Friday, July 23, 2010

Dog Behavior Workshop 2

Welcome back! Here are the answers to the Quiz:


1) Attention


2) They had to go!


3) It's Comfy!


4) They're Bored


5)They don't know how to.





So how'd you do? As you can see, dogs think very simply.


Let's talk a bit about a popular theory these days, Pack Theory.
It is true that dogs are pack animals, however, they are removed from wolves by THOUSANDS of years.
Dogs are NOT born leaders, in fact they are born FOLLOWERS! Think about it, if every member of a pack wanted to be the leader or 'alpha' that pack wouldn't function very well, would it? Dogs are more than happy to sit back and relax and let you take care of the important stuff like food, water and shelter.



Dogs do not need to be dominated. The best way to establish leadership is through the Nothing in Life is Free method which states that a dog must work for everything it wants. Before a dog eats, gets pet, goes outside, plays etc, they must first do something for you. (Like sit).


If you do find yourself with a dominant dog, make sure you mix their food with your hands and let them watch you eat first, before they get fed. Also make sure to walk through doorways first.





In the next instalment we will delve into K9 Cognition and learning theory...see you then!

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