With an effective leadership program you don’t need force to demonstrate to your dog that you’re the
person in charge. You need only to control their most-desired resources so they can earn them back
from you by performing a simple obedience cue, such as sit. Everything in your house belongs to you,
including the dog’s items: the toys, bones, food, crate, bowls, bed (your’s and their’s), couch, chairs,
throw rug. You allow your dog to borrow them. You should be able to handle, move, or remove any of
these items and resources without harassment from your dog – including removing your dog from your
bed or couch. This rule teaching begins as the adult role in the household (you) and once the dog starts
to understand the rules, then you will help your child to take a leadership role. But YOU, as the
adult, must first teach the rules to your dog! Just because you bought the dog for your 8-year-old
daughter doesn’t mean that you can thrust the responsibility of teaching the dog on her.
|
|
Leaders do not use fear, force or intimidation techniques such as hitting, rolling, hanging, pinching,
dunking, or flooding. Leaders are not vindictive. Leaders do not throw shaker cans or chains at their
dogs nor spray water in their dog's face. They are firm, fair, dependable, consistent in adhering to
the rules, willing to gently demonstrate the rules, and they are wonderful to be with. Leaders learn
to “listen” to their dog’s input and make decisions based on what they may be trying to tell us.
|
|
Your dog is NEVER allowed to bite, nip or mouth anyone at any time.
|
|
No sleeping on the bed or any piece of furniture until he learns to sit as his way of asking for an
invitation from you and until you issue that invitation. If he is already growling at your or any other
family member while on the bed or furniture, do not allow him access to that furniture and
immediately call a professional positive reinforcement trainer or behaviorist. Your dog is ‘resource
guarding’ and is letting you know by growling that he claims that area. This will likely become a much
more aggressive behavior resulting in his biting one of you.
|
|
Dogs who demand to be picked up by jumping, pawing or barking should not be touched until they sit and
are quiet. Also, if they demand to be put down, you must wait until the barking and squirming stops.
After they are quiet and settled, you may pick up or put down on the floor. Otherwise you are
teaching them to use bad manners to control you.
|
|
Petting or other attention should not be given if your dog nudges or paws you. If this happens, ignore
it and when he starts to walk away you can then call him back to you to give attention. You are the
leader and leaders decide when attention is to be given, not the dog by using bad manners.
|
|
A simple manners cue, such as “sit”, needs to be executed before you give your dog any attention
such as throwing a toy, getting on furniture, petting, getting on your lap, giving food,
going out/in the door or car or crate. This “sit” becomes your dog’s way of “asking your permission”
in order to earn his most-desired goodies.
|
|
Sit means sit now not when you get around to doing what I request.
However, you need to practice with your dog in order for him to learn that
he needs to perform your request the first time, every time.
|
|
Your dog needs to be taught how to move out of your path on a floor or stairway or doorway even if
you can easily step over or walk around him.
You should not step around them - leaders have the right-of-way.
|
|
No free feeding meals. Do not leave your dog's food out all day so they can eat when they desire.
Your dog needs to understand where their food comes from (you) and that they need to earn their
food, whether from your hand or in a bowl. Feed scheduled meals and have your dog sit and stay in the
sit until the bowl is on the floor and you have given him permission to eat. Leave it there for no
longer than 30 minutes and then remove the food until the next meal. Your dog doesn’t need to graze.
|
|
He who gets out the door first is the winner!
Therefore, YOU will always go out the door first and release him from the other side. You need to go
out first until he learns to wait at the door for your decision on whether you will go first or simply
release him from inside. Be sure, too, that he doesn’t bolt back into the house until you have given
him permission to enter. Teach him to sit/wait until you give him permission to go through the door.
|
|
Your dog needs to make eye contact with you whenever you request it. But, NO stare-down contests,
please, because your dog might see it as a threat. Direct eye contact to a dog is rude behavior,
however it is also vital that they learn to make direct eye contact with us in order to understand our
guidance. Therefore, you must include teaching eye contact as part of your training plans.
|
|
Teach your dog a solid "drop it" for things in his mouth you don’t want him to have.
Prevent your dog from taking (stealing) your belongings, but if it does happen,
he needs to be taught how to release the item at your request, and this also
needs to be practiced on a daily basis. Be sure, too, that you aren't putting
your dog into an environment where they can't possibly resist temptation - like with your kids' toys.
You have to set up your dog for success rather than leaving them to no choice but to fail.
|
|
ALL dogs need training and should know eye contact, sit, down, stay, drop it, leave it, come, wait at
the door, wait for permission, settle and walking nicely on leash without pulling.
|
|
Never play tug-of-war games with your dog until:
1. Your dog has learned a solid “drop it” so you can keep his emotions from escalating to an
aggressively competitive state
2. You start and you end the game – not the dog
3. Your dog knows that teeth on skin is NEVER acceptable. Even if it was an accident, you must
immediately end the game
4. Your children know they are never allowed to play tug games with the dog
|
|
Your dog should NEVER be left unsupervised with children or anyone who cannot maintain leadership
with your dog. Your child should NEVER hit, scold, pinch, kick, or throw anything at your dog ... nor
should your child ever take away a toy, bone or food from your dog. These are adult responsibilities.
|
|
The one with the higher head is king!
Do not put yourself in a lesser height level than your dog. Children, especially, should not lie on the
floor for any reason with the dog. ANY child under 8 years old does not possess mature reasoning
skills of an adult. Children under 8 need to be CONSTANTLY SUPERVISED with the dog. Your dog’s
antics of hair grabbing, ear biting, climbing on your child’s back, and nipping noses are never
acceptable. Teach your children never to encourage your dog by giggling when the dog bites their
nose, hair, face and head. Remember that 79% of dog bites to children happen around their head.
Dogs are born with “natural opposition reflex” which means they will push at whatever pushes them,
and pull against whatever pulls them. If your child pushes your dog away from them, the dog will
simply come right back at your child. Remember that what your child learns with your dog they will
also do with a strange dog and that dog may aggressively refuse of your child’s interactions.
Set up safety for both your children and your dog!
|
|
Your dog should be taught not to pull when walking on a leash. This is called Loose Leash walking. Your
dog needs to learn to walk on your side, not in front of you pulling on a retractable leash. Remember -
you can be in the leader OR the follower position. If your dog is in front of you, that makes him the
leader. YOU control the walk. When on a walk your dog doesn’t need to sniff or mark everything in
order to enjoy himself. Your dog needs to learn to pace himself to you. You may decide that it is ok
for your dog to sniff something -- BUT you need to follow leadership rules of having him sit first and
then walking over to the item -- NEVER allowing him to pull you to it.
|
|
Put your dog in the crate other than when you leave the house. First, teach your dog a cue for going
into the crate so this isn't a struggle. (If it is, you need a crate training program.)
Let your dog learn to settle while you are cooking, eating meals, visiting with guests, watching tv,
playing games with the kids, reading a book, taking a nap, on the phone.
You are the leader and you decide when your dog needs to take a relaxation period, even if that
happens when you’re home. Remember that your dog needs to learn to sit and wait in the crate until
you open the door and give him the release cue to exit.
|
|
|
