East Valley K9 Services

DOG TRAINERS HELPING TO MAKE HAPPY, CONFIDENT, WELL-MANNERED DOGS

Leadership 101: Through a Dog’s Eyes (Part 2)

Name: East Valley K9 Training Services
Address: 4120 East Fairview Circle, Mesa, AZ, 85206, USA
Telephone: 480-382-0144
Price range: $$$

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Welcome to Part 2 about creating a harmonious dog/human relationship through good leadership.

Leadership: Consistent Rules, Boundaries & Limitations

$C:\Users\Owner\Desktop\DogsAreSocialAndLookForLeadersship.jpg$ Your dog is a social animal and looks to you for leadership, security and companionship. Dogs without this overall stability will often become nervous, anxious, fearful and neurotic and very possibly aggressive. They will begin to react in a survival mode instead of thriving under the kind and consistent leadership of their owner/guardian. These dogs often end up in shelters and rescues with an uncertain future.

Basic leadership includes consistent rules, boundaries and limitations so your dog knows exactly what is expected of him in fulfilling his position within the pack. Always set your dog up for success!

Leadership: Rules, Boundaries & Limitations

Good K9 leadership includes consistency by every member of the family. If there are inconsistencies of the rules, boundaries and limitations by different people or on different days, your dog will become confused as to what specifically is expected of him and can, once again, become nervous, anxious or fearful.

Rules

What a dog is allowed and not allowed to do.

They are allowed to chew on their chew toys.
They are not allowed to chew on your furniture.

Boundaries

Where a dog is allowed and not allowed to go.

They are allowed in the family room.
They are not allowed under the dining room table when we eat.

Limitations

The duration or level of an activity.

They must stop playing ball with us when we tell them to stop.
They are not to play too rough with a three-year-old child.

Leadership: Privilege versus Freedom

Privileges and freedom are valuable tools when establishing your alpha position with your dog/pack. Both must be earned to be effective. Too many privileges or unrestricted freedoms can inadvertently cause behavioral issues and ultimately damage your ranking as an effective leader in the eyes of your dog(s).

$C:\Users\Owner\Desktop\SittingInYuorLapIsPrivelege.jpg$ Privilege: Access to your lap is an example of a privilege. This is your own personal space and a dog should always be invited and not just allowed to crawl up and make himself at home (no matter how cute they are).

Freedom: Associated with the “boundaries” mentioned above. Restrict access to parts of your home until your dog proves trustworthy.

Again, it is important to remain consistent with both privileges and freedoms. If you allow your dog unrestricted freedom one day and then try to enforce limitations the next, your dog will only become confused and anxious (and worse) about the rules.

It’s important to give some careful thought to exactly you want when it comes to the rules, boundaries, limitations, privileges and freedoms for your dog.

Need our help with establishing your role as the alpha dog?

Join one of our training classes with a $10 discount!

Space is limited so register today at http://tinyurl.com/EastValleyK9-June!

Beware of Accidental Praise

Many dog guardians will attempt to soothe or calm their pet to stop a bad behavior (barking) or reaction (jumping). Unfortunately, petting, stroking or hugging your dog during these times only encourages the behavior as “acceptable.”

This is called accidental praise. You mean to calm and distract them, but in your dog’s eyes, you are “rewarding” his bad behavior with positive attention and physical touch. Your dog (wrongly) interprets this as praise.

So the next time your dog is acting out, be aware of not accidentally praising (and reinforcing) his bad behavior.

A Final Note

$C:\Users\Owner\Desktop\TeachYourDogTheBehaviorsYouWant.jpg$ Never doubt this fact: if you do not establish yourself as a leader worthy of respect and trust, your dog will determine his own rules, boundaries and limitations. These rules and behaviors may be considered bad or undesirable by the humans; but to the dog, they are “normal” K9 behaviors practiced since the beginning of time. Barking, chewing and digging are natural and acceptable behaviors in a dog’s mind unless we, as their established leaders, teach them otherwise.