- The number one way to communicate to a dog that you are his pack leader is to take him/her for a Pack walk daily, where the dog is made to heel beside or behind the human who is holding the lead. This is most important for all dogs, as in a dog’s mind, the leader always leads the way.
- A dog must not be allowed to sniff or eliminate anywhere he wishes, but only where you allow him.
- The dog should be concentrating on following the human.
- All humans must eat before the dogs.
- No table scraps should be fed to the dog during a meal.
- Feedings must be at a scheduled time.
- Humans must not let the dog go through any doorway first.
- When you have left the house or the room, even for a minute and come back, ignore the dog for a few minutes.
- A simple obedience command should be given before any pleasurable interaction with the dog. A child in the house should give the commands at least once a day and reward the dog with a treat when the command is followed.
- You should not lie on the floor to watch TV when the dog is around, as a human should never put himself in an equal or lesser height position than the dog.
- You are the first one who greets newcomers; the dog is the last that gets attention.
- If a dog is lying in your path, do not walk around the dog, either make the dog move or step over the dog.
- If you establish eye contact with the dog, the dog must avert his gaze first. Tell the children not to have staring contest with the dog.
- Dogs must not sleep in your bed.
- Games of fetch or play with toys must be started and ended by the human.
- Dog should not be allowed to lie on your furniture.
- No tug–of–war, as this is a game of power and you may lose the game giving the dog reinforcement (in the dog’s mind) of top dog.
- Dogs need to be taught ‘drop it’ or ‘release’ command.
- Dogs should not be allowed to pull on the leash.
- When you put the food dish down, the dog must wait until you give the "OK" to eat it.
- Small dogs or puppies who demand to be picked up or put down should not get what they want until they sit or do another acceptable quiet behavior.
- Dogs should never be left unsupervised with children or anyone who cannot maintain leadership over the dog.
- Last but certainly not least... avoid emotions, when you are around your dog. Your dog can sense these emotions and will see you as weak
Regards.
Vinay Kapoor
