Page Title

Training Tip: Be the leader
of your pack

Your dog will be happier and more
confident and will respond better to
training if it understands that you are
the leader of the pack. Here are some
things you can do to help your dog
understand it's place in your "pack".

Leader always eats first. Always
feed your dog after you have
finished eating. Don't allow
begging at the table. Make sure
you are the source of all food.
Leader can stand, sit or lie down
wherever he wants to. Make your
dog move if it is in the way, don't
step over or around your dog. The
dog should make way for you as
leader.
Leader gets the pick of prime
spots in the household including
furniture and beds. It's great to
have your dog sleep in your
bedroom but it should have it's
own bed, not share yours.
Leader goes through narrow
spaces such as doors first. Make
it a habit to have your dog sit at
the door and either you go
through first or you tell the dog
when to go through.
Leaders control access to rooms
and to the house. You determine
where in the house the dog can go.
It's ok to say "You can't go in
there".
Leaders determine when
subordinate pack members get
attention. Don't allow your dog to
beg for attention. Ignore the dog
until you are ready.
Leaders can restrict the
movement of lesser ranking pack
members. You can choose to crate
your dog or restrict it's
movements.

Your dog can still get lot's of love and
attention while following these rules.
Always take a new dog in the family to
a basic obedience class and be sure to
read books to help you better
understand dog behavior. Try books
like "Dog Training for Dummies" and
go from there.