LEADERSHIP
EXERCISES
FOR PUPPIES
By W Hunthausen and G Landsberg
Leadership and
Control
Positive and consistent training, both in action and in attitude, are needed to
gain control of your puppy. In the
dog pack, a dog will assume a position in the hierarchy based on its genetics
and the results of its ongoing social interactions with other pack members. Although the human household may not be entirely
representative of a dog pack, any dominant displays, postures or attitudes
toward the owners (e.g. nipping, excessive mouthing, mounting, jumping up) must
be discouraged, while obedience or deference to the owners should be encouraged.
At the very least, if these behaviors have been reinforced or are allowed
to continue unabated, they become increasingly difficult to resolve and may even
progress to more intensive displays of overexuberance, disobedience, dominance
and aggression.
A. Be fair
1.
Be
consistent with rewards and corrections. Set rules that everyone observes.
This is the only way that the puppy can learn what is acceptable and what
is not acceptable.
2.
Don’t
take good behaviors for granted.
3.
Be
generous with praise; give much more praise than scolding.
4.
Never
hit the puppy or use any type of physical punishment.
B.
Make the puppy aware of your importance in its life.
1.
Feed it
on schedule at specific times.
2.
Make the
puppy say please by responding to a command before it gets anything it wants or
needs (dinner, treats, toys, picked up, walks, petting, play).
It may help to keep in mind one of these two catch phrases “Learn to
Earn” or “Nothing in Life is Free”
3.
Once it
learns to stay, ask it to stay for a second or two before following you around
the home, in and out of rooms, and in and out of the home.
C.
Do not allow the puppy to take control
1.
Do not
allow it to constantly solicit attention
2.
Do not
defer or give in to the puppy’s demands, unless the behavior is desirable (e.g. barking at the
door to eliminate outdoors).
.
3.
Teach the
puppy to stop play biting on command.
4.
Curb
excessive barking
D.
Show your leadership in actions
1.
Train
your puppy to learn commands and then insist that he or she is immediately
responsive. If the puppy ignores
you or refuses to obey, gently but immediately show the puppy what is expected.
2.
Be
certain that you are the one to initiate all that is positive.
This means that the puppy should not get affection, attention or treats
on demand, but rather when they are initiated by you or when you are using them
to reward a desired behavior.