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Start Your Puppy off Right
For your puppy to grow into a healthy, balanced dog, you must demonstrate leadership from day one.
New puppy owners often make the mistake of endlessly worrying about finding the right puppy treats or bed. They spend little or no time worrying about how or what they will teach their new puppy.
Yes, a puppy needs nutritious food and a safe, warm place to live. But another equally powerful and important biological necessity is the need for a strong pack leader to serve as the dominant source of alpha energy in their lives.
Puppies are naturally hard-wired to follow a pack leader. A pack leader is, by definition, strong, stable and consistent; traits many new puppy owners forget around their dogs. I have had clients who are strong leaders in their jobs, but, when they come home, they turn to mush with their dogs. Then they come to me, puzzled as to why their dog won’t behave.
Puppies sense our confidence levels and will take control if they perceive us as weak. When dogs or puppies take control, bad behaviors, such as excessive barking, leash-pulling, or anxiety, will develop.
The most important thing you can do is to become your puppy’s pack leader. This role doesn’t begin when your dog is six months old or when he’s bad. For your puppy to grow into a healthy, balanced dog, you must demonstrate leadership from day one.
Here are some important points to remember in your role as pack leader:
When getting a new pet, make sure to set aside time every day to provide mental exercise by maintaining rules, boundaries and limitations. When these needs are met, the affection you give to your dog will be channeled as a reward.
Create a schedule that includes a daily 45-minute power-walk in the morning. This is critical for your dog’s health, both physical and mental.
Enlist your whole family in the process of bringing a new dog home. Discuss what their responsibilities will be before the puppy arrives.
Make sure you find a breed that fits your lifestyle. For example, more active breeds, like hunting and herding dogs, require more physical exercise to stay physically and mentally content.
Always walk out the door ahead of your dog when leaving the house. This will show your dog who is in the leadership role.
On walks, make sure that your dog is not in front of you, pulling you down the street. Instead, keep your dog to your side or behind you. This will also demonstrate to your dog that you are the alpha figure.
Give the puppy something to do before you share food, water, toys or affection. This way the dog earns his treat. For example, have your puppy perform the Sit or Down command.
Set aside a budget for unexpected circumstances, like medical bills and training classes. A healthy, well-trained dog makes a wonderful pet.
A puppy will be set up to fail if his new family doesn’t learn these lessons before he arrives. Remember, puppies don’t crave a fancy treat or bed; they need you to become their stable pack leader to demonstrate love in a way they understand.
Sources: Puppy Training Tips Mastering the walkOther links for training tips: Puppy TrainingHouse Breaking your new pupDog Training AdviseLinks to Training_____________________________________________________________________________________ Collar-and-Leash Tips for Mastering the WalkMany dog owners have trouble controlling their dogs on walks, particularly larger dogs, some of which weigh more than their owners! This may seem like an impossible challenge, but it's really as simple as using your leash and collar correctly.
You always want to exit the house first while your dog is sitting. That way you let them know who is in charge right off the bat. Always make sure your dog is walking right beside, or behind you. If they try to pull in front of you, correct them with a tug to the side and stop walking. Don't start again until they are calm and sitting. It may take a few tries but it shouldn't be long before you are walking without the dog pulling on the leash.
1. Remember, the strongest area of a dog's neck is the lower part, so don't leash there. If you watch an Alaskan sled dog pulling a load, you'll see that the harness fits low, around the base of the neck, at the shoulder. That's because the lower part is where the dog has the most control, and where all the pulling strength of the dog is concentrated. But on a walk, having the collar on this lower part is detrimental; doing so actually facilitates your dog's ability to pull you around, which is exactly what you don't want.
2. Instead, attach the leash to the very top of the neck. This is the most sensitive part, so it takes very little effort to communicate, guide, and correct your dog from here. Holding the leash in that position also raises your dog's nose away from the ground, redirecting him from distractions, and creates a more positive learning experience and a more natural way for the dog to give you control on the walk. Always, of course, keep your dog's safety in mind when giving corrections. |
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