It will be important to note that canines are predators and not prey. Keep this in mind as this is an essential fact in raising &/or living with dogs.
Pack animals (predators)
Herd animals (prey)
Although we are splitting hairs, Pack animals live by a different set of rules than Herd animals.
Pack animals live in a family and have a clear leader with lower ranking pack members. Dog packs, like wolf packs, are not a democracy. Every pack member needs to know their rank in order to live harmoniously.
Canines are predators & pack animals, this is a genetically undisputed fact.
Adding A New Canine To The Home Or Bringing A Puppy Home
When canines are added to a home of humans the canine will have to figure out where they stand in the hierarchy. This is especially true when a canine is added to a home that already has dogs because every dog must re-establish their hierarchy.
How Do I Ensure My Canine Recognizes Me As The Head Of The Pack?
I must establish myself as the Pack leader but what is a Pack leader?
Pack leaders are aloof, calm and confident. Fair in how they live with members. A dictator but a fair dictator that enforces rules that are well known in advance. They are expected to live by these rules and never falter from these rules.
A Pack leader is not a leader if they lose their temper, bullies the other pack members into compliance or does not act in a fair manner with regard to how they live with the other members.
Consider this,
Pack leaders eat first then leave and let the others eat, they do not come back repeatedly and “bully” the other pack members while they eat.
(Take note of how Marcie the Golden Canine breaks her stay only to be called back with a firm voice, NOTICE how she *listens* even though she did not want to. This is a perfect example of strong leadership in full effect)
When I think about what this statement means to me, I believe it demonstrates the aforementioned "fairness". All the pack members understand, because of the Manners /rules that have been consistently reinforced, that they must wait until the Pack leader is finished. They wait because if they try to eat before their time, their actions will incur a consequence. The pack members know this in advance and so they utilize their capacity to wait with patience. This demonstrates respect for the order, and the ability to cope with the stress of waiting for something they desire.
Although this example highlights food, I can apply it to any situation where my canine desires to do what they want but wait until I give them the"go ahead" to do so.
What Is A Bully?
Traditionally a bully is an individual that will single others out unfairly and torment them. True, I am using "bully" in a similar sense but I think in the context of dog training we can add some range to this term.
If I am a bully towards my canine this means I am confusing & inconsistent, at times I may allow certain things to happen like;
Jumping on me without asking for it
Eating off of my plate at the table
Getting on the couch without an invitation
At other times I may become infuriated and give my dog recourse because I think they should understand the context of the situation. Yelling at them or wacking them because they did something that, just yesterday, was perfectly ok & we were happy about it!
In the situation mentioned above there is no warning, no understanding of the rules/manners in advance, just an abrupt and confusing change of expectations.
This is what being a bully is in the canine world. (If I see another dog act this way to its peers I consider this to be bullying too & should be corrected).
Being a bully destroys our relationship with canines.
We must create a consistent pack structure by utilizing Doggie Manners which may be found in our blog section. A lack of pack structure is how problems brew, whether it is aggression towards other dogs, shyness, fear, disobedience in or out of the house. The list could go on however the point is that it is necessary to establish ourselves as a fair, consistent, and caring Pack leader in order to circumvent these potentials.
Please check out our post on Manners !
& remember, It is never too late to begin!
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