Pack Structure
Dogs are pack animals, just like wolves are pack animals. They are predators. Horses
and cows, on the other hand, are herd animals. Being herd animals also makes them prey (food) for predators.
Predators live by one set of genetic rules and prey animals live by a different set of genetic
rules.
Pack animals live in family packs which has a pack leader and lower remaining members.
Dog packs, like wolf packs, are not a democracy.
A pack is organized in a hierachy of rank. Simply put, this means that every member of
the pack knows exactly what its rank is within the family pack.
Pack animals genetically understand this concept. This concept is the reason people have
dog fights when they add a new dog to a home that already has dogs. Everyone has to re-establish the new pecking order
when a new pack member comes on board.
The Beginning of Pack Structure
When a puppy is raised with littermates they begin to establsih their family pack at about 4.5
weeks of age. They start by playing with one another.
They bite and push each other around. Those pups that bite the hardest and push the most
become the higher ranking pack members of the litter.
With that being said, there is no question that the mother is the pack leader. A good mother
will exert her leadership by warning puppies to stay away from her food bowl when she is eating. She protects her litter
which demonstrates leadership and she also controls the litter in subtle ways that establish her as the pack leader.
What is a Pack Leader?
When people get puppies, they need to establish themselves as the new pack leader. To do
this correctly, they should first understand exactly what a pack leader is.
Pack leaders are aloof, they are calm, and they are self confident. a pack leader is fair
in how he/she lives with his/her pack members. While the pack leader is a dictator, he is a fair dictator who enforces
well defined set of rules that members know, understand, and are expected to live by.
What a pack leader is not, is a dictator who loses his temper, bullies pack members into compliance,
and does not act in a fair manner in regard to the lives of the pack members.
For example, the leader always eats first. Lower ranking members don't get the choice food.
But, when the leader is finished and he turns the food over to the other pack members, he does not come back and drive them
away from the food.
People who put food down and then take it away or push the dogs away from the food bowl are bullies.
This is how their dogs view them. This is not practicing fair leadership principals.
The correct way is to make the dog do something (i.e. sit) before the food is put down.
But once it's down they leave it alone until it's time to pick it up. It's good practice to leave the food down for
15 minutes and then pick it up, even if the dog has not eaten it all.
It's easy to bully your way into a leadership position. People do this all the time.
The problem is that the bullying destroys their relationship with their dogs.
I want my pack members to trust me, feel relaxed around me, and be comfortable in my presence.
The only way this can happen is if they know the rules and anticipate our expectations. When that happens they know
they will be treated fairly. They also know that if they ignore the rules, they will suffer the consequences.
This leadership relationship is a learned endeavor. It's learned through the day to day experience
of living with an owner who establishes and enforces rules. It's also learned through formal obedience training.
Puppies that grew up and became dominant and aggressive dogs were always raised by people who
did not establish the correct family pack structure.
Where Does it Start?
When a puppy comes to your home its only experience in life has been with its mother and littermates.
It sees that things have changed, but it has no reason to believe that how it interacts with a family pack has changed.
It has played with the littermates by biting and chasing, so that's how it thinks it should continue
to interact within a family pack.
It takes a few days but once it accepts you and your family as its new pack, it will try to interact
with you the same way it did with its litermates....biting and chasing.
The fact is, in its own small way, it's trying to find its rank within the new pecking order
of your family.
It's your job to teach your puppy (without scaring it) that you are the new pack leader.
It's your job to teach it that biting and chasing high ranking human pack members is unacceptable. Therein lies the
rub. Many people ignore these small challenges and others overreact to them. You have to find the middle road.
Those who ignore this behavior often end up with dominant dogs. Those who overreact and
use too much force in correcting the biting end up with shy dogs that never reach their potential.
Establishing the Tether
When bringing a pup home, we recommend to always use a crate.
Your first goal is to reduce the possibility of house training mistakes and to teach the pup
that being wild in the house is not going to happen.
Never allow the puppy to run around the house unsupervised. Always keep it on a line.
What a better way to establish leadership than to control every aspect of the pup's life?
Those who allow puppies to run around un-tethered are only asking for the problems that will
eventually come up. These pups are going to get into things, they are going to make mistakes and pee on the floor, or
they are going to jump up and play bite.
When we are tired of playing with the pup, it goes into the crate. In the beginning, it's
going to cry or whimper, begging to be let out. Do not give in.
As time passes and the pup calms down and learns manners in the house, you may let it lie at
your feet while you are working on the computer. If it doesn't calm down, or you do not have time for it, it stays
in the crate.
Doors and Gates
Going through doors, going through gates, and coming down stairs first are huge things in terms
of rank for a dog. All dogs, puppies or adults get excited when it's time to be let out or time to come back into the
house. Without training, they will all bolt out the door. This is not only annoying, it can be dangerous.
From day one, pups should be controlled at the door. They are always on a line and you
should always make the pup sit for food when they go outside or come back inside. In fact, our dogs will wait until
we give a command before going outside.
Toys
There is no question that people quickly fall in love with their puppies. Many
will buy toys for their pets.
Toys are not recommended to be laying around the house. We take the approach that the dogs
do not own any toys. The toys are our toys and we allow the pups to play with "OUR TOYS". And, we always take
the toys away when play time is finished .
Once again, this demonstrates leadership without pressure. It's not domineering but it
makes it clear that you are the leader.
When playing with the pups, always keep them on a line. This does two things. It
stops them from playing keep away and it conditions them to forget that they have a line on.
Through play, the pups are taught that humans are fair. We don't bully them and they are
taught to give up the toy when told.
Taking the Toy Away
After play, when it comes time to take the toy away, we say "DONE" (any word will do as long
as you are consistent and stick with the same word) and offer to trade the pup a really good treat for the toy.
We simply let them smell the treat and when they let go of the toy, they get the food.
Don't ever tease them with the toy once it's taken away. This is poor leadership and is counter productive to a good
bond.
Other Dogs and Puppies
If out for a walk and are approached by another person walking their dog, be careful and alert
before you allow the other dog to come up and smell or greet your puppy.
We don't know how territorial or dog aggressive this other dog is. It only takes a blink
of an eye for another dog to strike your puppy. Once a puppy has been attacked, it can be dog aggressive for the
rest of its life. Dogs don't forget traumatic events like this.
As pack leader, our puppy EXPECTS us to protect it from non-pack members.
Introducing Dogs into a Home
with Other Dogs
(three dogs are a dog pack!!)
Three dogs will develop a RANKING ORDER which includes a pack leader. Every dog pack knows
exactly what its rank is within the dog pack. When dogs don't have a strong human pack leader, one of the three dogs
will ALWAYS step to the line and become the leader.
When a new dog is added to a home, every dog in that house has to re-establish its personal rank
within the new family pack. Sometimes re-establishing rank is where dog fights come from.
By making it known that YOU are the pack leader, there is less chance for these fights.
Introduction is usually recommended outside with all dogs on leash. Taking them for a walk
together helps to familiarize them on neutral ground.
Dogs use their body language to communicate, so take the time to learn a little about your dog's
body language.
-Leerburg Training
