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Who’s The
Boss Anyway?
Or Why
Can’t My Dog and I Just Be Friends?
By Susan
B. Fireman
You can…but only if you’re the boss.
That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it has to be. Dogs are
pack animals and like it or not your family is the pack. And
like all packs there has to be a leader. No ifs ands or buts.
Either you call the shots or guess what?...your dog will, and
that won’t be very good for either of you.
Reggie is a Lab whose owner Debbie let
him do as he pleased. Not because she didn’t care, but because
she loved him. In her eyes Reggie could do no wrong until the
day he took off after a squirrel. “Stop?” “Come!” “Down!” She
kept shouting. Reggie paid no attention. The squirrel was more
important and Reggie just kept going and going to the end of the
street and across a busy intersection. Horns honked, brakes
screeched, and only dumb luck kept Reggie from being run over.
Then there was Lucy, the friendly
Doberman. She jumped upo0n anyone that came through the front
door. Jack thought it was cute. “Isn’t she cute?” is what he
always said to everyone. Then one day his elderly mother came
for a visit. Lucy was so happy to see her she did the
unthinkable. She flattened her. Lucy wasn’t quite so cute
anymore.
And let’s not forget Sam the Rottweiller
pup that had a habit of putting his mouth on anyone he thought
was challenging him. What Bill and Carol thought was puppy
play, turned out to be aggression. Unless that kind of behavior
is recognized and nipped in the bud, you may find yourself
living with a loaded gun instead of a best friend.
No responsible parent, no matter how
much they love their child would let a two year old run their
family. The child would be impossible to live with, and a
nuisance to others at best. Well, the same holds true for a
dog.
So what do you do? Start by
establishing yourself as the boss or pack leader from the moment
you bring the new dog home. Now that doesn’t mean yelling or
hitting. It means communicating in a way the dog will
understand. Then, as soon as possible, housebreak your dog;
teach him to walk on a leash, to come when called, and to stay
in place on command. Bad habits such as chewing on furniture,
or nipping the hand that feeds him, should be stopped before he
has a chance to get started. And always have your dog to
something for you before you do something for your dog. Have
her sit before you feed her, before you pet her, or even before
you walk her.
Unless you’re really experienced,
joining an obedience class is an excellent idea. A good
instructor will teach you how to teach your dog, and your dog
will learn how to behave around other dogs and people. But most
important, if you really want your dog to be your best
friend….be your dog’s best friend first and that means being the
boss.
Susan
Fireman is a well-known Animal Behavior Specialist. She teaches
in the tri-state area. Her A.K.C. Champion German Shepherd dogs
have ranked nationally in the top ten in their A. K C. Obedience
Class.
Susan can be reached By Phone at
518-398-5249 or
By
Email at Solanina@aol.com
Choosing a New Puppy
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