
8 Steps to Becoming the Pack Leader
Teaching your dog to understand and obey basic obedience rules and commands is a beneficial step towards a happier partnership with your dog. Not only does it allow for easy management of your dog, it also allows you to build a stronger bond and it may even save your dog's life one day.
So why spend time doing silly tricks? Good question. And here's the answer ...
Dogs, like humans, need mental stimulation.
Tricks are actually problem-solving activities that involve communication, interpreting boundaries, and learning new physical skills. Like eye/paw coordination.
Did you ever have someone special in your life you looked up to? You felt protected and encouraged. Over time you developed a bond based on trust.
Training your dog creates the same dynamic. It’s something that helps you both, connecting you emotionally and developing a bond built on trust and respect.
Tricks help you communicate with your dog. You know that however much you adore someone in a new friendship, it takes time to learn how each other’s minds work, so your communication gets better over time as you do more things together.
Like collaborating musicians, you both gain more confidence as you continue to reinforce each other’s successes.
Knowing an increasing number of tricks gives your dog a sense of purpose. Something to accomplish.
You’ll also notice that your dog’s ability to focus will improve as he expands his “playlist.” And with time, he’ll be able to do more complex tricks that use a combination of skills he’s gained from learning simpler ones.
Knowing tricks also improves socialization – people love seeing dogs showing off their impressive capabilities, so the more your dog can perform, the more people will be delighted and give him the attention dogs absolutely adore.
Finally, you’ve seen zoomies, haven’t you? Bursts of galloping energy, boundlessly explosive! If you don’t provide a way to vent this energy then your pup will find less constructive ways to release it. So helping your dog channel some of this boundless energy can only be a good thing.
Your dog is going to love all this, wait and see! Although there are many styles of dog training, the most current practices hold to the philosophy of positive reinforcement instead of emphasizing your Alpha power.
Your pup will automatically look up to you as the top dog when you show him that you’re the source of fun and treats. After all, you two are partners!
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