More Dog Walking and calm-assertive energy needed to lead the pack

My post on Dog Walking as part of overall training (READ HERE) has received a lot of interest so I decided to add a few more important things on a separate page that will help people get a better idea of how to more easily become the pack leader.  As I have mentioned before, being the pack leader takes calm-assertive energy.  It is important to develop a sense of purpose when you start out the walk. 

Sammy waiting patiently

If you can add a sense of purpose to your step it will help your dog see that you know where you are going and that you are the Alpha.  The key is to keep your energy level calm-assertive with a purposeful gate.  If you start off slowly or too casually your dog will likely take the opportunity to show you who is in charge of your pack with a quick bolt ahead of you.  Some dogs have a natural tendency to want to be out front and they might be a little more difficult to train and for them to accept you as pack leader but you are in control.  They will accept that more readily than most people expect. 

Remember that the leash or collar will not be sufficient to get your dog to stay by your side or to follow your lead.  It is very common for people to focus on the "choker" or correction collar as the most important piece of training equipment.  The collar, however, should not be an issue of you are establishing your role as the calm-assertive pack leader.  There will be times when you have to correct your dog as he moves off to the side or moves ahead and pulls.  But the idea is to get in tune with your dogs natural tendencies to follow their pack leader.  This is done by establishing that you are the Alpha and that the structure of your pack is in place.  You are the leader and your dog is the follower.  The are willing to accept that fact and they will be more comfortable and calm knowing they don’t have to take over the lead role.   I know it sounds simple but focusing on improving your projected energy will make things move along very quickly. 

If you have more difficulty it is usually not because of the dog but because of our tendency to quickly revert to anger and frustration or into an agitated, less assertive state.  As soon as the dog pulls the typical reaction for most of us is anger and frustration.  It tends to go downhill from there as well.  It will be rather important to resist that instantaneous energy shift or we will end up in a tug of war with our dog.

In the beginning your dog will test you unless you really are projecting the right energy.  If you have some issues in the beginning just remember that your dog is comfortable following and will usually only try to take the lead if they feel as though there is a void of leadership in their pack.  The more you walk the more you will be establishing each of your roles in the pack and you will be creating a bond based on trust and respect.  This will be the beginning of great relationship that will give you both years of joy. 

Again, please keep in mind that it is common for the most significant changes to come from us if we want to have a well adjusted, stable and happy dog.  We might have to do some soul searching to get in touch with our feelings before we can get the calm-assertive energy projecting naturally.