Be Pack leader and still learn from your dogs

You can get a lot of help from your dogs.  Your dogs will instinctively protect their pack from instability.  They will also instinctively protect their calm-assertive pack leader from this negative energy.  Most stable dogs know that stability of the pack is essential for their survival.  Dogs can not be constantly fighting for dominance or breaking from the pack routine.  For thousands of years dogs have used their innate ability to live within a stable pack as an advantage over less successful species.  This should make it clear that dogs understand the importance of being in a pack and the importance of keeping the pack healthy.  They also understand the importance of the pack leader and will go to great lengths to keep the pack leader safe and free to lead.

It was such a long day following the Pack Leader

You can see behavior like this often at the dog park or in your home when bringing an unstable dog into the mix.  The other dogs will rally around the pack leader and warn the unstable dog.  Often it is just do that is unfamiliar with the pack rules and how to approach and interact with the pack.  Certain dogs, especially younger ones, tend to be unschooled in back etiquette but tend to learn quickly if the other dogs are persistent.

The biggest obstacle I have seen lately when taking I try to be pack leader for my dogs and the dog park is the dogs staring each other down through the fence.  For some dogs it seems to be a territorial thing and for others more fun or play when they race up and down the on each side of fence.  It is a challenge to get certain dogs to pay attention to the pack leader when when there are dogs to run with on the other side of the fence. 


I also have noticed that a recent addition to my pack tends to become more playful and a bit more aggressive at the dog park.  He is young and loves to play but has yet to take his well adjusted in home pack behavior to the park.  I am working on keeping him a bit more calm and more focused on me rather than all of the smells, sounds and other dogs.  It is taking a while but I am seeing progress daily and soon expect him to be fully adjusted and enjoying calm yet fun trips to the dog park. 

Your Dogs know

A perfect dog pack

Your dogs will let you know if one of your pack members are unstable.  You can tell just by their actions because dogs want to be calm and get along in harmony regardless of the breed.  You should always be aware of your pet being a dog first, then the breed second.  There is a lot of unhealthy information that has permeated the psyche of our culture that creates tremendous fear toward certain dog breeds.

The most well know example is the Pit Bull.  It is quite common for people to become frightened just by the mention of the breed and if they happen to see one or be near one many people will automatically walk away.  The funny thing is that statistics show that Labradors bite more people than any other breed.  It may be just because they are the most popular breed but I think there is more to it than something that simple.

For example consider that it is not legal to even own a Pit Bull in the city of Denver, Colorado.  I found this out recently and was shocked on one had but not surprised on the other hand.  It is a shame that such a loyal breed has gotten such a horrible reputation over the years.

Doesn't she look comfortable?

As I was saying before your pack will let you know if one your dogs is unstable.  I brought a new dog into my pack and he is full of energy, still somewhat of a puppy, and my other dogs have taken after him when he starts getting too hyper.  They do not bite him or attack him but they use their herding skills to roll him over a few times with a well timed nose to the hand quarters. 

Watch your dogs closely and you will get many free lessons in pack behavior and on how to deal with instability in your dogs. 

Trusting your intuition about your dogs will make you a better pack leader

What I was noticing was the start of tumor several years before it grew to block my dog's air way.  She suffered a long time as it grew.  I continued to ask the doctors but not one of them did the right thing to find out what really was going on.  I went as far as asking them directly about her breathing and why she was panting so much and the night before she died I even went as far as to ask if they thought she was choking on something.  I was assured it was her lungs.  It wasn't her lungs. 

GUIDE TO DOG SYMPTOMS AT PETPLACE.COM





It is a sad story and I know many people have tragic, heart breaking stories about losing their dogs to some illness or accident.  But I wanted to explain to you the bond you will have with your dog if you use you other senses more when you communicate with your dog.  You will also have to use you calm-assertive energy to make sure your dogs get the proper care they deserve.  I did not do this with Bobo, and I made the mistake of relying on the "experts" and asking family if they thought something was wrong.  Everyone said she looked fine but I should have been more assertive with the doctors.  It may have helped avoid some needless suffering if the tumor could have been treated at such an early stage.  I don't know for sure but I learned a good lesson about my own intuition and my assertive behavior.  I have been much more assertive with the doctors and I have also made sure to be a lot more informed about what certain symptoms could mean.   

Being the pack leader is a lot of things besides just holding your dog on a leash.  It is something that will impact your life forever.  If you can learn to be a great pack leader you will be doing all the things you need to do to have a healthier, happier and more successful life.  Our dogs have so much to teach us if we are willing to listen. 

The Healthy Dog Cookbook: 50 Nutritious & Delicious Recipes Your Dog Will Love

Pack Leader at the Dog Park-a dog training lesson

Don't Forget the Treats

 

Sammy, Buddy, Jake, Bobo, Scruffy and Jack

Yesterday I was at the dog park and saw a perfect example of a pack leader.  This was the best dog training lesson for anyone to witness because it is much different to see it happening before your eyes rather than on the Dog Whisperer Show.  It was fun to see. 

 The dog park is set up with three large areas that are fenced off around the outside and divided with two fences down the middle.  The large square area and the two dividers have gates to pass from one section to the other.  A woman with a medium size dog and very small dog was walking in the farthest corner of the third section.  On one end of her section some larger dogs were playing and it looked as though she didn’t want to go that direction.  I was in the middle section with my six large dogs, one of them a young Pit Bull who likes to greet everyone who comes into the gate with great enthusiasm.  It was quite clear she felt a little trapped. 

The only way for her to get out was to go through one of the areas with the large dogs.  She tried the back end gate which is always locked in order to keep a limited number open so there is not complete chaos at the park with dogs coming and going from every direction. 

 I was getting ready to approach the woman and ask her if she wanted me to corral my dogs so she could walk through with her dogs on the leash.  My dogs are typically very good with other dogs.  However, I have Aussies and they like to herd anything in site and if they all start off together it can frighten some of the dogs.  If I am not close enough to get their attention I don’t like it.  Keep in mind this is a huge dog park that is over 10 acres and if I am by one gate and someone comes through the other gate I can’t keep up with the dogs if they decide to go investigate. These three are usually so interested in chasing the tennis ball that they don’t even pay attention to other dogs.  The Pit Bull puppy still has puppy energy and is a little over friendly at times.  He is learning though and doing well when I am being a good pack leader.

The woman in the other section was on the phone so I didn’t say anything to her and then got distracted picking up a few tennis balls a few hundred feet away from the gate.  The next thing I see is this young woman walking through the end gate with no warning.  She had both her two smaller dogs on leashes and she was in complete control.  She exuded calm, assertive energy as she entered the gate, her dogs following perfectly. My Pit Bull ran over to say hello to the dogs and I was a little nervous being a long way away.  But her pack was on a mission. 

She held her head up, had one hand on the phone, the other hand holding both leashes.  As my dog approached she paid no attention to him and told her dogs to keep moving.  My dog got in one sniff and they were still on the move.  His playful energy was completely neutralized by the woman’s strong assertive energy.  She was going to complete her mission and get through the park without any big dogs bothering her or her little ones.  She did it just the way Cesar would have done. 

It would be nice to have gotten it on video because it would have been a great dog training aid while reinforcing the dog whisperer methods.  It was the first time I have seen another person practice being the pack leader in person.  I have seen it on the Dog Whisperer Television show, read about it in books, and try to be a good pack leader myself but witnessing this event totally convinced me that dog training is all about energy.  I could feel it myself and my Pit Bull didn’t know what to do.  He was completely obedient and did not try to disrupt her pack. 

I already was a big believer in the methods Cesar teaches but this made me even more certain that it really is possible for our calm, assertive energy to have a major influence over our dogs.  If you are interested in doing what is best for your pack I would recommend watching the Dog Whisperer Show or go ahead and try the Cesar Millan DVD’s on dog training. 

Dogs and teeth Cleaning

There has been more and more concern about dogs teeth and a lot of talk about the best ways to keep them clean and healthy.  It is becoming more and more common for dogs to get their teeth cleaned at the Vet which was something was rarely done 20 years ago.  The theory is that the bacteria in the dogs teeth will spread to other areas of the body and cause illness.  Now teeth brushing is even fairly common among dog owners so the awareness of how important it is to keep your dogs teeth clean but people are much more hesitant to put the dog under anesthesia.  Even though the teeth cleaning procedure may seem fairly minor there is always the risk of complications when putting your anesthezing your pet. 

However, fortunately for those of us who have a little difficulty getting Fido to sit still while brush their teeth and who would rather not have their dog in for unnecessary surgery the standard procedure is lots of chew treats that hopefully will help reduce the tartar and plaque build up.  There are assortment of treats that can be good for your dogs but only if they are chewers.  If your dog doesn't like to chew on the raw hides or nylabones you can rely on milk bone biscuits.  If none of those do the trick you might have get your dogs teeth cleaned by the vet in order to prevent complications later in life. 

Dog teeth cleaning is one more good reason to always consider dental insurance as well.  Some insurance plans may cover certain preventative maintenance procedures like teeth cleaning or yearly check ups.  If you have more than one dog or cat you will definitely want to look into a couple of different types of insurance policies to keep the rising cost of pet care under control. 

Dog Whisperer technique for dog training

If you are interested in dog training you have to look into the dog whisperer Cesar Milan.  He is amazing with animals and has a unique approach to he says he rehabilitates people first to get them to see how their behavior is effecting their dog or dogs.  The philosophy is that it paramount to be the pack leader so you can interact with your dogs on their natural instinctual level. 

In order to be the pack leader you have to behave like the alpha dog.  The alpha dog is the boss and is the one that the other dogs look to for leadership and guidance.  This is natural behavior to the dogs and they are most at peace and comfortable when they are in the presence of a strong pack leader.  Dogs have evolved from wolves through natural selection and breeding and but they have many of the natural instincts of wolves deeply ingrained into their psyche.  This is why we have to be conscious of the ways of dogs and not treat them the same way we treat humans.  Dogs understand this natural hierarchy and unless there is a strong pack leader in their pack, which typically will be you and your pets, spouses and children etc, one of the dogs will want to fill that void. 

It is like a vacuum in nature.  It is always said that nature does not like a vacuum so the empty space is soon filled with something naturally.  The void in the dog pack come when there is no leader and one dog will instinctively move to fill that void and you will have a very confused and unstable household on your hands.   Dogs are social and pack animals and they will be part of your pack whether you have one dog or several.  The humans can be just as good of a pack leader as another dog and it is a must if you are going to have a stable dog and a stable household. 

There are several things you have to do to be a good pack leader and Cesar recommends the walk as the most important bonding exercise with your dog.  However, this can not be a walk where the dog pulls you up and down the street.  You have to walk with your dog like you are the pack leader and you must be able to channel your strong assertive energy in order to be in control. 

The calm assertive energy is what dogs respond to the best.  If you ever see a mother dog dealing with an unruly puppy you will get the point.  The mother dog reaches her breaking point but it only takes a calm and assertive grasp or bite on the scruff of the neck and the puppy usually gets the message that it is time to settle down.  It is quick and simple and has little aggression or aggressive energy behind the discipline.  This is a key for humans to understand when training their own dog.  It is difficult for the dog to understand what you are doing if you act out of frustration or anger.  If you raise your voice and try to discipline your pets with an aggressive or angry tone, you will be just confusing your dogs and causing them more undue stress.  Your energy will be mirrored by your dogs and if you are angry and aggressive you will be making it much harder for your dog to be calm and well adjusted.