Followers Protect The Leader?

I was asked this question by a client who was worried about his dog being overly friendly with strangers. He wanted her to growl at people who came up to them.

"If you do that, you will make people believe she is a nasty dog." He had not considered that part.

I explained to him how much the dog pack respects the leader. Yet all of dog pack members are willing to defend the leader with their lives. They take direction without question, unless "The Man" is in trouble!

For anyone who doubts this, think about it. The head of the human household will defend his family with his life. However, if he was threatened or struck down, his entire family would work as one to defend him.

The dog does no less for his human family. My sweet, happy-go-lucky Border Collie has proven that on more than one occasion.

There's no need to make your dog mean. Just earn his respect and trust, and you will have an animal who will do anything for you!

Rena Murray
DogWhisperWoman

Why Do Dog Show Handlers Put Dog Food In Their Mouths?

I was asked by a friend, "Why does a handler at dog shows tend to be taking a piece of food out of his mouth and giving it to the dog?"

According to the judge, it helps keep the dog focused on his dog handler instead of his surroundings. And because the food is at a level that's up from the dog's view, the animal ends up staring upward at his handler.

What some people do not think about is the natural dog instinctive behavior in a dog pack. There the adult dogs regurgitate food for the pups once they are weaned, and continue doing this for a while before the pups can share the kill. So of course, this act is familiar to them.

Let me make one thing clear, though. I go to great lengths for my dogs. But I do not place dog food in my mouth! Your breath would not smell very good!

Rena Murray
DogWhisperWoman

Dog Dominance Behavior - Dominant Dog in the House

There are some who say that it's wrong to allow one dog to be dominant over another in a household. The ones who say this need to consider something.

Yes, you the Owner need to be Pack Leader over your dogs.

However, one of your dogs will become dominant over the other(s) when you are gone - in order to keep structure in the dog pack.

There's nothing wrong with having a dog who calmly asserts himself and helps you, the Alpha Leader, keep the others in line... Especially handy when you have puppies!

You definitely want to exercise your dogs at least 45 minutes before leaving them alone throughout the day. Otherwise, they may choose to fight it out to see who's the dominant dog while you are gone.

A Glimpse into Real Dog Pack Life -How Much Exercise?

There are quite a few misconceptions going around about how a dog pack functions. The dog pack absolutely DOES NOT exercise 8 hours each day! Rather, it's more like this:

The dog pack goes hunting - of course, led by the Alpha Leader. But if one pack member has a better sense of smell than the others, the Alpha Leader allows that one to lead the hunt - until he is certain that he is on the trail well enough to lead it himself. Also, the dog who is most skilled at herding is highly respected by him.

Each dog pack member is respected for each thing that he can do well, and is called upon to do it in any emergency situation. Say a helicopter came overhead and the frightened dog pack ran, forced into another dog pack's territory. The Pack Leader would hand the reins over to whoever grew up there (most likely a female), as that one would know the cracks and crevices. The Leader of the Pack is definitely not macho!

As danger passed, the dogs would return to hunting. Only about one in ten hunts is successful. However, once they do succeed in bringing down prey, they stay with it until only the bones remain - mostly eating and sleeping.

So contrary to the popular belief that all the wild dogs do all day is run, it's more like: "We hunt a couple of times a week, and the rest of the time we eat and sleep!" - With occasional trips to mark the territory (the human equivalent of a field trip) and fairly regular games of chase.

Yes, a dog needs regular exercise. There's no denying that. I'm a firm believer in twice a day, 45 minutes each time - 30 minutes the second time for some - but there are several dog breeds who could never keep up with that pace.

I mean really ... can you picture this Chihuahua trying to keep up with a German Shepherd?

The amount of activity you do with your dogs has to be based on their individual physical and psychological needs - not on what you've heard about the dog breed.

Correcting Dog Behavior Problem - What Does CLAIM Something Mean? How Do I?

"My dog goes after my slippers," a client complained. "Help! How can I solve this dog behavior problem?"

ANSWER: You CLAIM your slippers!

You "claim" an item or an area to assert your authority over it - to let the dog know that it belongs first and foremost to YOU, the leader of the pack. The dog is not supposed to touch your property.

Likewise, if a dog soils an area of the carpet, part of your correction procedure involves "claiming" that spot as your own ... and the dog won't go there again. The dog is not supposed to cross the boundary into your space without your permission. This he understands instinctively, as it is powerful, silent dog pack language - sometimes called "dog whisper".

HOW do you claim something?

By stepping in front of it with your feet spread halfway between the military "Atten-hut!" and "At ease." Have your head and shoulders up confidently the entire time, and also be sure to maintain direct eye contact with your dog throughout this entire procedure.

Make the dog sit or lie down.

You keep standing there authoritatively, staring, until the dog turns away from you or moves away completely. That means she has surrendered. She now recognizes the item or the space as yours - that she is not supposed to go there without your express permission.