Leadership Part 1
Last month we featured a dog that was adored and spoiled by his owner, yet died in an animal shelter.
This month we’ll begin to explore how the sad scenario might have been prevented through simple leadership and training.
In our story, the owner of the dog wanted so desperately to make him happy that she treated him like an exalted guest in her home.
Her actions led him to believe he was in charge of the kingdom. In the end, he treated her as if she were nothing more than an uppity subordinate. His behavior became intolerable after he began to aggressively guard the kitchen and bathroom, denying access to his owner and her guests. When she tried to step out of her subordinate role to reclaim the house, he did what any “top dog” would do; he corrected her. First he used warning looks, growls and body blocks. Later, he used his teeth.
This well-intentioned, yet misguided woman made the same mistakes many other well-intentioned dog owners make with a puppy or a new dog. These mistakes are made in the name of love, and sadly, “love” is not enough. In fact, each year thousands of dogs end up homeless or even euthanized over preventable behavior problems.
If you love your dog, do him a huge favor by providing him with clear, benevolent leadership and boundaries. As a result, your dog will actually be happier. He’ll be more relaxed, and, get this: more loving to you and your family.
A benevolent leader can eventually afford his/her dog tons of freedom! These are the people who can take their dogs anywhere because the dog will come when called, walk nicely on leash, and politely greet people and other dogs.
Smart parents know that children benefit from boundaries, guidance and the opportunity to learn or work for privileges.
Savvy dog owners know dogs need the same thing, and make use of the resources dogs love to gently gain respect and trust from their pets.
The top resources in the average pet dog’s life are:
Food
Attention
Choice resting area (think beds, couches, sunny spots)
Play and games
Entrances/exits (access to the house)
Toys
In the interest of space, we’ll discuss these resources one at a time, starting with Dogdom’s Numero Uno: Food!
If you want to make a big impression on your best friend, try hand feeding all or part of his daily food ration. It’s a lovely way to develop rapport while generating respect and trust. Use mealtime to teach your dog a few things as well.
Start by teaching him to love and respond to his name by saying, “Buddy” and then giving him a piece of kibble for looking at you. Even if you don’t have time to hand feed your dog’s entire food ration, at least ask him to “come” and “sit” before eating.
Hand feeding helps the pup learn to use his mouth gently around humans. If he chomps on your hand while feeding, say “Ouch!” withdraw your hand (and the food), making a big deal about how much that hurt. Remind him to be gentle and start again.
Additionally, hand feeding can prevent future food guarding by teaching the pup to only take food with permission. For more training ideas and lure/reward training techniques, please see Suggested Dog Training Materials listed below.
We strongly advise AGAINST free-choice feeding. That is, do not make food available to your dog 24 hours a day. We recommend feeding twice a day (more frequently for young puppies), allowing 15 minutes for the dog to eat, then removing the bowl (even if it’s not empty) until the next meal.
There are at least two benefits of feeding your dog this way. First, you instill in him that you hold all the wonderful things in life. As a result, he’s more likely to listen to you, and who wouldn’t want that? After all, a key ingredient to any successful relationship is communication.
Second, if he’s feeling sick and stops eating, you will know it within 15 minutes! We know of one unfortunate incident where a dog became sick and lost a fourth of his body weight before his owner noticed he wasn’t eating. He was on a free-choice feeding schedule (he had a huge bowl) and had a fluffy coat, making his lack of appetite easy to miss.
What if you have an older dog already eating free-choice? Good news! It’s not too late to improve your relationship by putting him/her on a twice a day or work-for-food feeding program. We have helped many dog owners communicate more effectively with their pets by simply convincing them to get control of the dog’s food. Add training with hand feeding, and the results can be amazing. The best part is that the dog usually responds happily; becoming more attentive and truly living up to his title of best friend.
Suggested dog-training materials available: Dogwise Direct Book Service, www.dogwise.com, (800) 776-2665: Your Family Dog – Leadership & Training, DVD, by Cari Bowe & Carla Jackson; Dog Friendly Dog Training, by Andrea Arden; After You Get Your Puppy, by Dr. Ian Dunbar; How to Be the Leader of the Pack (booklet) by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D
Cari Bowe is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer who owns and operates Shasta Dog Training and Behavior Services. She is the founder and one of the instructors of Haven Humane Society’s Family Dog Obedience Classes. Cari also raises champion Scottish Deerhounds.
Carla Jackson is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer who owns and operates Jackson Ranch for Dogs, www.jacksonranchfordogs.com, a kennel-free dog boarding and training facility. Carla is a past instructor at Haven Humane Society and specializes in private training/behavior consultations for the family dog.
For a complete introduction to dog training, check out Cari and Carla’s DVD, “Your Family Dog, Leadership and Training,” an interactive DVD featuring over 60 locally owned dogs learning new behaviors in beautiful Shasta County locations. The DVD provides valuable tips for daily living, guidelines for solving common behavior problems, and the essential skills needed to teach your dog basic commands. The DVD is now available at many local veterinarian offices, Haven Humane Society, and through www.dogwise.com, or www.jacksonranchfordogs.com.
