Leadership

Establishing Leadership in Your Canine Pack

1. Exhibit body language and energy that clearly shows you are a leader.  Leaders are calm, authoritative, and confident. Pack members match a leader’s energy, not the other way around!
2. Use the correct tone of voice, or pitch—it’s as critical to leadership as your body language and energy.
   1. Command Tone: a normal, calm, speaking pitch
   2. Praise Tone: a higher, excited, happy pitch
   3. Correction Tone: a deep, firm, disappointed pitch—not yelling
3. Understand that obedience work forms the foundation for gaining a dog’s respect.
4. Do obedience work in locations with distractions, once the dog has been taught a new command.
5. Use every interaction you have with your dog—playing, walking, mealtimes—as an opportunity to establish leadership.
6. Don’t issue commands unless you’re prepared to follow through. Don’t repeat commands. Dogs know when you aren’t serious and become desensitized  to both your voice and the commands!  (In other words, they will TUNE YOU OUT!)
7. Don’t threaten or challenge any dog by leaning over it and imposing the alpha dog stance. NEVER act like a dog: don’t growl, bite, snarl, or otherwise act like an alpha dog.
8. Respond, don’t react.
9. Praise your dog after a full completion of a command or activity—not midway through.
10. Have fun with your obedience work; be creative and set up fresh challenges. Your dog mirrors your energy and emotional state. If you’re having fun, your dog will too!

Call:   707-601-3332
Email:   jill@shewhisperer.com