THE CALL

By Maggi Forootan

Ring…ring!

“Hello Maggi, this is the President.” “I’ve decided that I need a few months off.” “The responsibilities of leading this great country are a lot of work, and having to make all of these important decisions is wearing me down.” “Could you please take over for me for a while?”

HOLY CRAP! What to do…what to do?! He’s asking ME?! Someone has to do it…we can’t NOT have a leader! So many decisions to make…do I sign this? Do I bomb these people over here? Is this other country our friend or foe? What to do…what to do?! Better just do SOMETHING…anything…someone has to lead, or we will die!

It’s easy to imagine that I would make some pretty bad decisions if I had really received this phone call…right?

This is a perfect example of how your dog feels when he is living in a home where the humans have not clearly taken on the role of leader. Your household, and all of the members in it, form a family/pack in your dog’s mind. This family/pack is a social group that is weak without a strong leader. In a dogs mind a weak family/pack is in constant danger of not surviving. If a human does not step up and take the role of family/pack leader, the dog will as a way to survive and relieve the stress that a lack of leadership causes. Most trainers and behaviorists agree that pet dogs generally have no desire to be the leader in their family/pack. It’s a demanding, stressful role. The safety and survival of the whole family/pack depends on a leader who can make wise decisions.

Dogs living in homes where they feel that they need to lead usually make very bad decisions by our human standards. They often become nervous, stressed, destructive, or sometimes aggressive. This state of mind is where most behavior problems arise. The good news is that once the humans fully embrace the role of leader many behavior problems simply vanish.

I named my dog training business Lead and Love K9 because I feel that the best thing I can do for dogs is to teach their humans… who love them…how to lead them. Your dog wants to know you’ve got things under control. He needs to know that he doesn’t have to worry about making the big decisions in life, and that he can relax and be a calm observer of his world instead of a stressed out reactor.

To truly love your dog you must become a strong leader for your dog!

Lead and Love K9

www.leadandlovek9.com

Family dog training in Orange County, California