In The World of Dogs The Leader of the Pack Rules
Dogs are gregarious animals that naturally band together to share a social life in a pack.
This characteristic is inherited from wolves and explains many of the behavioral traits of domesticated dogs.
In the wild, the pack works together to find a source of food, to protect that food from scavengers and to defend the pack's territory from other animals.
Pack behavior is well-defined with a leader controlling most of the pack's activity.
When living with people, dogs will naturally view the members of its human family as their pack.
As with any pack in the wild, there needs to be a clear leader.
If one of the humans does not take that role, the dog will often try to assume it.
This pecking order is best established when the dog is a puppy.
Since the humans control food, warmth, comfort and security, the puppy will naturally see them as the pack's leaders.
As the puppy matures into adulthood, it may challenge to advance from its subordinate role in the hierarchy of the pack.
It will do so by refusing to follow instructions given by other pack members or possibly by challenging someone directly.
The dog will usually choose what it considers the weakest member of the pack to dominate by nipping at a child or stealing its toys.
This behavior is more likely to occur if the dog is a male and one of the more aggressive breeds such as a member of the terrier group or a no-nonsense dog such as a Siberian Husky or Rottweiler.
Surprisingly even small dogs sometimes become bullies in a household.
To some degree this is a result of the reluctance on many people to correct the aggressive out bursts of small dogs but also some small breeds like Pekingese and Chihuahuas have a predisposition to resist being ordered about.
These tiny terrors have a Napoleon complex and a history of being pampered as canine royalty.
Attempts to dominate owners occur far less frequently with female dogs or breeds that have been specialized to work in teams such as Golden Retrievers or Shetland Sheepdogs.
Regardless displays of dominant behavior by any dog must be dealt with immediately with a sharp rebuke and correction.
For the more aggressive breeds this may even involve a bit of force such as a firm jerk on a training collar to reassert human leadership.
The issue of dominance is probably the most important aspect of canine behavior in maintaining an amicable relationship between a family and its dog(s).
A subordinate dog always loves its owners and knows it position in the pack.
It doesn't bite, threaten or growl.
The dog that is not completely subordinate can be lovable and obedient much of the time but occasionally may try to assert dominance by growling or snapping when asked to do something it doesn't like.
A dog that is completely insubordinate does not make a pleasant housemate in any way and may require a professional trainer to teach it the error of its ways.
This type of misbehavior is correctable and is more often the fault of an inconsistent or unassertive owner than an inherent problem with the dog.
When selecting a dog to fit your lifestyle always consider dominance as a factor.
If you have any doubts about your ability to control a specific breed select a female or a breed that is naturally less dominant.
This characteristic is inherited from wolves and explains many of the behavioral traits of domesticated dogs.
In the wild, the pack works together to find a source of food, to protect that food from scavengers and to defend the pack's territory from other animals.
Pack behavior is well-defined with a leader controlling most of the pack's activity.
When living with people, dogs will naturally view the members of its human family as their pack.
As with any pack in the wild, there needs to be a clear leader.
If one of the humans does not take that role, the dog will often try to assume it.
This pecking order is best established when the dog is a puppy.
Since the humans control food, warmth, comfort and security, the puppy will naturally see them as the pack's leaders.
As the puppy matures into adulthood, it may challenge to advance from its subordinate role in the hierarchy of the pack.
It will do so by refusing to follow instructions given by other pack members or possibly by challenging someone directly.
The dog will usually choose what it considers the weakest member of the pack to dominate by nipping at a child or stealing its toys.
This behavior is more likely to occur if the dog is a male and one of the more aggressive breeds such as a member of the terrier group or a no-nonsense dog such as a Siberian Husky or Rottweiler.
Surprisingly even small dogs sometimes become bullies in a household.
To some degree this is a result of the reluctance on many people to correct the aggressive out bursts of small dogs but also some small breeds like Pekingese and Chihuahuas have a predisposition to resist being ordered about.
These tiny terrors have a Napoleon complex and a history of being pampered as canine royalty.
Attempts to dominate owners occur far less frequently with female dogs or breeds that have been specialized to work in teams such as Golden Retrievers or Shetland Sheepdogs.
Regardless displays of dominant behavior by any dog must be dealt with immediately with a sharp rebuke and correction.
For the more aggressive breeds this may even involve a bit of force such as a firm jerk on a training collar to reassert human leadership.
The issue of dominance is probably the most important aspect of canine behavior in maintaining an amicable relationship between a family and its dog(s).
A subordinate dog always loves its owners and knows it position in the pack.
It doesn't bite, threaten or growl.
The dog that is not completely subordinate can be lovable and obedient much of the time but occasionally may try to assert dominance by growling or snapping when asked to do something it doesn't like.
A dog that is completely insubordinate does not make a pleasant housemate in any way and may require a professional trainer to teach it the error of its ways.
This type of misbehavior is correctable and is more often the fault of an inconsistent or unassertive owner than an inherent problem with the dog.
When selecting a dog to fit your lifestyle always consider dominance as a factor.
If you have any doubts about your ability to control a specific breed select a female or a breed that is naturally less dominant.
