5 Steps to Establishing Leadership

Step 1: The Body Bump

Bump off and then silently turn away from attention seeking. When your dog jumps up at you, rests his head on your leg, leans on you, lies on your feet or just starts barking at you, nudge (or bump) off and turn away.

Step 2: Recall

Several times during the day, call your dog to you. Call his name and say "come". When he comes, gently take the collar in the left hand, then with the right hand stroke over the top of the head, back of the neck and shoulders. If your dog offers a paw on your arm, bump it off and continue stroking the top of the head until the paw stops being offered. When you are finished, simply turn or walk away. Say nothing as you do so. If your dog then gives a "shake off", call him back to you once more, take the collar, stroke over the top of the head ONCE and then turn and walk away. The "shake off" is a bit of back chat, literally shaking off your authority. By calling and stroking one more time, you are having the last word.

If your dog refuses to come or ignores you, do not repeat the command, leave the room, shut the door, count to 5 and then return. When you return, completely ignore your dog. If your dog now approaches you, bump off and turn away, count to five and then try again with the recall. If when you come back to the room, your dog is not at all bothered, wait until after the next time your dog approaches you or the next time you have been out of the room before trying the recall again.

Step 3: Eat First

The Alpha always eats before the rest of the pack. Try the following 2 week routine.

1. Prepare your dog's meal on a raised surface, but with him watching. Also have next to his bowl a little snack for yourself (a cookie, or a carrot stick for a healthier option).

2. Do not look at your dog, but make sure he can see you as you eat your snack.

3. When you have finished your snack, spit into the dog's bowl. Yes, I said spit!

4. Now begin to lower the bowl to the floor. Say NOTHING!

5. If your dog makes any movement towards the bowl, bring it back up and wait until the dog moves back before trying again.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you can successfully get the bowl to the floor and take one step back before your dog moves towards the bowl.

7. Now allow your dog to enjoy his meal!

8. Although dogs should have constant access to water, they should NOT have constant access to food. If your dog walks away from the food bowl (not just to chew, but fully walks away or leaves the room) then take up the food bowl and do not put down again until the next assigned mealtime, even if your dog has eaten little or none of his food.

If your dog is still not eating after a full 24-36 hours then consult a vet. If you have any concerns about this method or your dog's eating habits, you can either consult your vet or contact Alpha of My Pack.

Step 4: Restrict freedom/Shut doors

Rather than allowing your dog free run of the house and garden, especially when you are out, restrict his freedom. Keep doors within the house closed and only allow your dog access to different rooms when you say so. Never leave your dog unattended in the garden for lengthened periods of time. A dog flap may make your life easier, but allowing your dog the run of the garden can encourage reactivity and protective behavior. Use the garden as a good opportunity to work with your dog, train and play. Access to the garden (besides toilet use) is a privilege your dog can earn.

Prevent following by shutting doors behind you. It may seem cute to have your dog follow you everywhere, but when you can't even manage the bathroom alone, you have a problem. Your dog does not trust you to do ANYTHING without his supervision. Show him you're a real grown up by coming and going as you please, alone.

Packs naturally like to stick close by, but only puppies are supervised 24/7. If your dog can't relax when you nip out of the room, then he sees you as his puppy that needs to be watched. Shutting the door behind you regularly will break this habit and allow your dog to relax.

Step 5: Anticipate Needs

Be it fashion, money making or laziness, there is now a huge range of go to toilet training tools, including bells, buttons, and more. All of these tools are designed for your dog to tell you when he needs to "go potty". Dogs are VERY intelligent. Teaching them to ring a bell when they need the toilet is easy. But can we teach them that the bell is ONLY for toilet needs? What does ringing the bell really achieve in the dog's mind? This is where your dog's intelligence will outdo your own. Think about the routine: Dog rings a bell. You immediately drop what you are doing and run to the door. You open the door. Your dog gains access to the garden.

PAUSE!

Congratulations, your dog has successfully trained you to come when called and open the door for him!

Let's try this again!

If you know that your dog requires the toilet roughly every 3 hours, wait 2 1/2 hours and then take your dog outside for the toilet. The idea is, you beat him to it! Rather than your dog dictating when he accesses the garden, you grant access at your say so. If your dog begins barking at you around meal times, running back and forth from the food cupboard, turn away and ignore until he calms down. Try varying meal times a little so that your dog learns to rely on you for provisions rather than demanding them. Do not be afraid to send your dog for a rest or quiet time when he is being hyper active. By understanding what your dog needs, you can anticipate them and be the caring Alpha, not the dog's servant.

For more tips or advice on how to successfully establish leadership, contact Alpha of My Pack.