Poodle training

Become a Positive Leader for Your Dog

The following information is excerpted from a book we highly recommend:

Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
By Dr. Richard H. Pitcairn
Rodale Press, Inc., Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Note: Over 200,000 copies sold

So how do you become the good leader your dog needs? Wolf packs succeed best when their members are happy, healthy, and in relative harmony with each other. If they were constantly squabbling over their rank, they’d be at a disadvantage for rounding up food. So, to maintain social stability, wolves use ongoing nonviolent signals to remind each other of their standing in the pack.

The need to train your dog provides a perfect context to mimic this repeated posturing and to make your leadership clear to your dog again and again. The idea is to convey to your dog that he gets what he wants in life when he listens to you first. You make this work by applying it dozens of times daily, in little ways.

First, make it fun for your dog to watch you for signals. Whenever he sustains eye contact with you, constantly reinforce him with treats, affection, and whatever he loves to do (playing ball, going for a walk, and so on). Associate it with a command like, “Rover, watch!” Make it fun, and soon the command itself will be enough to get your pet’s attention. Once you can get his attention in this way, you’re ready to proceed to other lessons.

Next, show the dog in lots of little ways that he must look to you first to get what he wants. If your pet wants to go outdoors, you tell him to wait. You walk out first. Then he gets to go out. If the dog wants to eat, first tell him to sit. When he sits, you feed him. If your dog wants affection, first tell him to lie down and have him stay for 30 seconds. Then you release him with a code word like “okay” and play together. Once the routine gets going, and your pet knows a few simple commands and learns that getting it right earns him lots of praise plus the thing he wants, he’ll love it.

Every time you tell your dog what to do and he listens, it gently reinforces the idea that you’re in charge, so he doesn’t need to be concerned. It constantly signals to the dog that you’re the leader, and it provides an ongoing supply of the attention he loves. Some dogs will accept this at once, others will put up a struggle about who’s top dog. But consistent, daily, enjoyable reminders of your roles will lead to a more relaxed and confident pet. Make praise and reward the cornerstone of your relationship. Simply by applying the central command to “Watch,” you will soon be past the struggling stage in teaching your dog the basics. Learning itself will become an enjoyable game for him. Your pet will eagerly try to figure out what you want so he can do it!
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