![]() |
||
![]() |
||
![]() |
Your Pet Information | Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com |
|
![]() |
5 Surefire Ways to Show Your Dog You're The Boss
You Must Be The Alpha Dog First, let's take a look at what a "pack mentality" means. Dogs are born into packs - in the wild, packs are the essential social order. Unlike humans, who use a variety of political processes to determine leadership and rank, dogs sort out their social order by dominance and power. In a wolf pack, there is a Top Dog - a clear leader who is the dominant, Alpha male. He's the Big Dog, with pride of place at the dinner table (well, if wolves had a dinner table!), first in mating, first in decision making for the pack. Whether you realize it or not, your dog views your household as his own personal wolf pack. The pack mentality is so engrained in your dog's psyche that he will either view you as a leader - or a follower - depending on your actions. If you are to have a well-trained dog, you must establish that you are the leader, and he is the follower. Your dog has to know in his heart that you are the Alpha Dog, the Head Honcho, the Big Dog, the Top Dog - call it whatever you want, but your dog needs to know you're in charge. Dogs are a little like children in one respect - they're looking for someone else to be the leader - they want rules and regulations because that makes their role in the pack more clear-cut and understandable. It's scary being the leader - if you're not up to it, your dog may assume the role - because someone has to be in charge! If that's what's happened at your house, you need to re-establish your position as the Top Dog, or "Leader of the Pack." But here's an important note: being the leader of the pack has absolutely nothing to do with harsh punishment. It has everything to do with consistency and setting limits. A simple rule to remember (and one people have great difficulty keeping in mind) is that you are the leader, not your dog. 1. You Go Through The Door FirstEven something as straightforward as who walks through the door first can reinforce your position as "dominant dog." Leaders lead. Followers follow. If you allow your dog to charge through the door ahead of you, he perceives that as asserting his dominance over you. Put your dog on the leash, and make sure you're the first one through the door. 2. You Eat Before Your DogWho gets fed first in your house - you or your dog? In a wolf pack, the leader eats first, and when he is done, the rest of the pack can dine. Do you feed your dog first because he pesters you when you're cooking your dinner, and it's simply more convenient to have him quiet and out of the way when you're eating? Food is a powerful motivator that can be used to clearly demonstrate who is the ruler of the roost at your house. In no way, shape or form am I suggesting that you withhold food from your dog - that's cruel and unusual punishment any way you look at it. What I am suggesting is that you control the timing of the food - you should eat first, your dog second, after you're done with your meal. 3. Don't Walk Around Your Dog Does your dog lie on the floor and expect you to walk around him? In the wild, dominant dogs lie wherever they want, and dogs lower in the social order go around so they don't disturb the Big Dog. If you walk around your dog, he will assume this to be an act of submission on your part; therefore he must be the leader, not you. If your dog is lying in the middle of the hallway, or right in front of your easy chair, make him move. If he's on the couch and you want to lie down, make him move. Don't step over him. Just gently nudge him and make him get out of your way. You're the Big Dog, remember? 4. You Determine When Your Dog Gets Attention Even asking for attention or affection can be seen as an act of dominance from your dog's point of view. Dogs that demand attention are asserting dominance, so if your dog gets pushy, ignore him. When you're ready to give him attention or affection or pet or play with him, ask him to sit first.Don't run after him just so you can pet him. Make him come to you when you're ready to give him attention, or play with him. And when you play with a toy, make sure that you end up with possession of the toy, and then put the toy away when you're done. (Note: I'm not talking about his favorite toys that you leave in his crate. I'm talking about play toys that the two of you use for games.) 5. Don't Let Your Dog Sleep In Your Bed This is a tough one for a lot of people, but when you let your dog share your bed, at best you're making him an equal to you. He should have his own bed, either a dog pad or his crate that he feels comfortable in - you can even put the dog pad next to your bed if that makes both of you happier - but don't let him take over the sleeping arrangements. Before you know it, he'll be trying to make you sleep on the floor! Again, reinforcing or retraining your dog to recognize you as the Head Honcho has absolutely nothing to do with harsh discipline. These are changes you can make that will change the way your dog thinks about you. And making even small changes like these can have an enormous impact on the way your dog views the social hierarchy in your home - all without a harsh word being spoken! Charlie Lafave, author, "Dog Training Secrets!"To transform your stubborn, misbehaving dog into a loyal, well-behaving "best friend" who obeys your every command and is the envy of the neighborhood, visit: http://tinyurl.com/6u2cj
MORE RESOURCES: |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
Responsible Dog Ownership Owning a dog is a serious responsibility, one that should not be taken lightly. But what exactly does being a responsible dog owner mean? Well, when broken down, it is easy, but it does involve a few different elements. How Do Your Customer View Your Pet Business? There are thousands of local and online Pet Stores but most people only know about Petco and PetsMart. The reason these businesses have succeed is because of consistent advertising so the customer does not forget their name (brand). Tips For Keeping Your Pug Happy And Healthy Bringing home a Pug can change our life, but it is also a big responsibility. When you become a Pug owner, it is up to you to make sure that your pet's needs are met including, proper care, a safe environment and lots of love! Caring for a dog is a commitment, but has many rewards. BARF Diet For Dogs - Not As Gross As It Sounds! Are you just starting to research the BARF diet for dogs - also known as "bones and raw food" or the RAW diet? It can be confusing - I remember asking TONS of questions when I first started. How do you know how much to feed? WHAT do you feed? Can you mix the BARF diet with processed food? How long does it take to prepare the raw food? How much does it cost to buy all the BARF products necessary? Should you feed raw meat and vegetables? Well, on the last question, only you can decide what's right for your dog, but I'll answer the rest of your questions as best I can. Pet Containment: Keep You Pet in the Yard and Out of Places You Dont Want Them to Be Pet ContainmentIf you just recently became a pet owner or you've had one for many years the basics are simple. You have to feed your animal, make sure it gets its shots, and play with him as well. The Importance of a Plan When Building a Reptile Cage Would you put together a model plane without looking at the finished plane picture or looking at the plans? Does a builder build a house without a plan?The answer to these is pretty clearly no. A homemade snake or other reptile cage is so much simpler though, you say. How to Maintain Your Love Affair With Your Dog: Part One - Training Training Tips for a Happy and Healthy Relationship with Your Canine CompanionWhen I first laid eyes on my little ball of black fluff at an adoption fair, I knew there was no turning back. My husband and I had been looking for just the right dog for months, and all the research and networking had finally paid off. Five Powerful Reasons Why Owning A Pet Could Make You Live Longer You may have heard that pets have been scientifically proven to increase your chances of living to a ripe old age. Well the rumour is true, but how exactly is it possible you may be wondering. Canine Eclampsia, or Milk Fever In Dogs Eclampsia, or milk fever, is an acute, life-threatening condition which attacks a brood bitch about 3 to 4 weeks after whelping puppies. It is more common in the small breeds of dogs that have had large litters. 7 Good Reasons to Have Your Cat Spayed or Neutered Every year, many cat owners decide to get their cat spayed or neutered. This decision is made for several different reasons, all of which illustrate why it is such a good idea. A Guide to Antique Bird Cages It has been said that everything old is new again. So it is with bird cages. What You Need To Know To Keep Your Dog Safe In Your Car Man's Best Friend is a great companion around the home, but Rover will love joining you on road trips - short or long - as well. If you've tried taking your dog along in the car before and met with bad results, don't give up. What to Do When Your Puppy Dog Is Chewing Everything In Sight A puppy wanting to chew makes you want to scream! Doremember that, like children who search their new worldwith their hands, so do puppies search with their mouths.While there is a difference between exploratory chewing andproblem chewing, the problem chewing is sometimes relatedto their need for attention, food or tension release. If You Want a Friend, Get a Dog! Carl Icahn, the hostile takeover master who was THE original corporate raider, is often quoted as saying, "In this business, if you want a friend, get a dog!" The rest of us already knew that dog was man's best friend, and with good reason. Dogs as pets date back at least as far as the days of Pompeii, where the remains of a dog stretched out next to a little boy were recovered from the rubble at Pompeii. Top 5 Dog Health Problems The most common dog problems:Dog Owner's commonly ask me the same questions repeatedly. This article aims to help dog owners prevent and find information about the most common dog health problems. How to Teach YOUR Cat to Use a Litter Box - Secrets to Litter Tray Success Even the most dedicated cat lover has little patience with a cat that doesn't use its litter box. Yet, patience is the key to creating litter box success. Grieving Our Pets Death Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen to our secrets, and give us unconditional love. Wormy Dogs? - Understand Dog Worms Infestation and Their Symptoms Until a very recent period, dog worms were thought to be of a spontaneous origin, brought about by the influence of heat upon decaying vegetable matter, and it was and still is freely asserted that puppies are born with dog worms inherited from the mother in some mysterious manner while still in uterus. This has been conclusively proven an error and in the minds of all scientists there is no question about dog worms springing from individual eggs and having a complete life history of their own. Animal Deathing What happens when we die? In our society, death is often hidden away. Rarely are we present for the passing of a loved one, a major exception being our animal family members. Choosing Dog Tags for Your Canine Remember when you first met your dog? He was fresh and new, and you were just getting to know each other. You went through training together, perhaps even ate together. ![]() |
Jumbuck Domain Is For Sale - $5,000 For Enquiries eMail Us © www.Jumbuck.biz - 2012 |