Dogs need - and want - leaders. They have an instinctive need to fit into a pack. They want the security of knowing their place and what’s expected of them. Most of them don’t want to be alpha - they want someone else to give orders and make decisions. But if his humans do not provide that leadership, the dog will take over the alpha-role himself. To reclaim your family’s rightful place as leaders of the pack, your dog needs to learn how to be a subordinate, not an equal. He knew this once, as a baby puppy, because his mother taught him. She showed him very early in life that she was alpha and that he had to respect her.

In your home, you and your family become your dogs pack. It is your responsibility to establish yourself in the alpha position. If you fail to do this, your dog will do it as a natural behavior. Many people assume that they are automatically alpha just because humans are superior to animals. But are you really the leading alpha? Does your dog know it?

So how do you become the alpha leader? In the wild, the adults of the pack begin early to teach the dogs the rules. The dogs learn to greet the adults with respect by approaching them using a slightly crouching posture, with ears back, tail down and wagging, and they lick the adults’ muzzles. The dogs do this as a sign of respect and affection, not out of fear.

This is not openly known to all pet owners and you need to know that if you choose to have a dog/puppy - whether it by adoption, pedigree or by local “save these animals” associations - you need to establish the “alpha” role.

Dog obedience and training can be implemented at any time. If you have a dog that bites, barks consistently, jumps up or has any anti-social behavioral problems, they can all be corrected.

With the correct training and patience your dog will thrive when it understands its boundaries.