Being a Great Leader for Your Dog: 4 Skills You Need

The need for leadership is one of the most important things that we share with dogs. Whether it's a boss at work, a parent in the house, or a politician in parliament, these are the people we look at for guidance in our lives. Dogs are no different and I'd go as far to argue that the need for a strong and capable leader is far more important to them than it ever will be to us. Our pet dogs live in a confusing, unnatural, man-made world and it can be difficult for them to make the best decisions in way the keeps them safe and happy. Our job as their owner is to be that guiding light they're looking for and to help them navigate this strange world. Due to their innate desire to fall into a hierarchy, dogs are at their best and most secure when understanding their place under a capable leader. Unfortunately, when this isn't the case or when a dog doesn't have that guiding light in their life, it can spell all kinds of misfortune which typically presents itself as complicated emotional and/or behavioural issues. As a regular dog owner, you are most likely already showing your dog leadership in some way whether it's through feeding or going for their daily walks, etc. But there is a possibility that your leadership could be lacking in one key area and that it may be the cause for issues inside or outside of the house and, to a further extent, the cause of a failing relationship.

Here are 4 skills you can develop as an owner to help boost your leadership. You should be able to have...

The Skill to Communicate Clearly

Telling your dog to do something but also making sure they can understand what it is you're really asking of them. Human's tend to over-complicate this process. Dogs are simple animals that don't necessarily understand some of the more complicated aspects of our language. If you're asking your dog to do something and you're having to resort to shouting, yelling, begging or pleading then chances are your communication with them wasn't very clear in the first place. In addition to that, if you're telling them "come back here" but at the same time you're chasing them around the garden trying to grab a hold of them then you're quite literally telling them 2 different things at once. Your voice is saying "come back here" and your body language is saying "let's play a game of chase!". Chances are, your tone of voice is also quite frantic/frustrated which is only adding another layer of conflicting information. You can imagine how confusing this must be for an animal that doesn't naturally understand us: Picture yourself lost in a foreign country with a local man rushing up to you and shouting in some language that you don't speak a word of. You would have no idea on what to do, leading you to get stressed, confused, and eventually losing the energy before just giving up entirely.

When communicating with our dogs it's our responsibility as their leader to convey information in a way that they can clearly understand so we can help them make decisions that benefit them. Keeping our commands, tone, and body language consistent with one another is the best way to get across what you're trying to tell your dog. Instead of hounding your dog with the same command over and over again, say the command once and be patient as you give them some time to process what you've said. Use your tone to translate your calm energy so as not to overwhelm them and use your body language as a final clue to help them succeed (kneeling down to invite them over, stepping into their space to move them back, out stretching your hand to entice them to drop their toy). Remember, they don't speak our language. Let's make it easy as possible for them so they can succeed.

The Skill of Being Calm and Confident

Nothing says capable quite like keeping your cool when things are going bad. Having the power to negotiate your way out of bad situations whilst still keeping a level head is a sure fire way of letting your dog know which one of you can really handle the situation. This skill is especially powerful for those that have fearful/nervous dogs. Unfortunately, what happens in a lot of these cases is the dog sees that no one is in control, of what he perceives, is a possibly life-threatening situation...so he takes matters into his own hands (paws?). Now this can be a problem because, as we've already went over, this is a human world and now this dog is making animalistic decisions that manifests as growling, barking, lunging and generally making a big scene that can range from a slightly embarrassing moment for the owner to a full on dog fight in the street; neither of which anybody wants.

Humans are usually unwitting participants in this performance due to us getting so easily frustrated, overwhelmed, scared, angry, or some mix of all these emotions. These negative emotions only feed more into the negative emotions our dog is already feeling which only works to make the situation more unpleasant for everyone. It is also common for the owner to spot another dog approaching and automatically tense up; the dog notices this and mirrors the same nervous/tense energy which only leads us right back to square one. By projecting a calm and confident energy we can inspire our dogs to realise that everything is fine, that there isn't anything to worry about. If you're not worrying why should he worry? If you're not feeling confident...then just fake it 'til you make it. Keep your head high, shoulder back and arms relaxed. If a situation still arises it's still just as important to keep that same energy all through-out. Be a positive role-model for your dog in these situations because the moment you cave into those negative emotions, you begin the process of making the situation even worse and all the more traumatising for any one person or animal involved. Don't be nervous and panicked like everyone else...be calm and confident.

The Skill to Recognise and Fulfil Your Dog's Instinctual Needs

Every animal has their own primary in-built needs that are necessary for survival; food, water, and shelter. What we don't pay much attention to is the lesser needs that also exist and that, just like the primary needs, are important to fulfil if you're looking for a balanced and healthy life. I could do an entire post on what these needs are for humans and how they can help in our own lives but for now let's just concentrate on the dogs. What are some of these often unfulfilled needs? Exercise, exploration, discipline, play, affection, and teaching/training

Usually when I visit the home of unruly dogs, one of these important needs is left unfulfilled in the dog's life. When one of these is missing the dog usually takes it upon himself to find an outlet for these needs or, once he finds out things can work in his favour, takes advantage of the void and begins to act out. It is our job as their leader to give them healthy outlets and fair rules to live by so we can be setting them up for their most successful life. Exercise and exploration can be brought about by going on daily walks (usually 30 minutes+), discipline is simply laying down some rules you expect your dog to live by and that you'll be consistent in enforcing. Play is finding ways to stimulate their brain in a fun way and affection is as simple as letting your dog know they are loved. Teaching/training your dog is important so the can have confidence on how is best to behave in this strange, alien world.

There are only so many hours in the day that it can be difficult to find the time to account for all these needs. Sometimes the solution to fulfilling these needs can be as simple as giving less time to affection and more time to exercise. Or more teaching/training and less play (for all the owners of athlete dogs out there). Being a great leader means dedicating time out of your day to fulfilling all of your dog's needs. If you do this then you'll bring about a natural balance within your dog who no longer feels the need to act out and misbehave as a means of dealing with a lack of fulfilment.

The Skill of Creating Daily Structure and Rules

This could have actually went in the previous entry as I actually view this as a need that should be regularly fulfilled. However, it's so important yet so often non-existent in relationships that I think it deserves its own slice of the pie. Daily structure is essentially creating a regular routine with your dog so they can learn to expect similar things to happen each day. Having rules is about making sure your dog knows how to behave in an acceptable way and is also about making sure that you, as their leader, are being consistent with them.

Having a predictable day can inspire confidence in nervous dogs, make over-stimulated dogs calmer, and turn disobedient dog into more co-operative companions. A life without surprises is a life that brings balance and happiness, even for humans (think about the classic idea of settling down in a house with the white picket fence). Feeding, walking, resting and playing should all be happening at similar times of the day and as frequently as they usually happen. As animals that naturally want to follow routine, they'll be more than ready to adjust accordingly to a new life of structure.

As humans we sometimes make the mistake of our rules being confusing and messy (maybe a lack of clear communication?) for our dogs. One day we can wake up ready to make a change in their behaviour: "Today, you're going to learn not to pull on the lead when we go for a walk". The next day we wake up not having had a great sleep and maybe don't have the same amount of patience and/or motivation: "Okay you can pull on the lead a little bit". This is the same problem from earlier-we're telling the dog two different things and now all we're doing is creating confusion. As capable leaders we should be trying our best to make our rules as "black & white" as possible. Right & wrong. Good & bad. If our rules are a mix, if our rules are "grey", then you can never expect your dog to understand what is allowed and what isn't, so why even have rules at this point? It may be time to start again but now with the skill of clear communication (and consistency) to ensure your dog knows what to expect when you introduce a new rule.

Final thoughts

Hopefully this has worked as a quick guide to help you live a better life with your dog by understanding the nuances of canine leadership and a human's role in it. If you do decide to take on some of this advice just keep in mind that making a lifestyle change is never easy. It takes of a lot of willpower and dedication and it can be especially hard if the changes aren't necessarily for you but for your dog. Not seeing the impacts on your own life can make it hard to see what the end goal is: You need to remember that being a better leader for your dog will benefit both of you in the long-term, instead of just the short-term, as you begin to see a calmer, more confident, and well-behaved dog. A dog that is living their best life because of their amazing leader.