From the desk of Sharda Baker.



Tuesday, January 18, 2011



Hi and welcome everyone!

This is Sharda with another dog training newsletter for you.

I don’t know if you remembered but last time we had a discussion about being the alpha of your household and what it takes to become one.

I thought that we have covered a lot of material but since I’m still receiving emails with a lot of questions about becoming alpha I did some more research and found out 24 STEPS to help you become alpha and make dog training easier for you and your dog.

As you can see 24 steps is a lot to cover in just one newsletter, so, I think it would be better we slice those parts up to help you digest the steps slowly.

So, without further ado let’s get you in shape to become one heck of an alpha!


DOG TRAINING – STEPS TO BECOME ALPHA

Before we start let me just say that the steps that are presented in this dog training newsletter are all more attitude oriented than action. Please note that physical punishment will not enforce you as the Alpha- it will only create distrust, fear and a grudging sense of submission.

You want to be the alpha for the good of your dog, i.e. to give him or her a lead to follow and make his or her adjustment with the human pack smoother.

Here are few of the things you will need to do climb to the top dog spot:



WALK THE WALK

Walk like the leader. Look powerful and authoritative. When you deal with your dog, use a firm voice. Do not go down on your knees and beg the dog to sit or stay- just tell him what to do. You should not be the one putting a request to your dog.

You are the alpha, so use the dog obedience command words as commands that have to be listened to. Remember that dogs are intelligent enough to know what leadership material is. If you waver in your behavior, he can sense your doubt.

Act like the alpha of the back and show him who is boss.



LOOK HIM/HER IN THE EYE

When you give a dog obedience command, look straight at your dog. Make sure he can see that you mean business and that it is not a command to be disobeyed. Always hold eye contact with your dog, no matter how big or small he or she is.

Call out to the dog and make sure that he or she also looks straight at you when dog training or in any activity. If he looks at you in an attempt to defy you, then stare back at him firmly without blinking, till he lowers his gaze.

It’s not only a way of establishing a contact; it’s also a way for your dog to figure out the hierarchy in the pack.



MUZZLE POWER

This doesn’t mean put a physical muzzle and strap him up. This means that when you handle him or her, cover the muzzle of your dog’s face and hold on for a few seconds. This gesture is a dominant gesture and can be part of when you are patting or rewarding your dog.

Do it gently, not as a show of giving out a punishment but as a show of having control.


DO THE ROYAL IGNORE ACT

You do not like the way your puppy is jumping? Then ignore him. Do not say a word when he is doing something to annoy you. Ignore it like you just can’t see him. Till he stops, do not even acknowledge his presence.

Do not give him dog training commands that he will disobey anyway, i.e. if he is jumping up and down and you tell him to stop, he won’t. So instead of using commands and risk being disobeyed, what you need to do is ignore the action and act blind till he stops.



STICK TO ROUTINE

Follow a schedule and be methodical in your routine. A leader should not be functioning in a haphazard way. The alpha gets to decide the routine and stick to it. Have fixed times for meals, potty, walks, training sessions, play and nap time.

This will not only get them house broken, it will make them obedient to the routine of things and accept that to please you, they have better stick to the schedule. Having a routine also gives the dog a feeling of security and he or she will be grateful to you as the alpha, for providing them the protection and care that they need.

So, there you go those are only 5 of the 24 steps to become the alpha of your household.

Remember that being alpha doesn’t mean you have to show your power through punishment and hitting it will only make your dog disrespect you more and will make dog obedience training a difficult task.

I hope that you learned a lot of things in today’s dog training newsletter update.

I’ll be back with more steps to become alpha.

All the best and take care

Warmly,