1. Doggy Dan
   December 13th, 2011 on 03:46

   Of all the questions that people ask “how to become the pack leader” is the big one! This is by far the most important question how to convince your dog that you are the person in charge. Think of the pack leader as the decision maker – where you should go on the walk, how to behave in different situations and how to respond to all the strange things that are out there.

   When you understand how dogs packs work you soon realize the importance, that pack leader makes all the decisions. If you leave it up to your dog then there a big chance that your dog is going to get something’s very wrong and make a mistake!

   In order to understand how to become the pack leader you must first recognize that the following means nothing to a dog….

   What car you drive, the size of your house, the money you earn or the fact that you speak languages! Your dog would happily swap all of that for a nice snack!

   Asking your dog to sit before her dinner falls a long way short of what you need to be achieving to become the pack leader and walking through doorways is only necessary when your dog is on the lead.

   Lastly – dominating your dog is certainly not the way to become the pack leader in fact this can back fire badly on you later on if you teach your dog that physical strength is what it is all about. Whilst you may force your dog into submission it will not be convincing your dogs mind that you are worthy of the position and that you should become the pack leader only that you are a bit of a bully.

   So how do you become the pack leader? All dogs worldwide, regardless of breed use the same ways to check to establish the pack leader. The best way to learn about how to put it into practice is to watch it being done on video as I have done through one of the video based web sites. The important areas to take control in are the following:

   The pack leader will be in total calm control when your dog barks and alerts you to danger. This includes anything that your dog may perceive as dangerous and barks at in and around the property
   On the walk your dog should not pull you at a single stage, even the beginning! Learning to walk your dog properly can only really be learnt through video as I have found out!
   If you are the pack leader then your dog should be able to relax and switch off completely inside the house. If your dog is always switched on most of the time and can’t relax then that is your dog on pack leader duty!
   Getting your dog to switch off is directly connected to how you meet and greet your dog after your return home. You need to watch it on video it is so subtle but it is the difference between being the pack leader or the follower.
   Lastly, feeding your dog correctly will establish who is the pack leader and there is much more to it than asking your dog to sit! Also if you have a dog that is “not food motivated” then you may be in for a surprise!
   There is one site that shows you – using video – exactly how to become the pack leader and how crucial it is to changing any behavioral issue.

   There are a few real keys to dog training, whether you are trying to train your dog to come when called, sit, stop barking or any other behavior. Understanding their importance is critical to achieving rapid results that are long lasting and help develop the bond between you and your dog.

   The first is simple; you must win your dogs mind. If you don’t achieve this first then you will be struggling the all the way. When I talk about winning your dogs mind what I really mean is that your dog looks to you for all the decisions. Before you do anything else watch one of the amazing video sites that show you the 5 Golden rules to establishing yourself as the pack leader. If you aren’t putting these in place then you are setting yourself up to fail. Just at the crucial point where you really want your dog to listen they will go and do their own thing. For sure your dog may play ball occasionally or even most of the time, you may even have a dog that is obedient 99% of the time, however if you want a dog who always listens to you and does as you ask then you need to win your dogs mind.

   The second key to success is to motivate your dog. It is really important that you discover what it is that your dog enjoys both in terms of exercise and play but also in terms of a reward. If you can make the experience enjoyable then you will both achieve more and look forward to training.

   Some dogs love to fetch, others love agility, and other dogs simply love obedience training, or swimming out into water and retrieve. At least to start with find out what your dogs love is and help them develop this, what I am saying is work with your dog. The other point to recognize is to make training enjoyable reward your dog.

   The three main rewards are:

   Food- anything from a single dry biscuit to a whole piece of sausage!
   Affection- pats, cuddles, lots of high verbal praise
   Toys- games, throwing a stick or object, chasing your dog etc
   Your dog is always going to work harder if you are fair in your training. Even if you do not want to use food you should make sure that you use affection accordingly when your dog does well

   If you want to use food rewards then always follow these simple tips:

   Always vary food rewards
   Do not give food rewards every time
   Never let your dog know what the reward is
   If your dog doesn’t come first time then do not give them the reward
   The third key to achieving perfection is practice! Learning how to encourage behavior that is closer to what you want than the last is the third key to success. Again this is where rewards come in so handy! Motivate and then show your dog what it is that you want and there is no need for any negative training!

   One of the saddest things is the number of people that misunderstand fearful dogs and in trying to make things better for their dogs they actually make it worse. Fearful dogs are nearly always lacking strong pack leaders, and their owners are often the kindest and gentlest people! They want nothing more than to see their dog live the kind of life that all the other dogs are living, happy, fun and free.

   What they fail to recognize is that their dog is actually scared because the owner is giving them the message that they are the pack leader. Their dog like many is not able to handle the pressure, nor should they be expected to.

   Let me describe a scenario. If you are 4 years old and find yourself in a dark wood with your younger sister and there is a strange noise or a person coming towards you then you may very well be afraid. However if one of your parents were there with you though, then everything would be fine. That is because you would not be in charge! This is how it is for your dog when you make them the pack leader. They are terrified and just want to get home safe and alive.

   All the responsibility is on your dog’s shoulders and they are not able to handle it in this human world. There are far too many strange things for them to make decisions about all the time. Eventually they will snap unless you help them.

   To help your dog you must first become the pack leader and I suggest that the best way to do this is through watching video rather than reading about it. Here are a few things that you should remember when working with a fearful dog.

   They can change but will struggle if you try to push it too fast
   You must become the pack leader – There are some great videos sites now that show you exactly how to become the pack leader, don’t just read about it
   Ask your friends to ignore your dog when they first meet her
   People should not approach your dog but wait until she is calm and then call her over.
   If she doesn’t come over then she is too scared and you must leave her alone.
   A good video based web site will show you exactly how to put all of this into place through the use of video so you can sit back, watch and learn.

   Establishing yourself as the pack leader is the foundation to any success with fearful dogs. Until you recognize this you and put it in place you will never be in a position to help your dog.

   If you want to understand how to stop dog aggression let me start by asking you two rhetorical questions!

   Firstly do YOU start the aggression with your dog simply joining in?
   Secondly does your dog listen to you just before it behaves the way it does when you try show it another way to behave?
   The answer will of course be the following:
   At the point your dog starts to become aggressive he is taking no notice at all of you.

   He is making his own decisions and will not listen to you if you try to show him a different way to behave. What he is doing is simply too important to him and is the right thing to do. Dog aggression is nearly always done in order to protect, their pack and their own lives.

   Firstly there is of course a whole range of different types of aggression from dominant to fearful and everything in between. Then there is aggression that occurs the whole time and other aggression, which is very erratic, and random depending on a number of differing factors. We could also look at what your dog is aggressive towards; it could be people, animals, other dogs or objects.

   The way to stop dog aggression however is very much the same, or at least the cause of the problem is the same. Your dog thinks that it is the pack leader, becomes fearful and attacks to protect, you and himself. Dominant dogs will be more proactive, often attacking when they still have the option of running away, fearful dogs will only attack if they have no place to run. All the other factors pale into insignificance compared to this.

   The most important concept to grasp if you want to understand how to stop dog aggression is that your dog must first look to you as the pack leader in the home. (This is the easiest place to convince him you are the decision maker.) Only then can you convince him that you are the pack leader on the walk. There are some fantastic video sites now that show you exactly how to become the pack leader.

   Once you have convinced your dog that you are the pack leader outside then upon reaching the point where he usually is aggressive you will find that he will actually start to take notice of how you are behaving! If you aren’t then your dog will probably continue to ignore what you are doing at this point forever.

   Just remember, dogs are pack animals and they follow the pack leader.

   Separation anxiety is a very stressful behavioral issue that effects a huge percentage of the dog population, possibly as high as 14%. It is one of the most misunderstood issues with people trying to treat it by approaching it from a human point of view and failing to see the cause. The answer to how to stop separation is simple. Show your dog that you are the pack leader. Let me explain.

   Recognizing that the following behaviors are symptoms is a start. They are as wide ranging as they are distressing for the dog, but by treating them you are not treating the cause of the problem. First ask yourself the question; does the behavior stop when you return? If so then I suggest that you’re being away is actually connected to the cause. Lets take a look at a few of the key symptoms.

   Chewing –releases an endorphin similar to the one released when a human is chewing gum in an attempt to stay calm.
   Barking, whining – this is a call for the owners to return to the pack, similar to if you were to call your children when you can’t find them
   Escaping when you are not there – often very destructive, extreme and sometimes dangerous. Your dog is looking for you. So many people are told to try and exercise the problem out of their dog but it will not solve the problem
   Digging, destruction – this is all connected to stressful and anxious behavior.
   Self-mutilation – excessive, licking and chewing oneself. Excessive drooling is also a sign of stress. These are signs that are often mistaken for being medical conditions but are all stress related
   Toileting – if your dog is toilet trained but starts going toilet inside and you think that it is behavioral then it could well be. If it is only occurring when your dog is away from you then it is very likely connected to your dog having separation anxiety
   Whilst there are lots of places that you can find advice on how to treat all these symptoms there is only one way to treat the cause of the problem. If you are serious about how to stop separation anxiety then you must become the pack leader.

   Separation anxiety is a very straight forward problem that occurs when your dog believes they are the pack leader and your are their puppy or member of their pack. In the wild dogs do not wander off out the den on their own and your dogs separation anxiety will continue until you return to him. Once you show your dog that you are the pack leader your dog will be fine with you coming and going as you please.

   Understanding how to stop your dog from pulling is something that every dog owner needs to overcome in order to be able to walk there dog in an enjoyable manor. Many dog behavioral problems also stem from the fact that the dog is dragging you along the street. To put it simply your dog thinks it is in charge of the walk or in dog terms it sees itself as the pack leader!

   There are so many gadgets, leads and collars out there but none of them can solve the problem if your dog thinks it is in charge, all these devices will do is attempt to divert your dogs energy elsewhere or cause pain in an attempt to stop your from pulling. If you find yourself having to correct your dog every 30 seconds then there is something fundamentally wrong. The funny thing is this, your dog knows how to walk nicely on the lead it is far more than simply training it, you have to at first convince it you are the pack leader.

   Think of it like this. Your dog understands that on the walk, somebody has to be the leader, and your dog is simply taking the lead! It is more of a psychological battle than a physical one, at least it should be. This first stage of the walk is actually ensuring that you are the pack leader inside the house before you look to venture out as no dog will let you simply take control over the walk, (the most dangerous place compared to the den) if you are not in control inside.

   Here are some key tips to try before you venture out:

   After bringing out your dogs lead wait until your dog calms down even if this takes a while and only attach it when your dog is calm. Never rush this stage.
   You need to first learn how to stop your dog from pulling inside your house or property before going outside – there are some fantastic videos that show all of this.
   Walk first around the house going around the tables and furniture in your house with your dog following you.
   If your dog pulls out in front of you then simply change direction, leaving your dog behind you.
   If your dog drags backwards then gently hold the lead firm for 10 seconds then call your dog to follow. They have no other options and so will follow you if you are patient.
   Control the doorways – you should always walk through the doorways first when your dog is on the lead
   Practice walking in and out of the front doorway with you going first – keep doing this until your dog relaxes and gives up waiting for you to make the next move
   Check your posture – make sure that you are relaxed and calm and that your shoulder is down and arm is straight at the elbow
   Of course there is a big difference between actually watching how to stop your dog from pulling and reading about it! Whilst I can give you all the advice in written form there is nothing quite like actually being shown it on a video.

   There are a few secrets to toilet training although much of the emphasis will always rest with you! Here are the facts about puppy toilet training:

   Just as when a baby needs to go toilet they go, so it is with puppies – when a puppy needs to go they will go! So to start with you have to get them outside before they toilet inside. That is your job! If you fail, then blame yourself.

   The best way to show your puppy where you want them to toilet is to show them the correct place. The best way to do this is to take them out when they need to go and then praise them when they go. You will be amazed how quickly they will learn if you give them an amazing treat for going in the right place. Think of it like this if the treat is a little piece of cheese, your puppy will after only a few toilets in the correct place start looking for the cheese treat saying “Hey where’s the cheese I just toileted on the grass!”

   At a very young age 8 weeks or so a puppies bladder is very small and they can only hold on for sometimes 30 minutes or so before they may need to go again. So you must be vigilant.

   After a meal, puppies will often need to go within 60 seconds so always take them straight outside. You should also take them outside as soon as they wake up, as their bowls will start to move and also last thing at night.

   Associate a word that everyone in the house sticks to such as “go toilets” this way your puppy will start to hear the word and know what it means.

   If you puppy does not go then be aware that they may still need to relieve themselves soon and restrict their movement to a smaller area that is easy to clean until they are taken outside and definitely toilet.

   You should never rub a puppy’s nose in it to teach it a lesson. A puppy’s nose is 1000 times more sensitive than a humans and this will never teach them not to do it again. They will simply not know what they did wrong and do it out of sight the next time such as behind the couch!

   One of the most common complaints is “my dog doesn’t come when I call”.

   Training the recall is one of the funniest of all dog-training exercises because we do so much completely wrong! Let me explain.

   This is what we want to achieve: When we call our dog “here Bella” we want Bella to come sprinting as fast as she can to us.

   Now, in order to achieve this we must make “here Bella” the best command in the world. With the best result and rewards at the end!

   So here are some tips!

   Never call your dog if you are thinking of telling her off! You can undo months and months of hard work training your dog to come by telling her off just once. Suddenly coming when you call could be a really bed move!
   9 times out of 10 make sure that your dog has a good experience when she comes if you call you. On the 10th recall if you need to put your dog on a leash then do so.
   When you call your dog to you think of coming as more of a “check in with me” than a “I am calling you to stop what you are doing”.
   Use a long line to keep control of your dog if you are unsure. A long line is a piece of line or rope that can be as long as you like that lies on the ground but you keep within reach!
   If your dog hates returning to the car then reward your dog back at the car with water and a small feed and things will soon turn around!
   The basic formula to any good recall training is:

   CALL your dog to you, then
   REWARD your dog within 2 seconds and then immediately
   RELEASE your dog.
   In order to make your dog enjoy the experience you should learn the power of using affection and attention by withholding it and only giving it as a reward. This is one of the most powerful tools available to us and yet we get it all so wrong by giving the dog attention whenever they want and wondering why they don’t come when we call them!

   So your older dog is toileting inside and you don’t understand why? Okay. Let me explain. First of all I should confirm that what we are talking about here is a dog that has already been toilet trained and has achieved this for a considerable period of time say more than 6 months. We also need to be sure that the dog is not so old that it is incontinent or sick. If none of the above are the case and you feel that it is behavioral then I can assure you it most likely is and the problem is simply this.

   Your dog is 99.98% the DNA of a wolf. For a minute think of your dog as a wolf, in cute doggy clothing. The way your dog still works and thinks is still like a wolf! Now the chance of you actually being the pack leader is very slim. Believe me….if you want to check out to see if you are the pack leader then there is an amazing video web site where you can see how you fair!

   Anyway back to the toileting in the house, in the wild if a wolf puppy was lost and needed to find their way home how would they go about it? There are no GPS systems, no street signs or maps to follow…..the puppies would follow their nose. They would pick up the scent of the den and track it back to safety and the adult dog pack would make sure there was a good strong fresh scent to follow!

   Now, for a second let me amuse you. You are not the pack leader, your dog is, and when you leave your dog it is doing exactly what it would do in nature to help you find your way home… and guess what?… you return home. Only thing is when you return you are all stressed and angry (because you were lost maybe?) – Nothing to do with the new carpet being ruined.

   Learning how to stop a puppy from jumping up is something you need to get onto straight away.

   Puppies jumping up are a very natural thing that they do when they are little – to get attention – and in the wild to get fed by licking the Mother’s face to encourage food to be regurgitated. Showing your puppy that it does not get attention when it jumps is something that you should encourage from a very early age. Often it can seem like fun when a puppy is very small but when your dog grows to 35kg and can jump 5 foot high it is not so funny.

   If you do not stop the jumping when your puppy is little then when your puppy turns into a larger dog it soon turns into a more dominant display of demanding your attention!

   If your puppy is jumping up, simply turn and walk away. Ignore your puppy, no eye contact, no speaking and no touching.
   Continue to ignore and then after your puppy has calmed down, wait for 5 minutes and then call your puppy to you.
   If your puppy does not stop then isolate your puppy by either leaving the room or by putting the puppy in another room.
   Puppy jumping up on visitors:

   If your puppy is jumping on your visitors then ask them to do the same as described above. It may also help if you hold the puppy by its collar or on a lead until they relax – then release. If your puppy decides to mouth you then you should immediately isolate them in another room or a crate.
   Puppy jumping up at you when you are getting ready for the walk:

   Put the leash down and wait for 10 minutes or until your puppy is calm, then try again. This is important and although you are keen to go for a walk you should not rush it!
   Important concepts:

   It is really important not to speak – to stay calm and not say a word when your puppy jumps up. Remember your puppy is an attention-seeking machine!
   Your puppy’s jumping up and space invading is not its way of saying I love you!!
   Space is very important to a dog and if she can invade yours whenever she wants then she will lose respect for you.
   How would you feel if a human constantly invaded your space! It is more similar than you think!!
   Start as you mean to go on. When your puppy is calm then you can call her and pick her up for a cuddle
   When you are ignoring your puppy keep your arms folded and walk past the puppy confidently and assertively.
   The two most common mistakes:

   Inconsistency – sometimes puppy jumping up is given attention!
   People make eye contact…This invites your puppy over, so do not make eye contact, focus on something else.
   Another trick that will help is to train your puppy to sit for everything! If you can get your puppy to practise lots of “sits” then her default behaviour will simply be to sit when you call her, and not jump!

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