Pack Hierarchy


I’ve lived with a pack of dogs of 5-20 dogs at a time, for 35 years. 

I’ve obedience trained over 10,000 dogs, with my own hands. 

I’ve lived with nearly every breed of dog that has ever been invented. 

One thing I’ve found to be true, dogs are like children and they need clear leadership from their humans. 

Dogs are pack animals who understand there are leaders and followers in every interaction. 

My observations of my pack for 35 years? Dogs have a very defined hierarchy and every interaction has meaning. 

What role are you seen by your dog? Are you the leader or the follower?

Listen to the sound in the video. The older dog is quite, yet firm. She says “leave it”. 

Prior to this, the old dog had to get up and chase the puppy off/ light nip. The puppy learned after multiple attempts that she must respect the old dog. 

The first 5 minutes the puppy barked and would try to run up & take the bone. At the end the puppy was calm and gave up. 

This lesson was valuable to the puppy to understand she can’t have everything she wants. And that she needs to respect elders when they say “back off”. 

This method used by the older dog is the same mindset you should adopt when eating and your dog wants to take your food.

Author:
Alicia of Safari Doodles

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