Become The Alpha Dog You Were Meant to Be

Let a Aog Know That You Are Boss

Become the alpha dog you were meant to be. When your animal is not obeying you and you have finally realized it is due to your misunderstanding of the dog world, what are you to do? There is no need to cry over spilled milk. Take charge, look around you with confidence, and see that there is hope even when all seems lost. Most if not all dogs are great by nature but only turn sour due to a poor upbringing and training in their younger days. A lot of stuff can influence the way a dog thinks so it is crucial to get this right from the early days.

If you have no control over your pet or if you did have control at one point but lost it, this lesson is for you. Dogs need someone in their niche, their group, their pack, to look up to. This undoubtedly has to be you. You have to let the dog know that whatever happens, you are always going to be the one who leads the pack. You can do this in a number of ways, particularly that of food and games. Both of these techniques hit home with pooch, so it is important to take a look at them.

The first way you can let a dog know that you are boss, is by winning the games you play with it. Losing is definitely not an option in this case. You know how your children play tug-of-war with pooch and pooch always seems to win? This is sending a signal to pooch that he is boss and that is the exact opposite of what we are looking for here. The dog won’t feel bad if it loses and it won’t hold a grudge against you (thank goodness for the animal kingdom’s way of thinking). Continue to play the animal all the time but be sure and win the game you play. Frisbee is another game but there really is no “winning” in that game, except to make sure you can get the object out of the dog’s mouth (by obedience).

Many dog owners love to feed their pet while they eat. While this may be cute and cuddly it could have some damaging effects on the way the dog views you as leader. I would suggest to actually eat before you feed the dog and do not give the dog any food during the time you do eat. If the animal sees that you are eating first, it will recognize that you are leader. This may not help fix your dog’s problems right away, but it will certainly kick the gears into place to get that process going.

Remember, a lack of knowledge is the first step in a failure to dog training. So equip yourself with knowledge and take the training to the street. Be strong, be courageous, and let the dog know who is boss. You might think you are hurting the dog’s feelings, but you are actually gaining respect from the dog. Without respect, your relationship is going to be full of headaches. -- Proper Dog Equipment