248.Make a framework of attitudes,standards, and actions. It is a proactive way of making sure your dog will be the best dog he can be. Without a proper leadership protocol, you are leaving your dog’s mental development to chance and hoping all will turn out for the best. The needs of your dog change from stage to stage. Using this information, we propose that the framework for the leadership protocol will never be dismantled, only adjusted based on your dog’s changing needs.
Effective Leaders Understand Their Role
249.All dogs need leadership. When you brought your dog into your home, you may not have even known you had to be a leader. However, without clear leadership your dog will gradually become insecure and attempt to assume the role. Not all dogs will completely melt down, but these insecurities because of a lack of leadership may manifest themselves in a variety of different ways (see chapter 12).
250.A key issue is that our roles may be in direct opposition. They need a strong leader, we want a companion. The activities associated with these roles are incongruous and may cause confusion in our dogs if we don’t take the leadership role.To be an effective leader we must be more respectful of what our dogs need from us and put the role we want them to play in the back seat.
251.To be an effective leader you must learn to view things from your dog’s eyes.The crate is not a jail but a source of security. Giving your dog toys or food that he really likes but we know are not good for him (mentally or physically) is letting our dog down from a leadership standpoint.By practicing the philosophies as well as the exercises described in this book, we will learn to be our dog’s emotional custodians as well as their physical companions.
Effective Leaders Manage Time
252.The first concept is that leaders manage time.Create a schedule.The crate is a valuable tool for providing time management for your dog. What this translates to in the daily raising of your dog is to use the crate frequently according to a predetermined schedule.There is no substitute for the crate.The crate is the safest and most effective form of confinement. Socialize your puppy/dog to it immediately (described in chapters 1 and 6) and continue to use it throughout your dog’s life as his stage needs dictate.
253.The leader giveth, the leader taketh away. A fair leader provides consistency in rules and structure, sets and maintains boundaries, and allows room for expansion of liberties and boundaries as responsibility is proven. A fair leader is also not shy about removing liberties or tightening boundaries if disrespectful behaviors return.
Effective Leaders Direct Activities
254.Another effective leadership trait is to direct activities. Always have something for your dog to do when he is out of the crate. (In chapter 8 we will outline several obediencerelated activities to help your dog socialize to your household.) Mentally plan obedience workouts, play, social activities, and rest. The leadershiprelated idea here is to have an activity plan that includes more than “lie down and be quiet.”
255.Supervise your dog’s “out of crate time.” When your dog is out of the crate, keep the leash and collar on your dog and keep the leash in your hand. Use your obedience commands to actively teach your dog how to behave inside your house and in all environments.
256.Develop a proactive leadership style. By having an activity plan for how you will manage your dog’s out-of-crate time, you are planning opportunities for your dog to receive praise. Praise is what the dog-training world revolves around and should be the brightest part of your dog’s universe. For every behavior you curb, praise the behavior that replaces it.
Effective Leaders Are Consistent in Every Aspect of Their Dog’s Life
257.Consistency leads to a clear understanding of what is expected in behavior. Without consistency you have confusion. Speech patterns and words, daily habits, leadership style, emotional responses to behaviors both good and bad, and consistency in teaching are some of the areas to which you must pay attention.
258.Use the same words and the same sequence of words each time you ask for a certain action or behavior.Likewise,each person in the house must follow the same patterns. If these patterns are all mixed up, your dog will experience confusion and frustration when you speak to her.
259.Check each day to see if your emotions are in check when you are interacting with your dog. Sometimes we come home from a long, stressful workday and end up losing our cool with or around our dogs.They will respond with stressful behaviors to our stressful outbursts.
260.Yelling is a combination of inappropriate vocal tones and inappropriate emotional responses. Leaders need to remain in control of their emotions and their voice so that negative reinforcements like removal of freedoms,crating,or NO retain their corrective meanings and do not become punishment.
261.Try to ask for the same habits from your dog each day.For example: if you ask your dog to hold a DOWN at the dinner table one night, but allow her to sit by your side and beg the next day,she will be extremely confused by the change in house rules. She will either begin taking advantage of your inconsistency, or become frustrated when you scold her unfairly one day for a behavior that was allowed the previous day.
BODY LANGUAGE
262.Humans rely on speech for the majority of non-written communication. Not so for the dog.The dog’s main form of communication is body language. Be aware of both the positive and negative ways our body can influence our dog.
263.Your face, posture, speed of movement, direction of approach to your dogs, how you carry yourself, and the way in which you “reach” for your dog are all ways in which you communicate your intent to your dogs.
264.Each dog you approach requires a different message.With some dogs, you must look like a leader. So you may need to carry yourself so you appear taller. Some dogs might need to see you looking more friendly and approachable, which would require a relaxed body posture and with a neutral approach (not head-on).
Body
265.Positive messages include things like “I’m approachable,”“I’m pleased with your behavior!,” “I’m proud of you!,” “Come play!,”and “I’m your leader and you can trust me.” Each message needs a different body language signal to convey it properly.
266.Bent-over posture, open arms, and a seated position are all usually inviting forms of body language. Speed of movement will convey enthusiasm or gentleness.
267.Approach timid or nervous dogs from the side,not the front.The side position is “neutral” and non-offensive. Just don’t make it a “sneak attack” from behind! Be soft, slow, and gentle.
268.While a “softer” body posture (bent and rounded shoulders) will communicate approachability and a bit of submission, this won’t work for communicating messages of leadership.When commanding, stand up tall and straight with confidence. This posture will look leader-like, yet not offensive.
269.Negative messages include those that wish to communicate intimidation, threat, or aggressive leadership. These are the ones that say, “You’re really in trouble now, buster!” These types of body language really do not need to exist in our “civilized” human-to-dog communication.These are things that would exist in the wild for dogs to use as survival-instinct skills.
Pointing or wagging a finger in your dog’s face is an invitation to have your dog bark back at you— or worse—especially if you are bent over at the waist with one hand on the hip. Even the most well-meaning vocal tones will get lost among the negativity of the body language.
270.Avoid “blitzing approaches” where your dog feels like he’s being cornered.Negative,threatening,or intimidating body language can cause anything from angry barking to defensive aggression from your dog. By facing in a neutral direction, you focus the correction on the behavior, not on the dog.
271.Practice in a mirror and try to simulate a message using your body. See if you can use your own body to tell your reflection what thought or message you are conveying. Try this with both positive and negative body language.
Face
272.Our facial expressions (smiles, laughs,frowns,eye contact) can convey much about our intent and attitude as well. Soft eye contact can mean affection or approval, whereas intense,angry eyes in direct contact may communicate anything from displeasure to a confrontation.
273.Using a “helper,”try to communicate an emotion to that person without saying a word. See if they can get your message nonverbally. Try this for both positive and negative facial expressions.
Eye Contact
274.Make positive eye contact while praising if you can. Praise is a positive, personal form of interaction and should be given with as many positive forms of body language as possible.
275.Avoid grabbing your dog’s face and forcing him to look you in the eyes. This a gesture a bully would use to force his point. You do not need to stare your dog down to become his leader. Doing this will only make him lose his trust in you. Be especially careful to not use negative eye contact with defensive dogs as that can provoke them to react.
276.Do not use harsh eye contact or “visual intimidation” when making corrections. You don’t need to make corrections “personal.”
Voice
277.Your vocal tones tell your dog as much as your body language does. The words you choose to communicate a concept are not important—the voice you use with the chosen words says it all.
278.When you are praising your dog,it is important to use a positive tone with the praise word (“good!”). For a command, use a tone that sounds businesslike and direct. This does not mean harsh, just firm. Commands are not questions.
279.A firm, yet unemotional tone for the correction cue (“NO”) is essential in keeping confrontation out of correction. If your voice is serious but non-threatening, you can correct and not have the dog take it as a personal issue.
280.It is extremely important to put positive emotion into your voice when you communicate with your dog. Motivate him with an encouraging voice.Your positive results in training will happen faster as your dog will want to earn your approval!
281.It is critical to refrain from extremely negative emotions while communicating with your dog.Yelling,screaming, and angry “growling” sounds all have no place in civilized communication. Your dog will interpret that you are imbalanced and not worthy of trust, and he will quickly become fearful of you. Raging emotions are extremely stressful for a dog to handle.Avoid this at all costs.
LEADERS ARE CONSISTENT IN THEIR RULES OF THE ROLE
282.Sometimes consistency is easier to define by citing examples of inconsistency. When we consider inconsistency with respect to our leadership protocol, we call these mixed messages. Mixed messages are inconsistencies that either make the owner look like a dog in the dog’s eyes or elevate the dog to level of a human in the dog’s eyes.
283.Eliminate activities that reduce the owner to the level of a dog: playing rough with your dog, wrestling, playing hand games, allowing your dog’s mouth (teeth) on your skin (even just a little), and playing tug of war. Remember, the dog is not the toy and even with a toy, no rough play!
284.Eliminate activities that elevate your dog to the level of a human: allowing your dog to sit on the chair or couch with you, allowing your dog to sleep on your bed, allowing your dog to eat at the table (yes, I’m serious), and allowing your dog to lick your face to the point where it becomes compulsive.
LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT!
285.When it comes to being an effective leader, little things mean a lot. Understanding the importance of the little things determines your quality of leadership. Your respect for the fact that some things have very important meanings for your dog will nurture mutual respect. You may not mind if your dog sleeps on the furniture, but I assure you, to your dog it has more meaning than you can imagine!
286.Leaders do go through the door first. Since no doors exist naturally in the wild, this is a purely socially influenced rule. There is no magic about the door and leadership, but this is one additional opportunity to direct your dog’s activities and develop some door manners in the process.
287.Manage instinctual behaviors. Sometimes we all feel the need to let a dog be a dog. However, some of the activities in which a dog engages reinforce natural instincts that should be discouraged. Activities like rolling on the back to either pick up or lay down scent should be discouraged. If you catch your dog in this behavior,give a light leash correction with NO and praise for redirecting.
288.Urinary “marking activities” should be discouraged as well. If your male (or female) dog is obsessive about marking over other scent markers, redirect their activities to a neutral site. Require male dogs to urinate in the open without marking on an object like a tree or shrub.
289.As some dogs mature they develop a habit of “scratching” with their feet after elimination. The action involves an action similar to a bull preparing to charge. You will know it when you see it.This action, while really no big deal, is just another attempt by your dog to overinflate his ego. As soon as your dog begins to scratch with his feet, give the leash a quick snap, tell him NO, and praise him for stopping.Again, it seems like a small thing to us, but it is a big issue for your dog.
290.Create an efficient eater. Leaders present and restrict food. Sometimes it is easier to live with a dog that eats at his leisure. But being an effective leader means seizing all opportunities to influence your dog’s view of you as a leader, including food consumption.
THE SECRET LEADERSHIP ROLE OF THE WALK
291.Before actually teaching the formal HEEL command, it is important to understand how a dog views leadership. Most dogs prefer to walk ahead of their owner.The dog feels that being out in front is important.From the dog’s perspective, he is in the lead. The leader is dictating where the walk is going, and even though the owner may guide the dog from time to time, the dog still thinks he is in the lead.
292.This is why the HEEL position is so important. The HEEL position is deliberately chosen so your dog’s head is behind the imaginary line he understands as the “leadership threshold.” If your dog’s head is behind this line, he will easily walk by your side and you will truly be the leader. If your dog’s head is beyond this line, your walk is going to become a bit of a drag…literally.
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