing your meal with your dog.

Humans should never share their resting place with their dog.

Dogs tend to interpret their pack status by the elevation of their resting place. We've all seen the movies where the alpha wolf is perched on top of the rock looking down on his pack.

Try to refrain from letting your dog climb to the top of the stairs and look down on you. Another important point to understand about pack behaviour is that the Alpha male shares his space with the high-ranking female. No other pack members are permitted to share this domain.

Incidentally, the alpha male and female are the only wolves in the pack that are permitted to breed. This ensures strong bloodlines and progeny. By sharing your resting places, you confuse the dog's perception of where he sits in the pack.

Sharing your sofa or bed can lead a dog to think he is your mate and is of equal rank to you. Place his bed on the floor next to your armchair so you can stroke him if you prefer but do not allow him to sit on the sofa next to you.

I see lots of cases where an owner's partner has been bitten because the dog sees them as competition. One of the major contributors to this situation is that the owner shares the sofa with the dog and seldom sits with their partner.

If the dog is permitted to lie on the sofa with his mum, he assumes that he is higher up the pack than his dad.Do not confuse your dog into thinking that he is your mate by allowing him to share your resting places. Start sharing your sofa with your partner if the dog starts getting possessive or jealous.

Dogs must have their own place in the house.

A dog's place, i.e. a bed, crate or a cage, is the dog's domain and nobody should attempt to enter it while the dog is in residence.

A dog can get very protective over his bed. Don't incite aggression by entering his domain. The dogs place has to be a happy place. Never treat the dog's domain as a place where the dog gets punished or grounded. The dog should always receive a reward when he is requested to go to his place.

A positive association is paramount.

Never allow the dog to jump on you when you return home after being out the house.

The dog associates his owner entering the house with the pack returning from a hunt.

On their return, the wolves that have been left behind perform a reordering process by jumping up on the returning wolves in an attempt to promote themselves to a higher position within the pack.

The pack leader makes no acknowledgement of the subordinate members and does not partake in this reordering ritual. He walks to his place, taking little or no notice of the lower ranking pack members. His position is not up for negotiation.

You will promote yourself higher up the pack by ignoring your dog when you enter the house. Acknowledge him after he has settled. Always ensure that you greet your partner before you acknowledge your dog. This helps the dog understand that your partner is higher up the pack than him.

Dogs will walk along side or behind the pack leader during the hunt. No dog will walk in front of the pack leader unless instructed to do so.

The wolf at the front of the group, i.e. the pack leader, will make any decisions necessary to guard, protect or hunt. If you allow your dog to drag you through doorways or pull you across the road to see another dog, you're advertising the pack leader's job.

All wolves must learn their position within the pack. The human pack is no different. The dog must learn to walk at heel and wait on command.

The waiting part can be rehearsed in the house waiting in the living room while you boil a kettle in the kitchen for instance.

Toys are MY TOYS. They are not toys for the dog to play with and get possessive with whenever he likes.

The pack leader should be the only member to initiate play times. Your dog should not have constant access to toys. Permitting a dog to initiate games is sending mixed signals and should be avoided. Use Toys as a reward for performing positive behaviours. Toys can also be used in place of treats.

These are general rules mixed in with some good tips to ensure your dog knows his place in the human pack.

My belief is that the behavioural side is much more fundamental than the training side. For years people have concentrated on the training aspect of conditioning behaviours. In recent years thanks to remarkable people like Jan Fennell and Monty Roberts, there is more importance being placed on the position within the human pack and the implications of pack equality.

If the behavioural side is in place, the training side of things will look after themselves. The logic behind my theory is that dogs will happily obey the pack leader to secure their position in the pack. Dogs do not want to rebel against their leader.

Dogs are happy to conform and let someone else make the decisions. Problems arise when owners offer their dogs equality and the dog feels he has an obligation to enforce authority. I cure more aggressive dogs by implementing behavioural measures than enforcing strict regimes or control mechanisms.

How many times have you encountered a situation where the dog behaves better for one person than with anyone else in the household? The reason for this is simple.

The dog understands that this person is the leader and he or she is going to make the decisions. The dog has to comply or face the consequences.

In wolf pack life, the consequences are normally a stiff reprimand or in extreme situations, exclusion from the pack. In the human pack the consequences could be exclusion from a communal area or terminating a fun game or not delivering a treat.

In summary, a dog that understands his position in the pack will be much easier to live with and train. Spend the time building daily behavioural routines that reinforce your status of pack leader. You will reap the benefits in the long run.