I have been with dogs all my life. Being an only child, my parents didn’t want me to be lonely, so I was never without a dog. My family had all types of dogs and I have very fond memories of each one of them. None of our dogs were ever aggressive – nor did we have any problems training them.
My dad had a really deep voice when I was a child, which made our dogs listen closely to him. He never needed to use any type of choker or force to teach them how to behave – a method that has proven successful time and time again. This is probably why I have adopted the same nonviolent approach with my dogs ever since.
While at a conference several decades ago, I struck up a conversation with a man at my table who happened to be a fellow dog enthusiast. We were so keen on talking about dogs that we stopped paying attention to the keynote speakers and started sharing our canine knowledge.
This gentleman then mentioned the relationship between wolves and dogs and how they had the same DNA. While I was aware of this genetic link at some level, I had never heard it expressed before. So, he got me interested in wolves and how they live – and how their behavior was very similar to that of dogs.
I started to realize that some of the techniques I was employing already drew upon these shared traits. I even used these insights to improve my existing training methods in order to help family and friends solve small issues they were having with their dogs. As it turns out, 95% of the time the owners were the real problem, not the pet!
My views also changed a few years ago when researchers finally realized that there is no such thing as an alpha wolf. Yes, in captivity they will fight for leadership, but, in the wild, a pack of wolves is simply a family of parents with their offspring. You may have the occasional uncle or brother that remains, but most of the time it is just one big family.
My online dog training courses provide a totally different way of handling your dog’s behavioral issues. Regardless of gender or breed, dogs are soulful creatures who are all looking for the same thing: their leader!
Your dog’s problem behaviors stem from how they view you. I explain to people why their message is not getting through to their dog, and then show them key techniques to ensure they are properly understood by their animal.
