Pack lessons for your dog

From the day a pup is born the bitch will growl or snap to reprimand him.

01-11-2006 | Anna Holland

My contribution is trying to improve the lives of farm dogs through these articles, and this month we are going to look at gaining control of your dog without cruelty.

A handful of you are so lax with your dogs that they positively run the show and it shouldn’t be like that. Dogs require a pack leader and that needs to be you.

And some of you should be banned from ever owning a dog because of your outright cruelty in order to be that leader.

It amazes me how so many, so called ‘dog men’ are some of the cruellest around. You make out you like dogs. You breed them, you train them, you work them, you trial them – they appear to be your passion in life. But the way you treat them is appalling.

You do not have the right, just because you own the dog, to beat it, strangle it, electrocute it etc, to within an inch of its life.

I sometimes feel that dog trialing can have a detrimental effect on some competing dog’s lives because of the striving to win attitude of some of the trialists.

Dogs make mistakes and sometimes don’t do exactly as they are told immediately, but if they have been taught respect, general right from wrong, and basic stock handling skills there shouldn’t be any need for extreme punishment.

For those of you who don’t know how and want to try an alternative way the following is how to get obedient and happy dogs that are a joy to work.

I mightn’t have been a top trialist but I loved my dogs, they loved me and we got the job (that I was employed to do) done as quickly and efficiently as the best of

them.

In the past I occasionally was harsher than I should have been with the odd dog, but with a better understanding of canine behaviour, through observation, and having made some changes to my methods, I find that I now have very little trouble.

I have had many dogs over the years and I have found that, generally speaking, bitches are naturally more submissive. It is logical really as nature has intended males to vie for the dominant role and females to submit.

You must be seen, in your dog’s eye, to be ‘top dog’ – leader of the pack.

If humans take this role from day one, they will, in my opinion have very little trouble in the future.

Think about this – dogs don’t beat one - another with sticks.

Pups learn respect from growling, snapping and being stood over. If you have ever watched a litter of pups you will know what I mean.

Let me explain ‘a dog’s way – the language of dogs’.

From the day a pup is born the bitch will growl or snap to reprimand him. She has no need to hurt him and doesn’t - the noise or quickness of the movement is all it takes. I have yet to see a bitch draw blood, even as the pup gets older and bolder.

As a litter of pups grow ‘play fights’ evolve, and inevitably it will turn a little more serious. It will usually end with one either, shaking the other by the scruff of the neck or standing aggressively over it, looking it in the eye and growling.

As the pups begin to interact with the other members of the pack they are put in their place by the same methods. There will be a gentle warning growl and if that is not heeded, a snap follows – lightening quick, giving the pup a fright rather than inflicting pain.

It will either scamper off whimpering or roll on its back submissively.

Some older dogs are more tolerant than others but it is unusual for a pup to be injured in these lessons, even from a grumpy dog, and they learn quickly who to steer clear of.

If you watch a patient bitch putting a pup gently in its place, she will straddle the pup by standing over it and gently grasp its nose in her mouth. The pup naturally settles as she presses it down on the ground.

You will never, I repeat never, see a dog pick up a stick and give the pup a walloping. So why, therefore do we do it?

It used to frustrate me years ago, if a dog needed to be taught obedience, I would give it a hiding and with most dogs it had very little positive effect.

They would usually shake themselves afterwards and look at me as if to say “what was that all about”.

I can hear some of you saying “you didn’t give it a good enough one”.

To that I will reply, I wasn’t a skinny little weakling and I could weld an alkathine as well as most men, I’m ashamed to say.

I have observed dogs’ ways and come up with a more successful method – one they understand and respond to.

Let’s look at how we can use ‘the packs way’ to our advantage.

If a pup jumps up on an older dog it isn’t kicked down. It will be growled at, snapped at or pushed down by a mouth over the nose. Therefore, we growl harshly “Grrrrrr … no … down” and push down on the nose or give a sharp tap on its nose at the same time.

If that doesn’t work gently but firmly lie the pup on its side, holding it with one hand over its neck and your other hand holding the flank belly area. Do not use force, just enough pressure to stop it getting up.

As you have it in this position, lean over it, bend down, glare it in the eye and say in a rough voice “grrrrrr, listen to me ….grrrrr, listen to me”. The growl and words are important, in time you will drop the growl and only use “listen to me”.

Continue holding the pup down for a minute or two.

The first time you do this the pup will struggle – it will fight being held and try to get away. It is vital that it stays there, lying flat on its side, gently pinned down. Eventually it will relax. Do not hurt it, you are only using enough pressure to stop it getting up, when it realises it can’t, it will settle.

This is a very important lesson and ideally it is carried out at about 10-16 weeks of age. It should be done with all pups, a couple of times.

If you get an older pup or dog do this lesson as soon as he has settled in his new home, after you have had him a day or two.

It goes without saying – the older the pup, the bigger the pup, and it can be a tricky lesson to enforce.It will put up more of a fight, and you will probably get scratched, but this is not its fault and do not punish it, just hold it down the best you can. Straddling it and gently sitting on it works well for dogs that are bigger.

This lesson teaches the pup or dog that you are the alpha member of the pack – top dog.

When you let the pup up don’t let it run off. Either gently, but firmly sit it at your feet – holding it, or if it has been taught to tie up – hold its collar and make it sit at your feet for a minute or two.

Do not praise it or talk to it – you will defeat the purpose of the lesson.

Because you haven’t hurt it, it isn’t afraid of you – but it does have respect.

It will usually only struggle the first time, and providing it is held there gently until it settles, and then continued to be held for a minute or two after it has calmed, you will find that the next time you do it, it will be accepting and lie still.

Once a pup is used to this procedure I roll it on its back, keep it still with slight pressure on the brisket, gently grasp its nose, glare it in the eye, and in a harsh voice “listen to me”.

I do this if a pup is being silly, annoying or disobedient but I don’t overdo it – pups need to be pups. Think of it as a child. They need to run and play, have fun but when you say enough is enough – “no”, and they don’t listen, then gently put it on its back, hold it still, glare at it and “grrrrrr …..listen to me”

As I said – you haven’t hurt it – it isn’t afraid of you, but it has respect.

I use this on dogs of all ages if they need to be put in their place. And remember, it is vital to not let the dog run off – let him up but hold his collar and sit him at your feet for a minute or two.

  Printable View