By far, the most important question dog owners ask is how do I convince my dog that I am the person in charge. Think of the pack leader as the decision maker – where you should go on the walk, how to behave in different situations, and how to respond to all the strange things that are out there.

When you understand how the dog pack works, you realize the importance of the pack leader making all the decisions. If you leave it up to your dog, then there’s a big chance that your dog is going to get some things very wrong and make a mistake.

In order to understand how to become the pack leader, you must first recognize that the following means nothing to a dog: what car you drive, the size of your house, the money you earn or the fact that you speak languages. Your dog would happily swap all of that for a nice snack.

Asking your dog to sit before dinner falls short of what you need to be achieving to become the real pack leader.

Dominating your dog is certainly not the way to become the pack leader. In fact, this can backfire badly on you later…if you teach your dog that physical strength is what it is all about. While you may force your dog into submission, it will not be convincing your dog that you are worthy of the position and that you should become the pack leader. Instead, it tells your dog that you are a bit of a bully.

So how do you become the pack leader? All dogs worldwide, regardless of breed, use the same ways to establish the pack leader. The important areas to take control in are the following:

  • The pack leader is in total control when your dog barks and alerts you to danger. This includes anything that your dog may perceive as dangerous and barks at on your property.
  • On the walk, your dog should not pull you at a single stage, not even in the beginning!
  • If you are the pack leader, then your dog should be able to relax and switch off completely inside the house. If your dog is always switched on most of the time and can’t relax, then your dog is on pack leader duty and not you.
  • Getting your dog to switch off is directly connected to how you meet and greet your dog after you return home. It is so subtle but it is the difference between being the pack leader or the follower.
  • Lastly, feeding your dog correctly will establish who is the pack leader and there is much more to it than asking your dog to sit. Also if you have a dog that is “not food motivated” then you may be in for a surprise.

If you want to understand more about this topic or see the videos that explain everything, then simply take a look at The Online Dog Trainer.