Dogs don’t have humanlike ambitions: Being No. 1 dog in their family pack is more of a burden than an honor. The truth is that dogs simply want their human pack members to assign them a rank number and to make the decisions. With someone else making the decisions, the dog doesn’t have to ever be on guard and can now tend to the other matters on his agenda, such as an afternoon nap or a game of fetch.
The rank in the pack doesn’t have to be earned by physical force. A strong pack leader controls access to food, resting spots, and water and has a stable mood. In fact, the only return this leader expects is attention and respect from his group.
The simple act of making a dog work for everything he wants, such as obeying a simple command like "Sit" before being given dinner, or even being given a pat, tells him you’re in charge.
Without an authority figure and adequate pack structure, your dog will become quite stressed. This stress is the source of many dog behavior problems. These problems come about because the dog thinks, "If no one in my pack is in charge, then someone must make the decisions, and the only one left is me." Thus, the unwilling dog is forced into a position of leadership. He must then be ever vigilant and becomes pushy, dominant, and even aggressive.
Excerpted from Understanding Your Dog for Dummies by Stanley Coren, PhD and Sarah Hodgson, c 2007, Wiley Publishing Inc. Reprinted by permission.
