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Leadership

Melanie Pay
Melanie Pay

The document discusses principles of dog leadership and training. It argues that strict "pack hierarchy" models based on wolves are not applicable to domestic dogs. Effective leadership involves trust, respect and companionship rather than dominance. Owners should establish clear rules and boundaries through positive reinforcement of desired behaviors like sitting politely, and avoid punishing or rewarding unwanted behaviors. The goal is to develop a close bond while gaining a dog's respect through gentle, consistent training.

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Puppy Preschool Leadership A common misconception in dog training is that of leadership and pack structure. For years many of us have been lead to believe that we must rule our pack with an iron fist, like the wolves do. The problem is, wolf hierarchy is not really relevant to our domestic lives and it is not realistic to adopt the principles of wolves when raising a domestic dog. Many training regimes that promote this strict pack hierarchy also have one major fault they often seek to alienate the dog from the family, which is unlike any normal pack behaviour. Being a good leader to your dog involves trust, respect and companionship. The following is a brief look at some leadership principles that will promote closer bonds while gaining respect from your dog. Please note: The advice on this handout is for typical behaviour of a dog that is displaying no signs of aggression or abnormal dog behaviour. If your dog is displaying aggression or unusual behaviour please consult a trainer in person or see a veterinary behaviourist, depending on the nature of the issue. All the household members should sit down and discuss what you feel to be acceptable behaviour for your dog. When planning what you will and wont let your dog do, take the following factors into consideration: - How big will the dog become as an adult? - How will our lifestyle change over the next 10-15 years? (e.g. expecting children, working full time) - What will our house set up allow? (e.g. yard set up may not be suitable for the pup to be an outside dog) - Are all family members happy for the dog to be allowed on furniture? - Will your dog shed a lot of fur when they loose their puppy coat? - Will <insert behaviour here> become annoying over time? (e.g. begging for food, jumping up) - Will any of your rules encourage the dog to develop problems over time (e.g. allowing constant attention can lead to separation anxiety later on) Children are taught at an early age to say please when asking for something. So should dogs. A sit is normally regarded as a doggy please. Insist that your dog sit for everything whether it they are asking for food, asking to come inside, asking to come up on the couch etc. Making a dog sit before it is allowed to do or receive something will enforce this asking and they will learn to wait for your permission. This is the most effective way to gain respect you decide the rules. Dont allow your dog to demand attention/affection. Dogs will often try and win some power by demanding things like pats, games or food. If they dont get what they want they may try and win attention by jumping on you. The common response for this is to push them away and/or shout at the dog. What a fun game; you push me and Ill see how much harder I can push back! At least, that is what the dog is seeing. The easiest way to stop a dog from jumping on you and demanding attention is to not give it to them! They will soon get tired of this boring game where they just and you dont so much as look at them. Then when they are sitting or have calmed down, you can give them the attention they were looking for. Calm gets pats, being silly doesnt. If the dog is still being too demanding or barking at you, calmly (and gently) take them outside and leave them there for a short time until they calm down. Only appropriate behaviour is allowed inside. Copyright Melanie Pay 2010. Please do not reproduce without permission. This information does not seek to replace training or advice. Please see a veterinary behaviourist (not a vet) if you are having serious behavioural issues with your dog.
Dont forget to reward and interact with them when they are calm. If we only pay attention to our dogs when they are barking or eating our favourite pair of undies, this is the only behaviour you are reinforcing. Retain control over furniture access by teaching them to get on it and also to get off it. There is no crime in having your dog on the bed with you. Your dog will not think any less of you if you let him/her on there with you for a cuddle. You are not bringing them onto your level in a leadership sense if you still make all the rules. If you can tell your dog to get off the bed and they get straight off you have respect and control. There is no reason to exclude a dog from your life for the sake of leadership. A good leader takes care of his/her pack. Teach your dog to relinquish objects whenever you say so (covered under object exchange). Keep plenty of high value toys (limited access) around to play swaps with. If a dog has something you really dont want them to have, resist the urge to chase them around the yard screaming like a banshee! Pretend you dont care and interest yourself in something far more entertaining (like one of the dogs toys). They will want whatever is of higher value. Shoes arent that exciting compared to a squeaky toy if a human is having a ball with it. Toys left lying around the yard all the time that receive no attention are not high value. Punishment by way of smacking, yelling, choking etc will not teach a dog not to dig holes or pull washing off the line. This form of punishment damages relationships, hinders learning and never offers an alternative. It will teach the dog to be wary of you - it is not the way to earn respect and trust. If the event has already happened, it doesnt matter how much evidence you have or how much the dog cowers the dog will not make the connection between the action and the punishment. Dogs respond to your body language and emotional behaviour. The dog will look very sorry when you get mad, but that doesnt mean that he/she understands why you are acting in this manner. Just like rewards, a consequence for a behaviour is only understood when it is received immediately. Even then, if you are punishing a dog for a very normal behaviour like urinating, do you think the dog will understand that it is being punished for where it is going to the toilet, rather than just being punished for the act of urinating? Some trainers insist that dogs must be fed last. I find that very inconvenient. I used to come home from work to two hungry dogs and a whinger of a cat and it could be 30-60mins before my dinner was ready. I would much rather feed when I get straight home so its out of the way and I can concentrate on the rest of my evening. My dog knows where the food comes from and does not think hes above me because he eats first. He knows he never gets what we have and all food comes from me. Do not steal the dogs food to prove a point. If your dog growls at you when you approach its food and your reaction is to snatch it you have given the dog a reason to guard its food. Next time he/she may not give you the chance to take it with your arm intact! If you have a problem with resource guarding please speak to me or a qualified trainer about it and we will discuss a solution. There are ways of treating resource guarding, but it is imperative to know the severity of the problem before offering a solution. Copyright Melanie Pay 2010. Please do not reproduce without permission. This information does not seek to replace training or advice. Please see a veterinary behaviourist (not a vet) if you are having serious behavioural issues with your dog.
Teaching your dog a desired behaviour that they can be rewarded for is the easiest and most effective way of getting consistently good behaviour. You and your pup can establish a routine of good behaviour that can carry on through its adult life. Training with your dog as it develops into an adult will help you develop the techniques required to improve your dogs behaviour and strengthen your bond. Above all you should adopt the leadership rules that suit your lifestyle not mine! Just because I let my dogs on the couch doesnt mean you have to. Decide your household rules as a family and stick them out together. Its the best way to make sure they are followed through. Copyright Melanie Pay 2010. Please do not reproduce without permission. This information does not seek to replace training or advice. Please see a veterinary behaviourist (not a vet) if you are having serious behavioural issues with your dog.

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Leadership

  • 1. Puppy Preschool Leadership A common misconception in dog training is that of leadership and pack structure. For years many of us have been lead to believe that we must rule our pack with an iron fist, like the wolves do. The problem is, wolf hierarchy is not really relevant to our domestic lives and it is not realistic to adopt the principles of wolves when raising a domestic dog. Many training regimes that promote this strict pack hierarchy also have one major fault they often seek to alienate the dog from the family, which is unlike any normal pack behaviour. Being a good leader to your dog involves trust, respect and companionship. The following is a brief look at some leadership principles that will promote closer bonds while gaining respect from your dog. Please note: The advice on this handout is for typical behaviour of a dog that is displaying no signs of aggression or abnormal dog behaviour. If your dog is displaying aggression or unusual behaviour please consult a trainer in person or see a veterinary behaviourist, depending on the nature of the issue. All the household members should sit down and discuss what you feel to be acceptable behaviour for your dog. When planning what you will and wont let your dog do, take the following factors into consideration: - How big will the dog become as an adult? - How will our lifestyle change over the next 10-15 years? (e.g. expecting children, working full time) - What will our house set up allow? (e.g. yard set up may not be suitable for the pup to be an outside dog) - Are all family members happy for the dog to be allowed on furniture? - Will your dog shed a lot of fur when they loose their puppy coat? - Will <insert behaviour here> become annoying over time? (e.g. begging for food, jumping up) - Will any of your rules encourage the dog to develop problems over time (e.g. allowing constant attention can lead to separation anxiety later on) Children are taught at an early age to say please when asking for something. So should dogs. A sit is normally regarded as a doggy please. Insist that your dog sit for everything whether it they are asking for food, asking to come inside, asking to come up on the couch etc. Making a dog sit before it is allowed to do or receive something will enforce this asking and they will learn to wait for your permission. This is the most effective way to gain respect you decide the rules. Dont allow your dog to demand attention/affection. Dogs will often try and win some power by demanding things like pats, games or food. If they dont get what they want they may try and win attention by jumping on you. The common response for this is to push them away and/or shout at the dog. What a fun game; you push me and Ill see how much harder I can push back! At least, that is what the dog is seeing. The easiest way to stop a dog from jumping on you and demanding attention is to not give it to them! They will soon get tired of this boring game where they just and you dont so much as look at them. Then when they are sitting or have calmed down, you can give them the attention they were looking for. Calm gets pats, being silly doesnt. If the dog is still being too demanding or barking at you, calmly (and gently) take them outside and leave them there for a short time until they calm down. Only appropriate behaviour is allowed inside. Copyright Melanie Pay 2010. Please do not reproduce without permission. This information does not seek to replace training or advice. Please see a veterinary behaviourist (not a vet) if you are having serious behavioural issues with your dog.
  • 2. Dont forget to reward and interact with them when they are calm. If we only pay attention to our dogs when they are barking or eating our favourite pair of undies, this is the only behaviour you are reinforcing. Retain control over furniture access by teaching them to get on it and also to get off it. There is no crime in having your dog on the bed with you. Your dog will not think any less of you if you let him/her on there with you for a cuddle. You are not bringing them onto your level in a leadership sense if you still make all the rules. If you can tell your dog to get off the bed and they get straight off you have respect and control. There is no reason to exclude a dog from your life for the sake of leadership. A good leader takes care of his/her pack. Teach your dog to relinquish objects whenever you say so (covered under object exchange). Keep plenty of high value toys (limited access) around to play swaps with. If a dog has something you really dont want them to have, resist the urge to chase them around the yard screaming like a banshee! Pretend you dont care and interest yourself in something far more entertaining (like one of the dogs toys). They will want whatever is of higher value. Shoes arent that exciting compared to a squeaky toy if a human is having a ball with it. Toys left lying around the yard all the time that receive no attention are not high value. Punishment by way of smacking, yelling, choking etc will not teach a dog not to dig holes or pull washing off the line. This form of punishment damages relationships, hinders learning and never offers an alternative. It will teach the dog to be wary of you - it is not the way to earn respect and trust. If the event has already happened, it doesnt matter how much evidence you have or how much the dog cowers the dog will not make the connection between the action and the punishment. Dogs respond to your body language and emotional behaviour. The dog will look very sorry when you get mad, but that doesnt mean that he/she understands why you are acting in this manner. Just like rewards, a consequence for a behaviour is only understood when it is received immediately. Even then, if you are punishing a dog for a very normal behaviour like urinating, do you think the dog will understand that it is being punished for where it is going to the toilet, rather than just being punished for the act of urinating? Some trainers insist that dogs must be fed last. I find that very inconvenient. I used to come home from work to two hungry dogs and a whinger of a cat and it could be 30-60mins before my dinner was ready. I would much rather feed when I get straight home so its out of the way and I can concentrate on the rest of my evening. My dog knows where the food comes from and does not think hes above me because he eats first. He knows he never gets what we have and all food comes from me. Do not steal the dogs food to prove a point. If your dog growls at you when you approach its food and your reaction is to snatch it you have given the dog a reason to guard its food. Next time he/she may not give you the chance to take it with your arm intact! If you have a problem with resource guarding please speak to me or a qualified trainer about it and we will discuss a solution. There are ways of treating resource guarding, but it is imperative to know the severity of the problem before offering a solution. Copyright Melanie Pay 2010. Please do not reproduce without permission. This information does not seek to replace training or advice. Please see a veterinary behaviourist (not a vet) if you are having serious behavioural issues with your dog.
  • 3. Teaching your dog a desired behaviour that they can be rewarded for is the easiest and most effective way of getting consistently good behaviour. You and your pup can establish a routine of good behaviour that can carry on through its adult life. Training with your dog as it develops into an adult will help you develop the techniques required to improve your dogs behaviour and strengthen your bond. Above all you should adopt the leadership rules that suit your lifestyle not mine! Just because I let my dogs on the couch doesnt mean you have to. Decide your household rules as a family and stick them out together. Its the best way to make sure they are followed through. Copyright Melanie Pay 2010. Please do not reproduce without permission. This information does not seek to replace training or advice. Please see a veterinary behaviourist (not a vet) if you are having serious behavioural issues with your dog.