Rules of Leadership

Canine relationships are of only two types: the leader and the follower. In order to prevent having to challenge the dog for leadership at a future date, you must be your dog's leader from the moment you acquire it. If you don't take charge the dog will, from its perspective, and in no uncertain terms. This will often occur through behaviors that are inappropriate in human society. In the worst case the dog that takes charge may instinctively attempt to enforce its position the way it would in the canine world: by the
use of its teeth.

Rule 1. Leaders are confident.

Dogs instinctively read body language and energy levels better than human vocal communication. If the leader is filled with tension, uncertainty, or fear, the dog knows this instantly. It doesn't matter if we need to lead one dog or a pack, we must project a confident bearing and tone of voice to those we wish to voluntarily follow us. Walk confidently, chin up, and smile. Whether your dog is dominant, shy, or submissive, failure to be a calm and confident leader will make the dog's problems worse, and may cause
those undesirable traits to become a way the dog comes to dominate you.  Leaders must be possessed of inner calm and conviction, and when they achieve that state it can be transferred to the dog. Learning and self control by the dog will best occur when it has achieved a calm state.

Rule 2. No teeth on human skin.

Puppies have needle sharp teeth and wounds are easily acquired. So we start at day one and teach the dog that it will be unpleasant for him to use its teeth on any part of the human anatomy. Our part in this consists of not doing things that encourage the dog to bite, and immediate action at the appropriate level to render a bite situation memorably unpleasant, the first time, when it does happen. A stinging snap of the finger on the nose or hard cuff under the chin. For older dogs, these same two tactics will work -- unless the dog has been allowed to develop into one that has achieved its goals of dominance over humans by aggressive actions. In these cases the guidance of a professional trainer must be sought.

Rule 3. The leader controls space.

a. A canine leader does not share its space, and subordinates always yield their space to the leader. Your bed and furniture are people-space, and allowing your dog to share them sends mixed signals to the dog that is always seeking to raise it's social level. If you are determined to have this happen it must be under control that will only come when the dog
clearly demonstrates that it has accepted a subordinate role to all humans.  When the dog has become an adult at about age three, its role should be clearly enough defined to know if you are able to indulge your need to have the dog in your bed. Just because your dog may move from the sofa for you, does not mean it will move for your friends or even other family members.  Remember that its way of saying no to your family and friends may well be with its teeth.

b. Dogs tend to lie in places that are frequented by humans, such as in hallways, in front of the sink or in door ways. They must learn to move out of the way as you approach, and to teach this you will shuffle through the dog with your chin up and a confident bearing. If you are tentative it encourages the dog to challenge you for the space, and in dominant dogs that challenge is most often aggressive actions.

Rule 3. Nothing in life is free (NILIF).

Leaders are respected, and in canine terms that means you must be valued for what you provide in its life. If it is able to control you, and make no mistake it will try in many subtle ways to do so, you will become its follower without even realizing it. Actions such as pulling on the leash, uncontrollable barking, refusing to give up a toy, protecting its food,
nipping at your shoes while walking, and growling to warn you away will become real problems and must not be permitted. Canine subordination (not punishment) comes first in your relationship so that you have a dog you can love, and which will show you respectful attention and affection in return.  This means that the dog has to consistently earn everything it gets from you for its entire life. If you allow the dog to demand and receive petting when it lays its head on your knee one time, and then not the next, your actions
are confusing and encourage other attempts to test and dominate you that may not be so benign. Petting is done only on top of the head, top of the back or across the back to the opposite side. Petting under the chin is a subordinate gesture. Make no mistake about the head on the knee, or leaning against you with one paw on your foot. Those are not actions of affection:  they are actions of dominance by the dog. You should not permit them if you
are always in control.

Rule 4. Every thing belongs to humans.

In the canine world any object that is not in the immediate possession of a higher ranking individual is open to acquisition by any dog that can get and keep it. To gain and keep your place as leader that means that everything must belong to you, and that you must imbue in the dog that you do not have to be in immediate possession for that to hold true.

a. Toys. The dog is never to have more than one at time. All toys are to be given at the start of the day from your hand, and at the end of the day are to be taken away while the dog sees you doing so. Try and determine if there is a favorite toy, and reserve it for times when you are directly interacting with the dog. Remove and replace the favorite toy when you stop the interaction.

b. Human furniture is for human use only. Employ the yes environment (where you use every negative situation to teach a positive outcome) to teach a command of "off" instead of punishing the dog for being on the furniture.

c. Food and treats are allowed only after they are earned, and never in response to a request initiated by the dog. At feeding time require the dog to be calm, and remain at sit before releasing it to eat. Treats are given sparingly, in very small bits, and only after calm, proper response to a command: sit is a good command to start with for this purpose. There is no begging for food allowed, and the dog is not permitted in your eating area.  Food and treats are to be moistened with your saliva, and with dogs that have already assumed a position of dominance this may lead to rejection of the proffered item. If the dog rejects a regular meal simply walk away and take the item with you. Try again in about fifteen minutes, and if the item is again rejected wait until the next scheduled meal. Whether it is a scheduled meal or a treat, the dog gets no food item until it accepts the item with your saliva on it. Don't worry if this takes two or three days since the canine hunger cycle is thirty six hours. Your dog is not going to starve itself, and all food is controlled.


d. Every thing belonging to humans. This includes physical locations, and it is your responsibility to make the dog yield them to you. Shuffle through the dog if is in your path and does not move at your approach.

e. Marking is a dog's way to control territory, and both male and female dogs will do this. It should not be permitted as it may lead to the same action in your home, and territorial guarding. The act of marking is different from the elimination due to need, and you must learn to recognize your dog's body language to stop marking incidents before they happen. You should have your dog eliminate at "the place" in your own yard before starting on walks.

f. Your dog is included in what belongs to humans, and it must come to accept that fact. Communicating your leadership in dog terms will be most effective by touch in specific ways and places. With dominant dogs this must be done slowly and with good judgment, but with confidence and a clear goal of gaining the dog's acceptance. When the dog is in a calm state, take the opportunity to put your hand over its muzzle, on top of its head, pat it on the side by reaching over its back in a non challenging manner. Never have the dog in your lap, nor allow it to place its paws on you. With submissive dogs the tenor of these actions must be especially gentle, but don't make them a babying action, and be careful not to do them when it will reinforce the shy or fearful state. With dogs that show aggression, and especially if a bite has occurred, it is a wise course to seek professional advice.

Rule 5. Every dog must have a safe place.

This is where it goes when it needs peace and quite. The dog must still be trained to yield this location as it is only on loan from you. The safe place can be its "own" rug, or best of all its own crate.

Rule 6. Never chase the dog.

Leaders are in front, and a chase will reinforce your role as a follower. If the dog is not reliable to your recall, it must always have a line attached to the collar. The length of the line depends on how fast you are because you must be able to get to it and step on it to stop the dog. Walk down the line, and at about the three foot length use it like a leash to regain control. Do not ever place your hands directly on the collar to control the dog.

Rule 7. You must be in charge of every situation.

Leaders are able to protect their followers, and are in control of every situation. When you are able to do this to the dog's satisfaction it will not feel the need to attempt to do so on its own. In a time of stress a tight leash is an indicator to the dog that you are not in control, and an indicator to you that the dog has not given you its confidence. Obedience
training is part of the solution to controlling the dog, and building the relationship of your being in charge from the dog's viewpoint. Commands are only given once after the dog has demonstrated its understanding of the task. As a general guideline, never give a command you are not prepared to enforce within four seconds.

Rule 8. Leaders make their expectations a black-or-white situation for the dog. Dogs function best in a situation where the world has no shades of gray concerning their actions in human society. This boils down in its simplest form to human consistency in communication to the dog. Consistency means giving a command only once, and enforcement of the appropriate level of performance of the command -- every time. Allowing the dog to pull on the leash and precede you to the car from the front door, and then becoming frustrated when the dog fails to heel properly at the subsequent training
session, is an all too common example of owner inconsistency.

Rule 9. There are no favorites. In households of multiple dogs the eight rules still apply, but the dynamics change dramatically with every additional dog. One of the most common mistakes is allowing one of the dogs to become the assistant leader. This automatically sets up potential conflict as the subordinate dogs should be expected to seek to raise their
social standing to number two in the order. It may not happen for years, but it will surely happen as age overtakes the vitality of the second in command. For harmonious relationships the human leadership must be strong, and sufficient to maintain order and discipline. It is unnecessary to have the assistance of a canine pack member (a favorite) in doing so, and is guaranteed to lead to problems..

Maintaining the good order and discipline in a multi-dog home consists of many single issues, and the often complex interrelations of those that are seemingly unrelated. Breed type, mix of sexes, mix of breeds, adequate space for each dog to have a place of its own, obedience training, and human fallibility are but a few of the issues that influence the leader's decisions and actions on every occasion.

Rule 10. Leaders assert their authority calmly and with conviction. This rule overlays all the others: it is the umbrella under which the other rules are effective. Just as praise is given in a descending tone and calm voice, the reprimand is given in a deep tone, and not an excited voice. We can not excite the dog and maintain a learning mentality.

Implementation of the rules will do much to gain for you the voluntary acceptance of your leadership, but just the application is not an automatic guarantee of success. However, failing to implement them will certainly jeopardize your chance to become your dog's chosen leader. Start with them immediately the puppy or older dog is acquired, and you will have a solid foundation for a happy and cooperative companion. You can not be selective about implementing them, and it is important that everyone in the family to do them all, and be consistent in their application.