The Importance of Leadership in Dog Training

If you lead...I will follow...
     Truer words were never spoken…at least from a dog’s perspective.
I’m always surprised at how many wonderful, loving pet owners, who work to provide all they believe their pets could ever want, can overlook this most essential dog need.  In the interest of “being nice” many well intentioned dog owners shudder at the thought of setting up rules or limiting their dog's choices, fearing that to do so would seem harsh and somehow interfere with their beloved pet's freedom and happiness.  Unfortunately, this misguided notion could not be further from the truth.  No dog wants to be, or canever be anything but a dog.  No matter how we may view him or treat him like a human child, every dog does now and will always think and feel like a dog.  The fact is he sees absolutely nothing wrong with that.  And as a dog his instincts give him a strong, clear message: successful survival is dependent on intelligent and confident leadership. 

     The goal when beginning a relationship with a dog, whether it be a young puppy or an adult dog just coming into your home, should be to set parameters that the dog can work within in order to affect the outcome that he desires.  By doing this we empower our dog, (not to be confused with giving up our own power to the dog which is never a good idea.)  In the dog/human equation, it's very important that the human steps up to be the leader of the partnership or “pack.”  In a domestic living situation it’s completely unnatural, and therefore also uncomfortable and also potentially unsafe for a dog to assume the role of leader.  Our pets' total dependency on us for necessities such as food, water and shelter make it impossible for a dog to ever believe himself to be a truly capable leader.  If he is forced by circumstance or encouraged by the actions or inactions of his owner to take up the leadership role, he is always aware of his dependency.  He soon realizes that neither he nor his owner is REALLY in control, which leaves him feeling confused and vulnerable.  This quite often leads to an animal that is unhappy, untrustworthy and/or sometimes even potentially dangerous.  

     To understand this most basic concept as it relates to domestic and wild canids, let’s consider the life experiences of the newborn puppy, beginning with its first hours and continuing on through adulthood.  In the beginning, a newborn puppy is totally dependent on his mother for every life sustaining component of his existence.  Her diligence and care are literally what determines whether he will thrive or perish.  She feeds him, shelters him, keeps him warm and clean, disciplines him and keeps him safe by protecting him with her very life if necessary.  If she fails to perform these tasks, there is a good chance that puppy will not survive.

     As puppy grows, some of his dependence shifts slightly and eventually other caregivers within his family/pack begin to share in the responsibility of feeding, playing with and protecting him.  Mother still plays a very important role in his life and puppy remains largely dependent on her, but now and to a lesser extent, also on the other family/pack members for his care and survival.  In the wild these other caregivers would be the members of his canid pack, but in the domestic environment of our pets, that caregiver would most likely be his breeder or human owner or owners.

     As the wild canid grows, he becomes a part of the pack, participating in the acquisition of food and in the protection of the pack members.  And slowly over time as he begins to assume the responsibilities of an adult, his status and position in the pack may also begin to change.  Although at first a low ranking member of the group, he will most likely and in varying degrees that depend largely on his personality type, begin to assert himself; as time goes by, he may even begin to ascend higher in the rank and file order of the pack.  This is where the life of our domestic dog takes a turn from his wild cousins.

     As he matures, the domestic dog may feel the natural inclination to assert himself, but in the back of his doggie consciousness is the awareness that he is still as dependent on his human caregivers as he was when he was very young.  He is still dependent on his humans to provide the basic necessities of life, namely: food, water and shelter (protection.) This dependence clearly signals to him that try as he might, he can never truly be the leader of his group; after all, dependence is weakness and weak leaders are dangerous.  All is fine if his human leaders are strong and dependable, but what if they too send out signals of weakness?  If they fail to define boundaries or set up some clearly defined rules for the dog and thereby clearly indicate that they are not in control?  The dog is now left believing that the pack is without any true leadership.  This is where the stability of our domestic dog’s life can take a frightening and sometimes even dangerous turn for the worse.  

     In the wild adult canids life, the survival of an animal is largely dependent on the stability of the pack he lives in.  Within a smooth functioning group with good, strong leadership there is a certain general feeling of security.  The ability to successfully feed and protect a pack rests largely on the existence of a strong and intelligent alpha leader or alpha pair who can make good decisions and take charge in any situation.  After all, there has to be somebody who leads when there are decisions to be made, preferably someone with the experience, confidence and wisdom to navigate their way through even new and challenging situations.  Instincts tell the wild canine the same thing that it tells our domestic dogs: that strength and intelligence is vital, and competent leaders help to reassure a feeling of continued survival.  In absence of strong leadership a pack can't help but become unstable and insecure.

     This is often times also at the crux of our domestic dogs problems.  Although most dog owners are loving caregivers who work very hard to provide what they believe their dogs want, many fail to understand this most basic canine need.  A puppy coming to live in the home of his new human sees himself as joining a new “family/pack,” with the members of his new household, whether they be human or canine, all being members of this new pack.  People often times view their dogs as human members of the family, but a dog can only ever view himself as a dog, with the accompanying canine view of the world.  They are “hardwired” to view their situation this way.  The most comfortable situation they can find themselves in therefore, is one where the new pack they have joined has strong, intelligent leadership.  Not only will these leaders be the providers of food and shelter, but they will clearly define the rules that will keep the pack/family safe.  They will show their competency by being fair, clear, consistent and unwavering in their decisions and leadership.  They plainly illustrate that they can and will take charge of any situation and provide the guidance to successfully navigate through the obstacles of a human (and therefore somewhat alien) world.  This gives the puppy/dog confidence and a feeling of security and insured survival.  It also allows him to trust his new family completely.

     As they grow in their new environment, dogs can never, EVER be left to wonder who is making the decisions in their new home.  To do so would be very disturbing to them indeed.  No matter how confident they may act, a dog living in a domestic situation cannot help but be painfully aware of his obvious inability to provide the most basic necessities of survival for himself.  In addition, many of the things that we humans consider to be commonplace, can be strange and bewildering to our dogs (the lawn mower or vacuum cleaner for instance.)  The human caregiver who provides their dog with food, water, toys and shelter in the form of a warm bed and comfortable living situation, but who fails to also provide structure, guidance and clear leadership, leaves their dog in a tough spot indeed.  By providing all that they do, they make it clear to the dog that he is dependent on them, but by not also stepping up to LEAD, they unintentionally send the dog the message that they may not be trustworthy or dependable if the going gets tough. A dog placed in this situation is bound to feel some level of unease.  This unease can manifest itself in a variety of ways, possibly in the form of aggression, fear, destructiveness or extreme anxiety just to name a few.  And contrary to the current pop culture view of this situation, these stress induced behaviors have nothing to do with dominance and submission, but are created entirely by the dog's need for a help-mate; someone who understands the human controlled world and can provide guidance to help their dog be successful in that alien environment.  Indeed, all behavioral problems can be positively influenced by understanding this most basic canine concept.  Although behavior modification techniques may vary according to the problem, good leadership is integral to all canine/human interactions.  It's the cornerstone of a good and healthy relationship.  

     As a pet owner you can do much for your dog by supplying not just what you think he wants, but by focusing more closely on what he really needs.  Look at the tasks that you perform for your dog each day.  By providing food, water, shelter and by cleaning up after him, you in essence present yourself as his caretaker (not so different than his mom, when he was just a dependent baby) and therefore as his leader.  If you don’t also demonstrate to him that you are capable, steady and in control, then on a very primitive and instinctive level, you leave him wondering about the security of his survival.  By setting clear boundaries and rules for your dog's behavior, and learning to communicate in a positive and constructive way, you can help to convey to him that he is the member of a stable and reliable family/pack with good leadership; and so leave him feeling relaxed, confident and most importantly, secure.
When you meet this need for your dog, he will benefit and so will you.

  So watch your dog closely, and listen to his soundless yet poignant message:
     "...IF YOU LEAD... I WILL FOLLOW..." 

Copyright © 2004 Kim Rinehardt. Ain't Misbehavin' K9