Leadership Do's & Don'ts

Dogs need to have a leader to look up to.

Think back to the leaders you most admired. Were they quiet and sure of themselves, fair and firm, predictable, taking care of their subordinates and giving credit where credit was due? Or were they loud, pushy, autocratic, unpredictable, self-centered, ad nauseum? If you are like me, your most admired leaders were of the first type.

Dogs have the same preferences about who they would enjoy being led by -- unfortunately, they don't get to choose their owners. You can be a good leader too.

DO control the things your dog wants, such as food, treats, play, toys, access outside, access to other dogs, kids or people. Your dog needs to know that all good things come from you because in their mind the one who controls the resources is the leader.  Hey, you must be some kind of god.
          DON'T "self-feed" your pets. Not only does it make it less clear
          who is sharing the resources, it also means it may take longer for
          you to realize when your dog is not eating and may be ill.

DO teach your dog acceptable and calm greeting behavior (for yourself, other family members, guests, and strangers) using rewards.
          DON'T set your dog up to fail by giving him more freedom than he
          can handle, then you won't be coming home to see what damage
          he's done "this time".

DO actively reinforce the good behaviors your dog does, which are so often ignored (is it any wonder the dog resorts to attention getting misbehavior).
          DON'T discourage misbehavior without having first decided
          what behavior you want to replace it with; idle paws abhor a
          vacuum. Teach the replacement behavior.

DO teach your dog with rewards to move or get off furniture when you cue it.
          DON'T pester him with getting off furniture or moving just to "show
          him who's boss".

DO teach your dog how to play interactive games with you that have special toys, specific rules and an established ending cue.
          DON'T let children play these games with the dog and don't let
          children play with the dog unsupervised.

DO teach your dog to surrender his toys on cue and reinforce him when he does. Part of the reinforcement can be returning the toy in addition to the goodie.
          DON'T react to instances of "object guarding" (food, toys, bones,
          furniture) with force, instead seek advice from a reward based
          dog training instructor.

DO teach your dog to pay attention to you and work on getting a longer attention span.
          DON'T challenge your dog with more distraction than he can
          handle, instead take the time to train him (gradually) to perform in
          distracting settings.

DO teach your dog to wait at doorways.
          DON'T do this to show who is boss, but rather for her safety
          and yours.

DO teach your dog that he doesn't need to have your attention all the time.
          DON'T set your dog and yourself up for a lifetime of separation
          anxiety.

DO teach your dog to settle on cue and to be comfortably accepting (even enjoying) of touch on all parts of his body.
          DON'T blame the dog for getting "out of control" when you haven't
          taught him how to behave better.

DO give your dog plenty of attention, affection, exercise, and good grooming.
          DON'T blame your dog for being a dog, instead teach him to be
          your perfect dog.