Why You Need to Train Yourself Before Your Dog

In dog training, there's an old concept that says, quite simply, that the owner has to train himself before he can expect to train his dog. Why is this? Why can't you simply learn some techniques, a few commands, and expect your dog to know them and respond to them? Well, if you've ever owned a dog before, you know why: a dog has to respect your leadership before it agrees to be led. And if you're going to be a good leader in your "little pack," then you have to train yourself to be one. And that means training yourself to be a good pack leader.

First, understand that dogs respond to pack leaders. It doesn't really care if you're a dog or not - it will respond to commanding behavior from a human. If your dog is constantly aggressive, always lashing out, and frequently ignores your commands, it's safe to say that your dog doesn't respect you as a leader. Many dog owners would prefer to be friends with their dog. What they don't realize is that the dog sees this submissive behavior and begins to think that it is the leader. Who's the leader? You are, and that's why you need to train yourself to be one.

Second, you have to know how to be a pack leader. The first rule to establishing yourself as a leader is having a code of conduct for your dog. If your dog does something you don't like, do you simply yell at it, but never correct the behavior? The dog doesn't know what your words mean, so there's a good chance it will end up displaying the behavior again. However, if you have a code of conduct and your dog violates it, you should get up and correct the behavior - sometimes, simply standing or sitting up and being firm is enough. The bottom line is that your dog should know that you are willing to enforce certain standards of behavior.

A dog that sees it has limits with you will begin to understand that you are the leader. So you have to train yourself to be consistent. Only reward dogs after they have produced a behavior you want, and have done so calmly. Don't ever "bribe" a dog to do something - people bribe political leaders; is your dog a political leader? No. You're the leader in your house, and you get to say when the rewards are doled out: when actions have been completed to your satisfaction. Treat yourself like the leader, and the dog will follow. Then you can train the dog with less effort.

Photo Credits: Greencolander

This post involves:

bottom line, code of conduct, dog owners, Dog Training, dogs, good chance, leadership, pack leader, submissive behavior

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Dog Training, Tips for Dog Owners

Posted by Dog Training Pet on August 29, 2010 in Dog Training, Tips for Dog Owners. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.