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.