Dogs are creatures of habit, creating boundaries around your house are an excellent way to enforce your rule and make it routine.

Making rules like no dashing out the door or making the dog sit patiently before you put the leash on will set you up for a patient dog and a good walk experience. Many people will put the dog on the leash while it is bouncing off its front paws, then it pulls them out the door like a husky in the sled races. Ask yourself this...where did you ever have control of the dog?! The dog pulled YOU out of the house, now the outside is his domain, so he will handle everything as he sees fit. He is your leader.

You cannot let your dog make the rules, even something small like deciding when to get affection from you. I have seen this time and time again, while someone sits on the couch the dog will come to the owner and slither its head underneath the forearm and flick it up saying "Hey you! Pet me!" the owner unconsciously starts petting the dog. Guess what the dog just made you do something by telling you to, next he will attempt to make you jump through hoops, all without giving you treats or rewards, all in a pack leaders day of work!. 

Last thing you want to create is a needy dog. We can also create separation anxiety this way. A dog who is whining is not crying because he cannot live without you, if you examine this behavior most separation anxiety all comes down to one thing for the dog “the ability to control you”. You only solidify the behavior further when you answer. A dog that demands your presence at every moment has been spoiled to think that he controls you, because you have caved in and let the puppy out of the crate because it was crying, came back to pet your dog and tell him it’s okay when he was whining for you to come back, never allowing the animal to build confidence or time to itself. Affection at the wrong times, only nurtures this state of mind in a dog. After years of nurturing this behavior when the puppy is now a dog and it has uncontrollable separation anxiety, cannot be left alone or else it destroys the house. Start off on the right foot to prevent this you will be glad you did. I know a puppy is cute and a very exciting experience when it first comes into the household, but, in order to live with a balanced dog we cannot try to fulfill ourselves emotionally by a dog.

(Having stated this some dogs will be more prone then others to these behaviors because of their genetic disposition.)

CRATE TRAINING

Creating a den, like a crate with a comfy blanket or an area where the dog will relax is a great way to prevent some issues like anxiety or neediness, as you and your family sit at the table you can put the dog in the den area and put it into a lie down and stay while your family eats or watches TV. However make sure the den area from the time your dog is a puppy will be a place of peace and represent tranquility. Don't ever force your dog into the crate or close the door to confine it while it is unsettled. You will be contradicting the idea of the den. Make sure when your puppy first arrives you take it for a walk to burn some energy while on the leash (with no pulling) Take it into your house, but with same rules that will apply later on in the dogs life, no dashing through the door, you will ask the puppy to come in on your terms, decide where it can go, create this relationship right away so there is no struggles later. Entice the puppy to walk into his crate (den). Let it lie down with the crate door open when it is calm shut the door half way, then fully. You are now on your way to creating a comfy peaceful den. Sooner then later your puppy will be going into his den when it needs a break or sleep from all the commotion in the household. This will be his alone time, which I believe is crucial for a dog.  Once this is achieved we can use the den to create a calm dog when we have guests that are walking through the door, we can place the puppy in its den with the door open in a stay command. The puppy can come out and greet the people when you decide. The dog should never be an annoyance to your guests nor should it invade their space.

Some thoughts on guarding behaviors. Now a dog that is running the fence line in the back yard, barking or growling at the window by the front door should be considered dominant behaviors. It is fine if you want your dog to alert you when there is a passer by or someone at the door, but, when you give the command for quiet this should tell the dog you have the situation under control, there is no threat and you will handle it. A dog that controls the front door usually controls the household”. 

START OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW:

From the first day you bring a puppy home you need to assert yourself as a leader. We need to be clear what we expect from the dog, assert ourselves in the new relationship from day one  and teach the dog how we expect them to behave.

- Always be calm, focused and fair.

- Never correct your dog with anger or frustration.

- Food is a powerful enforcer

- Only enter a situation when the dog is Calm, submissive and not in a reactive state.

Wether it is approaching a person, meeting a dog, entering your home or your car. Do not let the dog lead (pull)you into the situation or it will try to control that situation. Only proceed to the stimuli when the dog is collected, calm and you are in control.

- Get a solid foundation in obedience to have control over your dogs will. The more your dog listens to you, the more you will trust it, this means more freedom for the dog because you are confident, you always have control in any situation.

Remember, If your dog doesn't listen to you, chances are it does not respect you.

- You choose when to give the dog affection, make your dog work for it and only give affection to the dog when it is in a good state of mind, never in panic, fear or aggression.

DOGS AND WOLVES

This article is meant to act as a component to an important lesson we have to learn in order to co-exist with the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) by learning the habits of it's ancestor the wolf.

Wolf have developed a reputation that really exceeds them, creeping through our childhood bedtime stories they have an undeserved reputation for being a bloodthirsty man eating carnivore with a lonesome nature. This couldn't be further from the truth.A wolf always has a yearning to be a part of something larger and is never a lone animal, rather a pack animal.

Wolfs are very social animals and affectionate in their nature, they care for one another and can become depressed for months when loosing a pack member, they are truly a well balanced caring  family. First we need to know that the pack is stabilized by one leader the "Alpha Male" and this position has nothing to do with age or size, rather this is an innate force that drives the alpha to be.

Now on the polar opposite of the the Alpha is the Omega the lowest ranking member of the pack, which is part scapegoat for aggression and part clown that initiates play and lightens the mood in the pack.

Not an outcast by any means, but always at the bottom of the pack order. Low rank is always made the most clear at  meal time and the Omega always eats last.

Although everyone in the pack must have permission to eat from the alpha they are not forced to watch from afar like the Omega.

Common power struggles tend to be sorted at meal times(rank reduction or moving up in rank through discipline of other members). Wolfs display their dominance through eyes, ears, mouth, tail, body and even voice. Pups instinctively recognize the dominance of an adult and submit to them by laying on their back with their chest and belly exposed. We can spot social dominance in a puppy through curiousness, confidence and focus.

In the wild only the Alpha male and Alpha female are allowed to mate so the strongest survive in their lines.

The wolf and the dog are unquestionably related and very closely matched in behavior which I believe can be used to act as a guide to why a dog looses it's balance when living with a human.

We have an immediate role to fulfill as the Alpha and we need to mimic the role when bringing a dog into our lives. Being Calm,  Focused, confident and fair is what we must project and be as a leader.

Every member in your family will be in the pack so you must quickly initiate a hierarchy right when the puppy is brought into your home to avoid power struggles in the future. We need to fulfil this natural need of the dog to sustain it's happiness. Humanizing dogs has become a tradition throughout the world and can lead to unpleasant behaviors. Your dog looks to you for acceptance and if you let it, it may become the Alpha and run your household (pack). We must understand this in order to have a well balanced relationship with our canine friend, or what should be a joyful and rewarding experience can turn into a frantic unpleasant annoyance.

written by

Lucas Mucha