Last week we talked about marking, what it means, and how to eliminate it. In that same light, we’re going to look at canine behavior in the home.
When I was young,I was always told that dogs were like wolves. There is always an Alpha in the pack. An Alpha in a household would be the human in charge. You’re the boss, and the dog should be shown that you’re in charge with the use of techniques such as the Alpha Roll (Pinning the dog on it’s back) or Consequential Training (Punishment for not doing what you want). Now, research has shown the opposite. Wolves live in a social group. Wolves do not control their packs with aggression, rather they lead by providing food, protection, and guidance. It is not uncommon to see the adult male in the pack feed his young, going without food himself when food is scarce. When the pups grow, they do not fight the Alpha male for the top spot, they leave the pack, find a mate, and start their own.
We can draw the similarities to dogs in our households. We, as the leaders of our pack, provide the dogs with food and guidance. It’s up to us to make sure they get enough exercise and medical care, as well as the proper food for a healthy life. Of course it’s not always that simple, right? Some dogs like to take matters into their own paws. They are not content to sit around and wait for you to pay attention to them or take them for a walk. Instead, they will engage in behavior that may or may not be acceptable. The cause of this may be a lack of structure in the dogs life. Dogs can be like children. Structure makes them happy because they know what to expect. A dog left to himself with no guidance can become destructive or worse. So, what do you do to make the dog comfortable in his position? The old school of thought was to do things such as never letting the dog out the door before you. Insisting the dog walks next or behind you when on leash, never allowing the dog to lead the way. Feeding the dog last, not allowing him on the couch…or even worse, the bed…and never, ever, play tug of war with him…but if you do, make sure you win! Studies have now shown that these things don’t make any difference in how the dog perceives his status within his household. What does affect his perception is the fact that you are the one who provides his food. You are the one who takes him for a walk and allow him stop and “smell the roses”. You are the one he enjoys a good game of tug of war, and you are the one who invites him up on the couch where he gets ear scratches and tummy rubs. Your dog already looks up to you for so much so the best way to cement your relationship is to work on training. Basic obedience is a great start. Sit, stay, come, leave it and heal are fun exercises that provide the needed structure. Remember, positive rewards provide positive results. You will probably find that the more you do with your dog, the better your dog behaves in the house.