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| Does your dog work for his paycheck? |
How You can Become Your Dog’s Benevolent Leader
We
all strive for peaceful and respectful relationships with our dogs. In order for that relationship to remain in
balance, one of you must be the benevolent leader in the relationship. A dog
will gladly work to earn his paycheck (the rewards) from his benevolent leader
if that leader provides consistent and fair leadership.
Establishing
your leadership does not require physical methods or a daily battle of wills. It requires wrapping your hands around their
minds, not their bodies. By instituting
a daily practice of asking your dog to do something in order to get what he
wants, you can maintain a balanced relationship where you are the benevolent
leader and your dog a willing, respectful follower.
You
must first teach your dog some simple commands and/or tricks such as “Sit”, “Down”,
“Paw” or “Shake”, “Wait” or whatever else you wish to teach your dog. Once your dog has learned how to successfully
respond to your command(s) you can use those commands to institute this
program. Remember to use a firm (but not
angry) tone of voice when giving commands.
It
is very important that you - the benevolent leader - must control your dog’s
resources such as food, treats, toys, walks, petting or any other attention. Anything
that is valuable to your dog can be used as the “paycheck” they receive for
successfully completing their “work”, i.e., appropriately responding to
your commands.
The
formula is simple:
You
give a command + your dog successfully
responds (i.e., works for you) = you
provide the paycheck!
Use this simple formula in your every
day life. With consistent practice your dog will realize
that you are the giver of all good things if he works with you.
Here
are some good examples:
Mealtime: Ask your dog for a “Sit” and you may put the food
bowl down after the dog sits.
Doors: Ask your dog for a “Wait” or a “Sit-Wait” at the
doorway. Go through the door then call
your dog to follow. The leader should
control entrances and exits. Also, ask
your dog for a “Sit” before getting attention from any guests that may come
through the door.
Play/Toys: Ask your dog for a “Sit” or “Down” before throwing
the ball or playing any other game. You should start and end all games. If your dog nudges or barks at you to
initiate play, ask them first to “Down” before starting the game. Make
sure there are rules for all games, particularly tug-of-war. Rules
should include “teeth never touch human skin” and any violation of the rules
automatically ends the game.
More Simple Training Tips:
http://cairnrescue.blogspot.com/2014/07/simple-training-tips-for-your-rescued.html
Eva
