Do your dogs fight over food?

I have heard many people talk about their dogs as such beautiful, loving and loyal dogs until they get to the subject of feeding.  Often the look of terror comes in to their as as they think about dinner time for their puppies.  For some reason this is a common problem in households with more than one dog.  The strange thing is that it happens even when the dogs have been raised by one family and have always had ample food to eat. 
It is easy to understand how aggression can be an outcome if dogs are deprived of food or have had to fight to get enough food.  But for some reason even well fed and well nurtured dogs become food aggressive to the point of fighting with their pack members.  Some food aggressive dogs may even nip at their owner.  Of course this is not a good sign if your dog is threatening you, the pack leader, with exposed teeth and growls no matter what they are protecting. 

This is behavior that need to be addressed as soon as possible regardless of the dog may be protecting their food.  It can lead to dangerous situations down the road if anyone tried to come between the dog and food.

One way to address the issue is to place multiple bowls of food out.  You don't want to put more food out but just divide it up into several bowls if you have 2 or more dogs.  This will often relieve some of the tension from the dogs knowing that their are more places to eat.  This is the best way to start because it is a very simple solution.  If this doesn't work then we go on to plan B but I think this will solve the problem most of the time.

GET A GUIDE TO DOG SYMPTOMS FROM PETPLACE IS HERE

Be Pack Leader and Still Love your Dog

Be Pack Leader and still love your dog. 

You can be pack leader and still feel as though you are being kind and loving to your dog.  By being a good pack leader you will be making life more enjoyable and less stressful for all of your pets.  Dogs are born to follow a calm-assertive pack leader.  We are the given that role by default since we are the dog’s owner.  However, just because we are given this role, it doesn’t necessarily mean we know how to fill those shoes. 

Bobo

Most of the time people expect dogs to come home and automatically wish for a pet that will be obedient, loyal, loving and affectionate immediately.  It usually doesn’t happen without a setting some rules and boundaries.  In order to have a stable dog, stable pack and to Be Pack Leader it is important to set the tone that you are the top dog.  You show you are pack leader by being calm-assertive and by always considering the welfare of your pack.  This behavior will go a long way toward building trust with your dog.  You want to build trust with your dog and through trust you will be building a mutual respect for each other.  This also is the way to create a great bond with you pack.  Dogs want to follow and we just have to lead the way for them.  

Bobo and Sammy after a swim

Bringing home a puppy is no small challenge. If you have other dogs at home it is always a little nerve racking to bring home another one.  On occasion some dogs are not overly accepting of the new pack member.  This happens a lot if you have had only one dog for several years.  Dogs get used to flying solo and they get used to being the sole attention getter as well.  But with your guidance and acceptance you can have everyone getting along just fine.  The most important part is to remain the calm-assertive leader expecting that everyone will get along well.  

If you want to be pack leader it is up to you to keep these things that you should keep in mind as you work and play with your dogs.

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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. 

Rescue a Dog and learn to be the pack leader

These dogs get their own couch.

Many dogs that are up for adoption are not bad dogs but they need to have a strong pack leader.  Rescuing or adopting a dog from the shelter can be a very rewarding experience if you are willing to do what it takes to be a leader of the pack.

 You have to keep in mind having a dog is not that much different from having young children.  You have to spend time with your dog everyday, make sure they get exercise everyday, make sure they have food and water everyday and you can't go on vacation unless you take the dog with your or find a dog sitter.  You will have to spend time training them and working with them if they are young or old.  You will have to work hard to be a good pack leader. 

You will not have complete freedom in your life and you will have to sacrifice some things in order to be a good pack leader.  Dogs take a lot of time and a serious commitment and once you take the dog with you, both you and the dog deserve a fair chance to become good pack members.  One of the worst things you can do is to take a dog home for a few days and change your mind.  You have to be prepared to stick it out and to accept the responsibility that comes with having a dog.  Dogs deserve a chance to have a good home. 

Bobo in one of her favorite shady spots

It is very important to realize that the problems you have with your dog will likely have to do with how you interact with the dog.  The dogs will follow you if your are a good pack leader and have the calm-assertive energy that dogs understand.  Usually this takes time and a lot of practice on your part.  Dogs are receptive and want to learn.  They understand rules and boundaries because this has been their way of life in pack for thousands of years. 

As the pack leader you will be responsible for acting like a pack leader and be sure the pack is doing well.  Please adopt a dog from a local shelter.  Just keep in mind that you will probably have to change a few things about yourself in order to be a good pack leader. 



If you getting dog you should know that it will be a great way to evaluate your own personality and energy.  You will have to become more aware of your energy state and be sure to learn how to project calm-assertive energy that is needed to be a good pack leader.

Normal Dog Behavior, despicable human behavior on The Dog Whisperer

  Watching the show The Dog Whisperer today I have seen something that was both good and disturbing at the same time.  Cesar was called on to help a woman and her dog that have moved back in with the woman’s mother.  It was clear from the consultation that this was going to be trouble because the anger and passive aggressive energy was running deep.  I could see the tension in the house between the mother and daughter with 30 seconds.  I could actually feel it coming through the screen.  This dog had no chance of being in a calm-submissive state unless her owner made drastic changes to her behavior.  She was clearly self-centered and self-righteous while showing little will to do what was best for her dog and the household.  It became clear that she was not willing to make the effort or to accept the responsibility of being a dog owner. 

Cesar even said he cut the consultation short because of the tension between the mother and daughter.  I could see the daughter was domineering and angry but the mother was not able to express her repressed anger about the entire situation.   It was classic case of enmeshment and a classic case of the angry daughter coming home to live with her mother who was clearly not happy about having a new roommate.    

The daughter brought her rescue dog into the home and blamed her mother for her dog’s behavior.  She said her dog misbehaved because her mother’s dog was a Prima Dona.  It was a bit disheartening to see her reactions because she was just verifying what I already knew about her. 

It was going to be the dogs fault, the mother’s fault, or the grandson’s fault but never her fault as the dog owner.  I could tell the daughter was never going to take responsibility for her behavior enough to give her dog a good home. 

It was very disturbing to think of how easily she was willing to take the dog back.  She tried within days of adopting her but thankfully the shelter talked her out of it.  She made the reference that the people at the shelter made her feel guilty so she kept the dog.  It was disgusting behavior if you ask me and it was clear that this woman needed a psychologist, not a dog whisperer.   Of course she didn’t realize what she needed so she blamed it on her dog and fortunately for the dog, she called on Cesar. 

It was one of the few times when it is clear from Cesar’s statement about the consultation that he knew this was not a good situation.  I watched in horror as Cesar returned for a check up and they woman was talking about taking the dogs teeth out so they would not have to worry about it biting.  If this wasn’t bad enough she also said she was considering putting the dog to sleep.  I was disgusted.  I could not believe someone could be so irresponsible and self absorbed to think about putting a dog to sleep because they couldn’t accept responsibility for their negative energy that was affecting the dog. 

This was one of the nastiest and cruel people I have ever seen on the Dog Whisperer Show.  A few times there have been people there were completely out of touch with how their behavior was affecting the health of their pack.  However, this was the most disturbing, cruel and horrible human behavior I have ever seen on the show.

Cesar seemed a bit shocked at the thought of removing the dog’s teeth to solve the problem and thankfully he stepped in and offered to take the dog and find a new home for her after a stay at the rehabilitation center.  You could see that he was very confident that the dog was going to be just fine in short period of time.  They showed how the dog was doing at the rehabilitation center and at Cesar’s home and she was having a good time being a dog and was ready to be adopted by a good, knowledgeable family. 

It was the best of both worlds on this episode of the Dog Whisperer.   The despicable behavior of one human and the generous behavior of another had been clearly revealed on a show that is supposed to be about dogs. 

The show often reveals just how intertwined human psychology is with dog psychology.  Of course this was an episode that lets us know, again, that dogs are more receptive healthy energy than most people. 

Being a Calm-assertive Pack Leader can be good for everyone

Being the Calm-assertive pack leader can be a lot of fun.  Your time spent with your dogs will be so much more rewarding if you can become the pack leader by practicing calm-assertive behavior.  If you become the pack leader by using other methods you can be the pack leader.  Your dogs will not have the respect for you that they would have if your energy was in the proper place. 

This is very important to understand.  If you have read this far or searched the internet and are still reading this article you probably are very devoted to your dogs.  You probably were looking for information that would help your dogs live a calm, stable and happy existence.  Most people, I think, have good intentions when they take in a rescue dog or when they adopted a puppy. 

People have many different stories to tell about how they ended up with their dogs but it usually seems to have something to do with how cute they puppy was or they couldn’t let another dog be euthanized.  The popularity of the Dog Whisperer show would lead us to believe that people are becoming more aware the extreme over crowding at dog shelters across the country.  

There is really no need for puppy mills or such a large number of breeders in the USA.  It is tragic that we are putting dogs down every single day of the year in the hundreds and thousands because people couldn’t deal with keeping them.  I would not be bothered a bit if there was a moratorium put on dog breeding for a couple of years.  I know some people to this for their full time living but breeding dogs should be illegal.  We don’t need to be killing more dogs at the shelters because someone wanted to have papers to go with their new puppy.  The breeding of dogs is a complete manipulation of the species to make sure people feel like their dog is better than the neighbors.

There about putting down so many dogs that could be great dogs if they were given the chance.  By making your commitment to becoming a calm-assertive pack leader, you are doing something that will help reduce over crowding at the local shelters.  The more we can get people to connect with their pets on a different level by using the calm-assertive dog training techniques we will be reducing the likelihood of people taking their dogs to the shelter out of frustration and anger. 

As people get in touch with their more subtle forms of communication as they work on being good pack leaders they will be amazed at the joy of projecting calm-assertive energy.  They will be doing what is right for the dogs and they will be doing what is right for them.  Their new found energy will begin to make significant changes in the rest of their lives as they become a better top dog. 

Being a calm-assertive pack leader means that we are living more in line with the natural energy of the universe.  Being good pack leader is a great launching pad for us all.  If we can master our emotions while training our dogs will be on the path to changing our energy.  Our dogs will sense this and give you more and more respect and the universe will be more in harmony all areas of your life.

Discovering the Power of Calm-Assertive Behavior and being the Pack Leader

Discovering the Power of Calm-Assertive Behavior and how it can make you the Pack Leader. 

The phrase Calm-assertive behavior is more than a term that is used to help you train your dog.  It also is a phrase that has the power to transform your future.  Our dogs give us a chance to learn the power of calm-assertive behavior on a daily basis.  Our goal to have a better, more satisfying relationship with our dog, gives us the perfect opportunity to create a better, more satisfying life as we develop our power.  We develop our power by using calm-assertive behavior, by increasing our self esteem, self confidence, positive intention.  All of these “power” building methods are what will turn us into great pack leaders. 

“Dog Psychology” is actually a study in human psychology.  If we can understand dogs and pack behavior we can see how important intuition and calm-assertive behavior are in nature.  If we translate this into more calm-assertive behavior our intentions will begin to change as well. 

If you want a great dog, you need to become great at being projecting calm-assertive energy, increase your self esteem, and develop your intuition.  Once you begin to make these changes in your behavior you will see significant changes in your surroundings.  Your life will change for the better in all ways and your dog will be more willing to follow you as a calm-assertive pack leader.  Your dog will give you the proper feed back that will let you know you are living with positive intentions.  It will be very clear when they begin to respect you as the pack leader. 

Dogs show us some of the wonderful personality traits that we all tend to suppress as we get overly busy.  The world we live in places little value on play, relaxation, and fun.  Our admiration for the go-getters and the type A crowd have given us the impression that calm-assertive behavior is something to be sought by Tibetan monks.  We have lost our connection with the inner most workings of the soul as our intuition has been tucked neatly away into the recesses of our subconscious mind.  If we are going to be the pack leader we have to shift our thoughts and intentions in a way that focuses more on the power of our intentions.  The pack leader needs to lead with powerful intention.  This sends out the right energy that is easy for our dogs to follow. 

Be the Pack Leader!