Gaining Leadership/Respect & Teaching Basic House Manners
Prerequisite: Temperament Evaluation/Settle Exercise
Why does my dog need a leader?
Much like children need guidance and help from their parents, dogs need guidance from us to help them live safely in a human world.
The following exercises are designed to put you in the leadership position - by teaching you to teach your dog everyday manners that are vital for any well behaved dog.
Leash & Collar Safety & Use:
Remember: If you're planning on interacting with your dog, you MUST be able to back up what you say. That means if you are with the dog and supervising it, the dog is ALWAYS LEASHED and ready to work. One way to accomplish this is to have your dog wear his leash anytime he is supervised (yes - even in the house).
A word about safety: Your dog MUST be supervised at ALL TIMES when it is dragging a leash, to avoid injury, choking, getting caught up on things, etc.. This means even for a moment - if you're not watching/supervising, the leash comes off.
Sound like a lot of work? Actually - all that on/off of the leash benefits you in the long run in 2 ways: 1. If you're doing lots of 'on/off' with your leash, it no longer becomes a signal to your dog that something is about to happen (like training or a walk, which some dogs can get overexcited about). 2. It desensitizes your dog to the presence of the leash, and makes the transition to off-leash work in the future much smoother.
Ok! On to training:
Table Manners and the “Leave it” command
You wouldn't let your child just help themselves to someone else's dinner, or have horrible table manners - your dog needs to learn manners regarding food, toys, etc. as well!
1. Use treats, food, toys, etc. with this exercise - you can simulate eating the treat first to engage your dog's attention.
2. Once your dog is leashed, hold the leash loosely, and give your dog the ‘leave it' command, while holding the treat or toy up - but not too close to the dog!
(Hold the treat at about your shoulder level, so the dog can see it, but it's not waving around in the dog’s face).
3. Lower the food about half-way toward the dog, but DO NOT repeat the 'leave it' command.
4. If your dog goes for the food (even sniffing!), give a quick "AH-AH!" and give a light leash-tug for a correction. (A leash tug must start from a loose leash, never a tight one...and should sort of be like there's a bug on the leash and you're flicking the leash to get it off. It needs to be just strong enough for the dog to stop the behavior. Some dogs need a stronger pop, some need a lighter pop – work at your dog’s correction level!) Do NOT pull the food away. DO NOT repeat the leave it command. If the dog tries to get the food again, repeat your “Ah-ah!” and leash tug correction.
5. When your dog clearly refuses the food by turning his head away, stepping back, sitting very still, or turning eyes away, praise.
6. When you are ready for the dog to take the food, give the ‘release’ command and allow the dog to take the food. The release can be anything other than the word "OK"...OK is used way too often among humans to be a safe release word for your dog. We usually just use the word 'release' to tell the dog the same thing as the word 'ok'.
7. You can gradually work on moving the food or toy closer to the dog, but remember not to repeat the 'leave it' command, or to yank the food away if the dog tries to take it. Instead, give your "Ah!-Ah!" and leash tug.
8. Practice this exercise at least 3 to 5 times daily with your dog and make it count - you can even do it when feeding meals, by holding the dog’s bowl instead of an individual treat.
Some video of the "Leave it" exercise: https://youtu.be/L_EFOYwvN4g
Freedom - moving about safely in the world – and the “Wait” command.
The leader of a pack does just that: LEADS the pack – into new areas, on hunts, etc. This exercise is about safety (teaching the dog to
wait for permission to go through doors) and respect (teaching the dog to be polite while waiting).
1. Once your dog is leashed, approach a doorway and turn your back to the opening. Be sure you are between the dog and the
doorway.
2. Give the 'wait' command. NOTE: the dog does NOT need to sit before you wait - if you make the dog sit, that is just one more command you have to enforce...make it easy on yourself & your dog right now, and only give the 'wait.'
3. Step through the doorway.
4. If the dog tries to go through with you or before you, immediately body-block the opening (you'll have to be quick!) and give a leash tug correction with the “AH-AH!” and begin again.
NOTE: Some dogs don't need a leash correction for this exercise; you body-blocking the doorway if they try to sneak through is enough for a lot of dogs.
5. Do NOT repeat the ‘wait’ command. Repeated commands lose their meaning to dogs.
6. When you are ready for the dog to come through, give the ‘release.’
7. Practice this exercise at least 2 to 3 times daily with your dog – and make it count! Whenever you are really going through a door, make sure to have the dog wait.
You can practice at all sorts of doorways and thresholds - crates, interior doors, car doors (be careful not to let it close on the dog!), etc.
Do not allow your dog to race you up and down stairs, or hallways – keep your dog's respect by ‘leading’ the pack!
Some video of the "Wait" exercise: https://youtu.be/8MuxnthZdHk
And some more video: https://youtu.be/Zqd2adclnHM
Funiture/Sleeping Space
The leader of a pack sleeps wherever it wants to. No one sleeps in the leader's bed without permission. Sound familiar? Most human parents have the 'master bedroom' and only very young children sleep in bed with their parents when they feel scared or ill. Once they grow up a bit, it's expected they'll sleep in their own space...the same is true with dogs! Only allow your dog onto your sleeping spaces (couches, beds, etc.), when and IF you are inviting them up there.
Having trouble with the wait? Keep at it! Here's what it will look like after just a few days of practicing:
https://youtu.be/WtK1DiWTitA