Weekly Wednesday #6 Are you in charge?

ARE YOU IN CHARGE??

Everything has structure. From organizations, buildings, our bodies, the animal kingdom, ecosystem, to relationships. Think of your family, what roles or responsibilities do each member play? Children are normally responsible for their toys, keeping them in place. Moms responsibilities can range from finances, kids, house, dad and work. And the list goes on. How does this apply to canine? Simply put: Dogs with no leadership are stressed! If you do not show yourself a steady leader, your canine will assume leadership. Good leadership can prevent common stress-related behaviour because your canine will know your consistent, steady expectations. We often unknowingly encourage our dogs to take the lead, how? - allowing them to sleep in our bed. - overflowing food bowl - giving treats with no expectations. - free attention /petting - coming and going as they please DO NOT LOSE HOPE! Re-ranking is possible, but you must be patient. This is a process. We have treated them like royalty in areas that we should not. Implementing these leadership exercises can help change the current mindset of your dog. 1. "NO FREE LUNCH" Policy: No treat (actual petting, attention, or food) for "just being cute" - as my Mentor would say. Before treating, give a known command (or three). Think about it, what must you do in life to be rewarded? Are you given treats for your cuteness alone? Example: Shy dogs blossom when you treat for them obeying the simple "come" command. Requiring your dog to sit as you put the leash on and take it off. This policy can be incorporated into your daily routine. 2. Leaders are FIRST, even through doorways: Does your dog crowd your feet at the door? This can be dangerous for the both of you. Here is an exercise to try: Before taking your dog on a walk, create an imaginary line about 3-6 inches from the door (he cannot cross this line), give the sit-stay command. (Please remember to say "good" to the babies for obeying, they need to know when they get it right so THAT is the behavior they repeat.) Walk to the door, if your dog is still sitting " good " if not, start over. Yes, tedious work. Slowly open the door, if he gets up, quickly close the door say "no" or "eh-eh" and start over. Your dog will soon get the restructuring idea. Be patient. Take it slow. Exercises should be done in spurts, assertively, and calmly. Never in a aggressive manner. There are many other exercises you can try implementing. My suggestions were derived from the following: Www.animalbehavior.net Www.petadvisor.com Www.cesarsway.com Www.animalbehaviorcollege.com HAPPY TRAINING! #DOGS#TRAINANDPLAY #RESCUE #ADOPT #GETACTIVE #VOLUNTEER #RESCUE #TRAINING #DOGTRAINER #DOGGONEFUN