 |
| A drag lead is strongly recommended for at least the first two weeks your new dog is in your home, and maybe longer, to prevent potential trouble and give you easy control when needed. |
Why Leadership is Important
Before
you bring a new dog home, it's important that you understand that your new dog
must accept you as the leader - in all
things - in order for there to be peace and harmony in the home. First
and foremost, you must be Alpha in your new dog’s eyes, i.e., the All-Powerful
Leader and Provider of All Good Things. Being
Alpha does not mean you must be domineering or that your dog is supposed to
think you're a dog! It is ludicrous to even suggest that!
Being Alpha simply means your dog sees you and respects you as the Leader, the entity who controls all of the things of value: food, toys,
furnishings, doors – everything!
The messages you put out the first
few days are vital to your ultimate success with your new dog. Think
ahead about how you are going to introduce the new dog to your home, your
family, and your routines. If you can
visualize exactly how you will do things, every act will flow much more
naturally when you have your new dog in your arms or at the other end of the
leash.
If your dog feels secure that you
know what you’re doing, you will have harmony in the home. To
be a good, effective leader, you must provide clear communication to your dog in
every situation, so it is entirely up to you - the human - to see the world
through their eyes and think like a dog, not the other way around.
 |
| A drag lead is simply a short lead (maybe 4 or 5 feet long) that is attached to your dog’s harness at all times. |
The Magic of a Drag Lead
It
is always best to Start at the Beginning!
For the first two weeks minimum, you should have a drag lead
attached to your New Cairn’s harness, inside your home and outside, in a
securely fenced area.
A
drag lead is simply a short lead (maybe 4 or 5 feet long) that is attached to
your dog’s harness at all times. Simple, yet it can seem almost magical
because it communicates to your dog that you are the leader. The first time you calmly step on a drag
lead to gain control over a situation, your new dog will “get” the message.
If
there is a problem, the drag lead allows you to take control of the situation
without putting your Cairn in a position where it feels the need to defend
itself. Remember, you are a Leader, not an adversary! If you reach for your new Cairn under a piece
of furniture, you are invading their space and may rightly invite a defensive
growl (or other defensive behavior), but if you calmly step on the lead and
maneuver it toward you so you can pick it up in a non-threatening manner, you
are in a much better position to coax the dog out of it’s “safe” spot, redirect
the dog’s energies, and restore the leadership balance.
A
drag lead gives you power (Alpha) and
a measure of control, and it helps you avoid situations where you ask for a
behavior but have no way to ensure that you can make it happen without asking a
2nd time (which you should
never do!). “Come!” is a great
example. In the beginning, it is really
best to calmly step on the lead, pick it up, and then say, “Come!” where you
can easily reel the dog in, ready to give a nice treat as soon as the action
has been achieved.
How much you need to use the drag lead will vary
from dog to dog, depending on their level of fear or sense of entitlement
(i.e., they think they should be
Alpha!), but you will be well served, no
matter what, if you attach a drag lead for at
least two weeks – and maybe longer.
More to Think About from the Whole Dog Journal
Blog:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to share your thoughts and stories with us!