Leadership
While dogs are domesticated, to a certain degree they still have some of the instincts of their wild ancestors who lived in packs. Generally speaking, a domestic dog is a pack animal. The “top dog(s)” in the pack is the “alpha dog” and provides calm leadership and controls the resources. Lower ranking dogs look to the alpha for this leadership. Dogs submit to the alpha, not out of respect or a sense of duty (dog brains may not even have the capacity for these concepts), they submit to the alpha because it assists their survival and so, benefits them. And for a dog, survival is the name of the game.
A dog without a clear leader will attempt to become the leader because their instincts drive them to this. However, most domestic dogs make poor leaders because they are in a perpetual mental state of puppyhood, even when physically mature (this may be what allows us to keep them as pets). Therefore, a domestic dog who feels compelled to become the alpha, because there is no clear leader, will do a poor job of it. A domestic dog is most secure and happy when it has a leader and does not have to try and assume this leadership role itself.
You should be the leader in your “pack.” This assists your dog in feeling secure and happy and provides you with a more compliant pet. You are already in a great position to be the leader because you control the resources that allow your dog to live. You provide food, shelter, resting places, social interaction, toys and all the other things your dog likes and needs. In order to be the leader of your pack you should make your dog work for these resources! A simple rule is that your dog must “work to earn.” If your dog wants to earn dinner, make him sit first. If your dog wants to get up on the couch with you, make him shake hands first. No hand shake? Then don’t let him on the couch! “Spoil” your dog all you want (I encourage it), but do it is on your own terms.
For most pets “work to earn” does not need to be a hard and fast rule and you do not have to make your dog earn absolutely everything. Most dogs will not assume the role of dictator if you feed him a few times without making him earn it. You know your dog- do what is appropriate. Here are several examples of situations in which the “work to earn” rule can be applied:
- Meal time- Do not “free feed” your dog (“free feeding” means setting out a full bowl of food for your dog to snack on all day). It is recommended that dogs be fed at least twice a day to keep their blood sugar level up. Ask your dog to sit or respond to some cue before setting the food down.
- Letting your dog in or out of the house- ask your dog to “sit” or “wait” by the door first, then give him the release cue “okay.”
- Getting into or out of the car- teach your dog to “wait” and then give the release cue “okay.”
- Getting on the bed or furniture- ask your dog to respond to a cue first, then let your dog jump up.
- Playing with other dogs- again, ask your dog to respond to a cue first, then let him “go play!”
- Giving your dog a toy- again, ask your dog to respond to a cue, then let him have the toy. (In most cases this does not mean that you cannot let your dog have free access to toys. You can use the work to earn rule when giving your dog a new toy or when playing with your dog.)
The “work to earn” rule encourages “spoiling” your dog, but on your terms. The more things you give your dog that your dog really wants, the more opportunities you will have to apply the rule! Your relationship with your dog will improve and your dog will have the leadership and guidance he does best with.
You will notice that nowhere in this description of how to be a leader is there any physical tough stuff. A leader does not have to resort to physical coercion with pack members. Typically only lower ranking dogs will challenge slightly higher-ranking dogs to move up in rank- so the dog who fights is often a middle-ranking dog. Don’t send your dog the message that you are a lower-ranking dog by physically pushing your dog around. The “scruff shake” and “alpha roll,” advocated by some trainers as being how wolves communicate (thus, allegedly, how you should communicate with your domestic dog), is the result of poor observation and even poorer understanding of the differences between wolves and dogs (and wolves and people!). Dogs do not scruff shake each other to communicate dominance. Scruff shaking is a prey-killing behavior. It is how a terrier breaks a rat’s neck- by grabbing the rat’s neck and shaking it. Sometimes dogs will plays by grabbing each other’s necks, as well. And an alpha does not roll another dog over onto its back. A submissive dog will voluntarily flop over onto its back and expose its anguinal area. So just be a good leader and leave the wolf stuff to wolves and the dog stuff to dogs.
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