Earn your dog's respect The “pack leader” is always calm and assertive, confident and bold. In the dog world the “pack leader” only shows affection to other pack members to fulfill its own social bond. Pack “followers” always show affection to the leader in a way to show submission but this is only done on the leader’s terms. If you show tension, fear, or unsureness, you have become the “pack follower” in the dog’s eyes. It is important for you and your family that the dog sees you as the “pack leader.” When the household lacks a strong leader, the dog will see you as weak and therefore you are the “pack follower.” This is where you will see unwanted behavior because the dog is always looking for a leader and therefore if you are not strong enough, then he will take the roll for himself. If he lacks experience and socialization skills, then he will show unbalanced behaviors that we know as: aggression, anxiety, and obsession and over all wildness. All dogs look for leadership. There are two ranks in the dog pack, “leader” and “follower.” The dogs own genetic temperament places him in these ranks through “rank challenge”. The strong ones are always competing for the leadership role. If even one day goes by that the current pack leader shows weakness, then the next strongest will challenge for the position. The weaker tempered dogs have no desire to be in the leadership role and can sometimes become very anxious with the responsibilities of being the pack leader however, they do not want the roll. This creates more anxiety and is very unhealthy for the dog. By being calm and assertive, you as an owner become a responsible leader creating calm submissive behavior that is the key to a happy, healthy life for your beloved canine.
