Whether you have just adopted a young pup or an adult dog, you have many things to teach your new companion. You want your dog to be loved, trained and lively, but not spoiled, a robot or uncontrollable. Dogs can be naturals at learning manners and commands, particularly when you understand a key aspect of their nature. Dogs are social, pack-oriented animals. Your dog will respect a strong, clear, fair leader. If you fail to establish this position for yourself, your dog will feel obliged to try to take the position of leader for himself.
The Alpha Role
In a natural state, dogs would live their entire lives within the closely structure social order of their pack. While young, they would begin to learn the workings of the pack's social system and, as they grew, begin to establish their place within the pack's dominance hierarchy. Dominance, submissiveness, leadership, obeying others - these are all concepts that are understood by every dog. These are all concepts that you must understand as well if you are to relate to your dog in a successful manner.
Each pack has a leader, generally an individual who is dominant over all pack members. In wolf society, this individual is called the "alpha." This is the member who makes the decisions, who must be obeyed. This is the individual that you must be in your dog's eyes.
Steps to Establishing Your Role as Alpha
Professional trainers know that it is a waste of time to try to train a dog without first establishing themselves as alpha to the dog. Every dog needs a leader to listen to and adore. Without this leader, a dog will feel lost and unstructured. If you do not take the role of alpha, your dog will instinctively take the role himself. Here are some steps to establishing your role as the alpha. Notice that these involve both behaviour and body language - two types of communication that your dog will understand.
- Always praise your dog confidently. Put your hands firmly on the dog. Hug the dog. Pat him so that your hands get warm from the contact. Do not praise him in a timid way.
- Praise warmly, well and quickly. Do not drag out your praising of your dog. Do not fawn over the dog just because he did one sit-stay.
- Reprimand fairly and quickly, then forgive. Don't hold a grudge. When you put your hands on your dog, do it with confidence and authority. Hands on does NOT mean hitting. Hands on may mean a leash correction, a surprising assist into a sit or down etc. Do it quickly and with authority. Then when you've made the dog do exactly what you want - once – reward him.
- Make the dog obey on the first command. Don't get into the habit of repeating yourself. A dog's hearing is significantly better than yours, and you can bet he heard you the first time.
- Give commands only if you can follow through, and make sure you always follow through.
- Give permission. Give it for what is about to do anyway as long as it is OK with you. This does not mean you say OK when you see your dog about to steal a plate of food. This means you do say OK when your dog is about to get into the car for a ride with you, eat the food in his bowl, go out with you for his afternoon walk. It means that in a subtle way you are teaching the dog to look to you for approval and permission instead of making decisions on his own. Remember - the better behaved the dog, the more freedom and fun he can have.
- Deny permission. Monitor your dog's behaviour. Teach him some manners. Even if you like him to sit on your couch or bed, he shouldn't behave that way in other people's homes.
- Do a sit-stay. This is an easy way to reinforce your role as alpha. Put the dog in a sit-stay for five to ten minutes. For particularly dominant dogs, make it a down-stay, and even more submissive position. When he breaks - and he will - put him back. If he breaks 6 times put him back 6 times. At the end of a few minutes, the dog knows you're alpha. He knows that anyone who holds his leash can call the shots. And this is with no yelling or hitting. Just a sit-stay. easy and effective.
- Be Fair, but tough. Act like a top dog. Tough, but loving. Always be fair and never get angry. Dogs understand what's fair and what's not.
- Be a model to your dog. The top dog behaves with dignity, confidence, authority, and intelligence. This will help your dog to be calm himself.
Remember, by being consistent in your handling and in your demands on the dog you are being fair. He needs structure to understand what you want and what his responsibilities are.
This article was written by Scott Donald, a Professional Trainer
