Leadership

Leadership is not about dominance. Leadership is about guidance, teaching, and trust. To be a strong leader for our dogs we need to create that communication method and then make sensible and practical decisions about how to use it.

A quick way to remind oneself about the basics is to remember "TLC", Trust, Leadership, Consistency. TLC is also "Tender Loving Care" and is just as important in the training and care of our dogs.

A Leader has a set of simple rules. For my dogs these rules are: do as asked when asked, don't barge through doors and gates, come when called, remember your manners. By being consistent about my expectations and rewarding the behaviours I want and need, my dogs are safe and happy. They go to new places and have new experiences. They are given jobs to do which challenge their minds.

Dogs are social creatures and naturally look for their place in a heirarchy. If we don't demonstrate leadership, then the dog will assume it is their own job to be leader. For some dogs this is highly stressful as they don't know what the rules should be. For some dogs this can result in a highly dominant dog who challenges everything and can escalate into aggression.

By teaching our dogs the things we need from them, and being consistent and loving in the process, we become strong leaders. Subsequently, our dogs turn to us for guidance in new and challenging situations and are less likely to make behavioural errors.