Leadership, Part 2
Location, location, location – you may not realize it, but dogs place as much importance on prime real estate as humans. Areas like beds, couches and even doorways are potential hot spots for conflict.
In a previous article, we told the story of a dog owner who rescued a puppy, gave him the best of everything and ended up with a serious turf war in her home. The result was a dead dog and a broken-hearted owner.
In an attempt to dissect what went wrong and prevent similar tragic endings, we are addressing, one at a time, the top resources in the average pet dog’s life.
In April, we discussed the value of using your dog’s food to gently train him and earn respect. This article addresses choice resting areas – also known as your bed, couch or comfortable chair.
It’s perfectly OK to not allow your dog on the furniture and in fact, not all dogs can handle such a lofty privilege. If you have a status-seeking dog (one who tries to appoint himself CEO of the household), the last thing you want to do is promote him to the choice, elevated locations of the house.
Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., writes in her booklet “Leader of the Pack,” that “Dogs interpret an increase in vertical height as an increase in status. End of sentence. It’s a symbol to us but a synonym to them.”
Your dog will love you whether or not he gets to sleep on your bed. Honest. This article is for those of us who DO allow our dogs on the furniture (you’ve seen us; we’re the people with dog hair clinging to our clothes).
Permitting your dog to sleep on your bed or couch is fine providing you and the dog get a few things worked out ahead of time.
- Beds and couches belong to humans. Seems obvious to us, but if your new puppy or dog lounges on high-status locations right off the bat, he might decide they actually belong to him. Make a good first impression by clearly conveying what’s yours for the first 6–12 months of your relationship. Supply him with a place of his own, and don’t allow him on your bed and couch until he’s paid his dues.
- Manage for success. It’s not fair to let your pup break rules he doesn’t know exist, so use crate training (also a superb housetraining tool) along with baby gates, tethers and draglines to gently manage your new family member.
- Access to beds and couches is a privilege, not a right. Teach your dog to say “please.” Dogs can say please by responding to simple requests such as “sit,” “down” and “come.” Once he responds to these basic commands, you can reward him with an invitation to join you on the couch.
- Teach him to cheerfully respond to “off.” Teach your dog to vacate a resting area by practicing with any raised surface – his dog bed, a low table or a bench. With him on-leash, and a handful of delicious treats, invite him onto the surface. Once he’s settled, give the command “off,” wave the treat under his nose, then toss it on the floor. If he doesn’t instantly hop off to hunt for the treat, gently guide him off with the leash. Praise, make sure he finds the treat and repeat.
Red Flag Behaviors
Immediately and permanently revoke couch or bed privileges if he exhibits any of the following behaviors around resting areas:
- Growls when approached, touched or asked to move.
- Exhibits sullen reluctance to move.
- Refuses to get off with “catch me if you can” (inexperienced owners often mistake this for a game –- it is not).
- Snaps or bites.
Guarding prime resting areas can become a dangerous problem. If your dog has an “attitude” around your bed (or any location), consult a professional dog trainer or behavior specialist ASAP. He or she can help you develop a training and management program that will instill harmony and respect into your relationship.
If you take the time to teach your dog the ground rules of occupying prime real estate, he/she can eventually enjoy all the privileges you can possibly bestow.
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, 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 dogwise.com or jacksonranchfordogs.com.
