Proper Leadership

After starting a new Basic Manners Level One class today, I got to thinking about more and more dog training information.  I do my very best to include as much helpful information in class as possible, but there is just so much, sometimes it's hard to cut things out.

Although I do touch on the subject of proper leadership in class, I do not go into detail.  Because of this I have developed a handout for participants to read outside of class.  Extra information is always helpful, so today I am sharing my handout on Leadership.

Leadership

When adding any new dog to your family, leadership is very important. 

To be a good leader to your dog, you must be strong, consistent, and dependable.  Dogs become extremely stressed without a leader.  A dog will only fill the family leader position if there is no strong leader for him to look to.  Dogs can become very stressed when forced into the leadership role, however some dominant temperament-type dogs can manipulate their way into this role.  The dog that does this will use aggression to maintain his leadership status.  Obviously, this is not something we want.

Duties of the Leader:

1)  Establish the rules

2)  Enforce the rules

3)  Maintain social order

For many past centuries, dogs have had a job within the family unit.  Some of these jobs included:  hunting, protection, herding, pulling carts, eliminating vermin, and locating lost people.  

Over the years the dog has become a non-working member of the family.  Humans unknowingly treat dogs as leaders every day.  These things include:  letting a dog eat as much as he wants whenever he wants, receiving constant free attention, and being able to demand sleep time, affection, and alone times.

NO FREE LUNCH POLICY:

Remember, your dog gets nothing for free.  The dog should work to earn everything he gets.  This can be as simple as sitting and waiting to be fed or for a treat.  EVERY item in your house is yours, NOT the dog’s.  This includes the dog food, dog bowls, dog toys...everything.  The dog will learn to follow if you teach him that he must work for the things he likes.  A dog can learn very quickly that all good things come from you, but the really important part is to teach him to earn these things.

It is vitally important for the human to establish and enforce house rules from day one!  Don’t forget:  consistency is important.  All members of the family should have the same rules all the time.

Relationship Exercises can help maintain your strong leadership role while building a strong bond of trust between you and your dog.  When you control your dog's access to everything, you can more easily train your dog while also keeping him (and your belonging) safe. 

Feeding.  Leaders always eat first.  I encourage people to have their dinner and then feed the dog(s) afterwards.  By doing so, your dog is not only learning to wait nicely (no begging), but learning to work for something he likes.  He is earning his food, not just getting it for free.  Dogs that get things for free tend to develop many different kinds of unwanted behaviors.

So when feeding your dog, make him sit and wait while you put the bowl down.    I also always require my dogs to "watch me" (look in my eyes), before being rewarded with food.  Also, do not free feed your dog.  A dog should be fed twice every day.  If the dog does not eat the food within 30 minutes, remove the food.  The dog will not get fed again until the next regularly scheduled mealtime. 

Sleeping.  I strongly try to discourage people from allowing their dog in their bed.  Start your training by only allowing the dog on the floor and his dog bed.  If you initially teach a dog he is not allowed on the places humans usually rest, you are reinforcing your leadership role.  This does not mean they will never be allowed on the furniture, but dogs should only be allowed up when invited by you or other members of the family.  You make the decision, you do not allow the dog to make the decision.  

Also, I encourage people with young puppies to sometimes remove them from wherever they are sleeping.  Dogs can become possessive over their favorite sleeping spots and this can sometimes lead to an aggressive response.  Every so often, move your dog from their current sleeping spot and claim it for yourself (sit there for a few minutes).  Positively reward any calm behavior the dog offers when doing so.

Free Time.  Access to freedom throughout your house is definitely something that should be earned by your dog.  When first bringing a new dog into your house, always start with an on-leash tour.  Go through the house, only entering a new room when the dog is calm, waiting, and paying attention to the leader on the other end of the leash.  The person should always enter the new space first.  New dogs and puppies must be consistently supervised and should only be allowed limited access when not being watched.  A new dog or puppy that is left alone should either be crated or left in a small area where they can't get into any trouble.  Remember part of training is preparation and maintenance.  If you leave your dog in his crate with his toys, he can't really do wrong.  If you just leave him locked in a bathroom with regular bathroom items around, you will have a big mess to clean when you return (any possibly a very sick little puppy).  Remember to protect your dog (and your things) by planning ahead.  Get down on the floor on your stomach and look around.  There are many little things down there that you don't normally think of that are staring your dog right in the face.  Things like electric cords, poisonous items, and choking hazards are probably lurking just under your nose.

These are just a few items and examples of how to take proper leadership over your dog.

Trainer Tips--Dog exam

As part of raising a well balanced dog, its important to remember the little things as well.  This month's trainer tip is about not only preparing your dog for regular vet visits, but reinforcing your leadership as well.

I always encourage clients to do everything the vet might do when they go for a visit (aside from drawing blood).  These means you should practice things like touching your dog's paws and looking inside your dog's mouth and ears.  Doing these types of things helps your dog learn to remain calm during a vet visit, but also reasserts your position as the leader.  It's also a good idea to check your dog over for fleas and ticks every so often.

To practice this, I check my dog's entire body over about once a week.  I will run my hands through the fur over their entire body, looking for bumps or unusual marks and parasites like ticks.  Starting this process by going over your dog's coat is the best way, because you can very easily make the experience pleasant by treating it like attention, petting, and a doggie massage.  Don't forget to touch along the dog's tail, and lift it up as well.  Many times vets will need to take a rectal temperature if your dog is sick.

After your pet has relaxed a little, move onto the dog's legs.  Touch and slightly squeeze your dog's legs from the top all the way down (this is how vets may check for a leg injury).  It is important to touch the feet and look between the dog's pads as well.  Get your dog comfortable having his legs and/or feet held and examined by you.  Remember to always remain calm.

After you have examined the rest of the dog's body, move onto the head.  Again start by treating the exercise like a massage, with petting and praise for calm behavior.  Hold the dog's head in your hands and slowly move it side to side as a vet would do to examine them.  Look into your dogs ears and touch them.  Finally lift the jowls of the dog's mouth to examine the teeth, then open your dog's mouth and look inside.

All of these exercises will come more naturally to the dog the more that you practice them.  Again, the number one thing to keep in mind is to STAY CALM, but firm.  Do not perform this exercise if you are not in the correct state of mind.

These exercises will make your vet visits much more enjoyable and less stressful for both you and your dog, and your veterinarian as well.   In the future if your dog ever ends up having any health issues, it will be easier for you to apply the necessary medication or treatment to keep your loved one happy and healthy.

Below are some pictures of this exercise.
Dora and her owner will demonstrate.

Check the dog's body.

Go down each leg squeezing just a little.

Check the paws.

While examining the dog's body, 

be sure to look for unusual marks, lumps, and ticks/ parasites.

Treat this like a massage for your dog as you move your hands around.

Go down the back legs and lift the tail.

Don't forget the paws.

Check inside the dog's ear.

Lift the gums and check the teeth.

Open the dog's mouth and look inside.

It is also a good idea to have your dog used to 

being grabbed by the scruff of the neck without reacting in a negative way.

Their practice payed off and Dora was very good at the vet.

Such a sweet girl!

Good job Dora!

Pack Walk

Many times in training dogs, one of the best things you can do to help curb many behavior problems or dog issues is take your dogs on a real pack walk.  It is important to use balanced dogs to create your pack.  I am very happy to be able to use my own two dogs, Caravaggio & Nekita, in the pack walk.  They help get dogs motivated, but also help teach them manners.  Many times most dogs newly introduced into a balanced pack will automatically follow and mimic their new pack members.  Such Good Dogs recently has had several adventures at Honolua Bay, following the trails through the pineapple fields.  Caravaggio & Nekita enjoy teaching new pack members what fun it is to run through the fields, but also teach them to listen to the pack leader (myself) in common commands.  The biggest obedience cue I practice on pack walks with new dogs is "Come" when called.  Of course we always go with safety first and new dogs are placed on a long line leash so there is no chance of an accidental escape.  Using a long line is a great way to introduce your dog to a bit more freedom, but be able to still always be in control.  Using the long line is a precursor to being allowed off leash.

Below are some pictures from our many recent pack walk trips to Honolua Bay.

Toby with Caravaggio.

Chloe, Caravaggio, & Dora

Dora & Chloe became fast friends.

They are about the same size and only 6 months apart in age.

This is an excellent example of what a good pack walk looks like.

Chloe having fun with the ears up.

Caravaggio, Dora, & Chloe

Both Chloe & Dora loved following SGDs into the tall grass.

This is Lena with Caravaggio on her first pack walk.

Lena was a little nervous the first half of the walk.

You can see her nervous energy in the way she is holding herself here.

As the walk progressed Lena became more and more calm.

Dora decided Nekita was her buddy for this pack walk.

Lena's dad got to practice some basic obedience with Dora also.

Lena calmed down even more and made friends.

Dora & Lena playing.

Look at Lena's body language now...

much more relaxed.

There is even a smile on her face.

Lena & Dora taking time out to enjoy the view :)

Near the end of the walk, Lena became much more comfortable and joined the pack.

Success!!  Pack walk!

Lena finally enjoying the fields, relaxed and happy, running with the pack.

Leadership

When adding any new dog to your family, leadership is very important.

To be a good leader to your dog, you must be strong, consistent, non-confrontational, and dependable.  Dogs become extremely stressed without a leader.  A dog will only fill the family leader position if there is no strong leader for him to look to.  Dogs can become very stressed when forced into the leadership role, however some dominant temperament-type dogs can manipulate their way into this role.  The dog that does this will use aggression to maintain his leadership status.  Obviously, this is not something we want.

Duties of the Leader:
1)  Establish the rules
2)  Enforce the rules
3)  Maintain social order

For many past centuries, dogs have had a job within the family unit.  Some of these jobs include:  hunting, protection, herding, pulling carts, eliminating vermin, and locating lost people.  Over the years the dog has become a non-working member of the family.  Humans unknowingly treat dogs as leaders every day.  These things include:  letting a dog eat as much as he wants whenever he wants, receiving constant free attention, and being able to demand sleep time, affection, and alone times.

It is vitally important for the human to establish and enforce house rules from day one!

Relationship Exercises can help maintain your strong leadership role while building a strong bond of trust between you and your dog.  When you control your dog's access to everything, you can more easily train your dog while also keeping him (and your belonging) safe.

Feeding.  Leaders always eat first.  I encourage people to have their dinner and then feed the dog(s) afterwards.  By doing so, your dog is not only learning to wait nicely (no begging), but learning to work for something he likes.  He is earning his food, not just getting it for free.  Dogs that get things for free tend to develop many different kinds of unwanted behaviors.
So when feeding your dog, make him sit and wait while you put the bowl down.  I also always require my dogs to "watch me" (look in my eyes), before being rewarded with food.  Also, do not free feed your dog.  A dog should be fed twice every day.  If the dog does not eat the food within 30 minutes, remove the food.  The dog will not get fed again until the regularly scheduled next mealtime.

Sleeping.  I strongly try to discourage people from allowing their dogs in their beds.  Start your training by only allowing the dog on the floor and his dog bed.  If you initially teach a dog he is not allowed on the places humans usually rest, you are reinforcing your leadership role.
Also, I encourage people with young puppies to sometimes remove them from wherever they are sleeping.  Dogs can become possessive over their favorite sleeping spots and this can sometimes lead to an aggressive response.  Every so often, move your dog from their current sleeping spot.  Positively reward any calm behavior the dog offers when doing so.

Free Time.  Access to freedom throughout your house is definitely something that should be earned by your dog.  When first bringing a new dog into your house, always start with an on-leash tour.  Go through the house, only entering a new room when the dog is calm, waiting, and paying attention to the leader on the other end of the leash.  The person should always enter the new space first.  New dogs and puppies must be consistently supervised and should only be allowed limited access when not being watched.  A new dog or puppy that is left along should either be crated or left in a small area where they can't get into any trouble.  Remember part of training is preparation and maintenance.  If you leave your dog in his crate with his toys, he can't really do wrong.  If you just leave him locked a bathroom with regular bathroom items around, you will have a big mess to clean when you return (any possibly a very sick little puppy).  Remember to protect your dog (and your things) by planning ahead.  Get down on the floor on your stomach and look around.  Those are all little things down there that you don't normally think of that's staring your dog right in the face.  Electric cords, poisonous items, and choking hazards are probably lurking just under your nose.

These are just a few items and examples of how to take proper leadership over your dog.