Intro

So you have brought home that little ball of fluff. He is the cutest thing you have ever seen. At this stage, many people haven't even considered the issue of training, and those who have, may be planning to get started as soon as pup has had his vaccinations. However, what most people haven't appreciated, is that from the second you collect your puppy, and during each moment you spend with him from that point on, you are training him. You might not be training him to sit or stay, however, you are always conditioning him in terms of his status within your pack. You are teaching him what is, and what is not acceptable behaviour. Therein the problem often lies.

It is also important for people to realise, in light of what is said above, that there is no neutral. You are either teaching your dog something helpful or desirable, or if not, then you are sure to be teaching him something unhelpful or undesirable. For instance, each time you let your dog in from the garden because he is wimpering and scratching at the door, you have reinforced his already strong belief, that to get the door to open, he should wimper and scratch at the door. This is annoying because damage is caused to your property, but it is also a fatal flaw in your relationship with your dog. He has you very well trained!! You might ask whether you should leave him out there for hours on end until his spirit breaks and he stops making a fuss. Of course not. You should watch from the window and let him in before he begins making a fuss, or maybe you could stand by the door and never shut it, have him do his business and then let him re-enter the house once he offers you something, a sit perhaps. I will give more examples of this sort of situation in the other sections of "Training Tips".

In their natural state, canines would exist in a pack. The Alpha, or leader of the pack, would set extremely clear and consistent boundaries for the other members. He would spend his time demonstrating time and time again that he is number one and he would do this in a variety of ways, not all of which are mentioned here. He would eat first and also decide who could eat after him and in what order. When on the move he would always travel at the front, and no other member would be allowed to pass him. However, with power comes responsibility. The Alpha must keep the other members safe, and it is because they trust him to do so, that they follow him willingly. It is also important to note, that physical violence in the form of fighting, is treated as an absolute last resort, reserved for life and death situations only. Hopefully you will never find yourself in such a situation, and therefore, you should NEVER physically chastise your dog! There may be situations when exerting low levels of physical pressure is useful or necessary, but only ever in a calm and controlled manner. There is more on this subject in the "Getting Physical" section.

As well as an Alpha, there will always be an Omega in each pack. This is the dog at the bottom of the pecking order, who always eats last, and spends most of his time attempting to please the Alpha in any way he can. At home, if you have only one dog, he should be the Omega of your pack, there being one Alpha, and the rest of the family acting as pack members.

Now, most domestic situations are not as serious as the life of a pack of wild canines. Most family pets will not be truly perfect, and most families wouldn't require such stringency. Therefore, in most cases, some allowances can be made in terms of behaviours which are not entirely desirable, but are not minded particularly by you and your family. Whatever you find to be acceptable, you must be consistent with the rules, and that includes all members of the family. Some behaviours which many families do not mind, are dominant behaviours through which your dog attempts to move up in status within the pack. This will not necessarily cause difficulties with most dogs, however, if you have a dog with issues, you might find that ceasing to allow these seemingly innocuous behaviours, assists no end. There is more information in relation to this in the "Dominance Games" section.