Good Advice
To help our dogs learn successfully, we need to be clear, consistent and always positive, reassuring and understanding. In a busy family home, consistency can sometimes be difficult, so to avoid confusion and maintain structure, it’s helpful for one adult to take the lead. This person can act as the main point of guidance, helping everyone stay on the same page and ensuring your dog receives clear, confident direction.
The role of a leader is to take responsibility for your dog’s welfare and to make important decisions when needed, while also allowing your dog the freedom to learn, understand and make good choices wherever it’s appropriate.
By being given the chance to think and act for themselves, dogs can lead more fulfilling lives, building confidence with the safety and support of their team leader and family.
Your family and your dog make up the team, and the leader’s role is to guide, care for and help teach the life skills that allow your dog to thrive.
Establishing the team leader
When your dog first joins the family, it’s important that the nominated team leader spends extra time building a one-to-one bond with them. Establishing this relationship early on will benefit everyone in the long run, helping to prevent behaviour problems and creating a safe, structured environment at home.
Positive interactions and consistent guidance from the team leader will strengthen this structure over time. Having a trusted leader also gives your dog a reliable source of support in everyday life. When faced with new places or unfamiliar experiences, knowing that their leader is calm, confident and ready to guide them helps your dog feel secure. This trust allows them to develop life skills and confidence in a safe, positive way.
Outdated theories
In the past, it was commonly believed that to live harmoniously with a dog, people needed to be ‘dominant’ over them. This idea came from outdated and inaccurate studies of wolves and led to practices such as always eating before your dog or insisting on going through doorways first to show who was in charge.
We now know that this approach is misguided. Modern research has given us a much clearer understanding of canine behaviour, showing that dominance-based, punishing methods can cause significant harm — not only to a dog’s behaviour and welfare, but also to the bond they share with their human family.
How to build the supportive leader role
Create clear and consistent leader lines around appropriate behaviour by:
• Rewarding positive behaviour as it happens. Use verbal praise, gentle touch and high-value treats to reinforce the actions you want to see.
• Using clear visual prompts to set expectations. For example, if you don’t want your dog on the sofa all the time, only invite them up when their blanket is on it so the rule is consistent and easy to understand.
• Calmly discouraging unwanted behaviour by ignoring it and guiding your dog towards an alternative, desirable action instead.
• Understanding the difference between being a leader and a commander. A good leader provides safety, guidance and support, helping their dog make positive choices. They don’t control or dominate their dog’s behaviour, but help them learn and navigate life with confidence.
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