Articles Dog Behavior
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| Dog Training-Be the Leader of the Pack |
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| Written by Webmaster | |
| Sunday, 14 October 2007 | |
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Be the leader of the Pack Dogs are pack animals and will behave according to their natural instincts even as part of a human family. Without dog training, most dogs will form bad habits. One undesirable habit is begging for both attention and food. Some caregivers accept this behavior and think it's cute, but most people get annoyed very quickly when their dog starts to beg every time he wants something. The dog may beg when he wants love, attention, or food when he smells something interesting cooking in the kitchen. So, what is wrong with begging? For starters, begging is another form of demanding and it gives your dog an aspect of control within the family "pack". You may not aware of it, but your dog views the family as a pack and the one with control is the leader. While some of the things your small puppy does such as roll over on his back expecting a belly rub every time you enter the room, or just sits all teary-eyed staring straight at your plate of food when you're eating dinner, this behavior can be irritating or even dangerous with an adult dog. Allowing your dog to be the leader of the pack can lead to discipline and aggression problems. Just how aggressive can a dog that is the pack leader become? If you do not think that your dog could ever possibly bite your hand because he expects you to give him food every time he begs, think again. For years a neighbor of mine would hand feed her puppy pieces of food whenever she was eating. In the morning, her dog would get a bit of egg or toast. At lunch time she would hand feed her dog a few bites of her sandwich. The same routine was repeated at dinner. Before too long, my neighbors dog matured and grew bigger, and she did not realize that she was reinforcing a dominant leadership role in their small "pack" every time she responded to her dog's begging. Once she decided to change this behavior with her dog, she learned immediately what a dangerous situation she had created. At one of her meals, my neighbor absolutely refused to feed her dog anything and the begging and crying turned into aggression and barking. Then suddenly, the dog leaped up onto her plate and snapped at the food, taking a little bit of my neighbors flesh with it. Begging can be eliminated with Proper Dog Training The above example may seem a bit extreme and you still probably could never imagine you're adorable dog biting you in the attempt to get food that he was expecting. However, the problem is real and you must start early in your puppy's life with instilling the rules when it comes to begging. During your meals, you need to train your dog to sit and stay in a specific area when the family is eating. The area may be in view of the family and you may need to crate the dog or teather him to the area to begin with. Eventually he will remain in a designated area until after your dinner is over and then of course you should praise his actions by offering him a meal that he can eat in his own food bowl. Remember, the pack leader eats first. If your family eats too late and it works best to feed the dog first. You can feed the dog earlier and offer a small healthy treat to the dog after the family meal. Taking time for dog training will be rewarding for both you and your dog. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 26 October 2007 ) |
