Dog Training tips and advice

There are many dog owners out there who never need to visit a site like this or engage the services of either a trainer or behaviourist. Their dog goes through life in a happy state and never offers the owner a problem. Some might say this owner is well trained, others that the dog is easy going, those with problem dogs may call this owner lucky!

The dogs we have in our homes today come in all shapes and sizes, but underneath it all they are still a pack animal. If left to nature our dogs would live in highly organised packs with complex social structures. It is this complexity that creates the problem behaviours we see in our dogs. These behaviours are typically caused by our mis-understanding of our dogs. We don't set out to have a pet dog that is aggressive to others, that pulls like a steam train or refuses to come back when we let them off the lead. We all want that loyal happy dog who is a joy to be around and never causes a fuss.

Within canine society there is always one clear leader - the Alpha. Everyone in the pack follows the Alpha, without question. They follow the Alpha not because they are forced into submission, but instead because they want to, they trust the Alpha to provide for them, to care for them, to keep them safe but most of all to truly lead. This is the role which, as owners, we should seek to occupy. We really need to be the Alpha in our pack.

The pages in this section of the site give brief outlines of behaviours you the owner can offer your dog, so as to calmly and consistently take the Alpha role, using the thoughtful approach.

One aspect of training dogs which we can be thankful for, is that as well as being pack animals, they are predators. In this way they are the same as people making the relationship between us and our pet dogs, easier to remedy when things go wrong. Your dog likes the same things you do, food, praise, and if they can get it, power.

In addition, dogs crave affection, time to play, and freedom. I will talk more about rewarding your dog appropriately in the "Pay Day" section.

People reading this should note, there is nothing new about these ideas. However, with more and more people owning dogs for pleasure rather than work, there are just so many pet dog owners who are not aware of their dog's thought processes or the reasons for his behaviour. This is why I am keen to be a medium for making this information readily available to all.