Are you the leader your dog needs? What is a “pack leader” anyway? What does this actually involve?
Many dog professionals and dog lovers throw this term, “pack leader” around and it became popular as Cesar Milan became a household name. It’s more than just a cool title, it’s an important piece to achieve a beautiful and respectful relationship with your dog.
A Leader Leads
We are familiar with the leader mentality especially in the workplace. This dynamic is essentially the same with our dog’s. A leader demonstrates by example and show’s step by step how to be successful. A leader motivates and encourages their team. A leader keeps their team accountable so that they are moved to show their best. A leader has great follow through and looks out for their followers. We can apply these same principles with our dog’s.
The Pack Dynamic
We know the leader mentality is valuable for humans but it’s also important for dog’s. Dog’s instinctual rely on a follower and leader dynamic to function structurally and successfully. From a young age pup’s form their position in the pack and stay in that position, never-changing. The reasoning behind this is so the pack is always well-balanced.
There are three positions in the pack:
- Alpha (leader)
- Omega (middle)
- Beta (rear)
The pack leader is often times a male and female and makes the big decisions. They decide where the pack migrates, where they hunt, and is in charge of keeping the pack safe. The pack leader position requires responsibility. The omega’s help keep the balance between the front and rear positions. The betas are responsible to alert the pack of danger. This dynamic of the pack provides a necessary structure for a balanced life and successful survival.
The Human Pack Meets the Dog Pack
When we bring dog’s into our homes it’s helpful to understand how the hierarchy works. Knowing this helps us transfer the dog’s instinctual way of thinking and behaving into our human world. Providing the pack leader dynamic will supply an environment that our dog can understand and respect which will result in a well-balanced and well-behaved canine.
So how do you become the leader your dog needs? Well as mentioned in the beginning the family as a whole needs to provide the example, needs to show what is expected of the dog, motivate the dog, protect the dog, etc. We do all this through the process of training. We teach boundaries, rules, and commands to provide a structured life so the dog understands how things work, or in their way of thinking, how they survive.
Being the clear leader will not only provide a balanced lifestyle for the dog and your family, it will create a confident dog that doesn’t have to focus on fears or anxieties that many other dog’s deal with. When we don’t provide this structure or leadership we often create spoiled, bratty, reactive, fearful, and anxious dog’s. These state of minds result on poorly behaved dog’s which cause not just stress for the dog but stress for the humans. This is typically the time when people get desperate and contact a trainer.
Let me save you the time, be the pack leader your dog needs now. Prevent the behavioral issues by training now. Reaching out to a local balanced training company such as us, Rooted Dog Training, will save you a world of hurt. We can teach you exactly how to be the leader your dog craves.
Be the pack leader your dog wants and needs. Train today!
For one on one help please feel free to reach out to us through our website or email listed below.
Email: chloe@rooteddogtraining.com or rdtteam@rooteddogtraining.com
Website: www.rooteddogtraining.com
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