5 WAYS TO SHOW YOUR DOG YOU ARE IN CONTROL

Leadership is the most important factor in a dog's behavior. If your dog feels there is a lack of leadership, then they will try to take control. This can lead to reactivity, aggression, and fearful behavior, and you are unable to control them. Here are some tips you can use to show your dog that you are able to lead them through our world, which is not instinctual in the dog brain.

WORK FOR FOOD

Every person and dog are usually more balanced and fulfilled when they have a job to do. A popular trend, spoiling your dog, usually entails letting the dog lay around all day, and get treats just for being alive! We wonder why our dog’s behavior is bad because we give them everything. Everything but mental stimulation. I suggest that you teach your dog to sit, “done”, or “stay”, and make them perform these behaviors every time before they are fed and before giving them treats. This builds self-confidence in your dog because they know they have done a job correctly and are being rewarded. If we give food willy nilly, minding you is not their priority because they get the reward whenever they want.

PLACE

Dogs need to know where they belong in space. Giving your dog a place they belong calms them down, the job of staying put, and increases your leadership. They will look to you to know when to be released, or the next thing you will ask of them.

STRUCTURED PLAY

Playing with your dog is a great relationship builder. One of the most common issues I see is that a dog initiates the play, and we give in. This teaches the dog that if they get excited and bug you enough, you will give in. Play, just like treats, is a reward. In order to get the most out of play, start calmly and end calmly. You should make your dog sit, wait for calmness, and then begin to play. After playing, ask them to sit again, wait for calmness, and then give the dog a treat. They will learn that in order to play, they must follow your direction, wait for your cue, and then they get the reward of play. Dogs want to earn rewards, and playing with them when they get overexcited communicates to the dog that they are in charge, which can lead to unwanted behavior.

OWN EACH ENVIRONMENT

Let the dog know you are in control of every environment. Ever wonder why your dog obeys inside, but not outside? The issue is leadership. Before you enter any threshold (front door, bedroom door, kitchen door, kennel door, etc.), make the dog sit, you go first, and then have them follow. This will decrease your dog's tendency to look for things to react to in the environment and will look to you for direction in that environment. This includes when you step outside. Before you start walking, make the dog sit, calm down, and then continue.

REWARD THE STATE OF MIND

A calm dog is a healthy dog, with more self-control. Make sure to let them know what you want by treating this state of mind. Do not reward excitement, or you will breed excitement. Wait until your dog is calm, maybe even laying down, and then reward the dog. The dog will learn that you like that state of mind, and they will repeat what they get rewarded for.

TAKEAWAY

Your dog craves leadership. When you give them what they need, they will show you the behaviors you want. This is the way to build a better and healthier relationship with your dog.

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