It has always amazed me how dogs are so closely related to their ancestors, the wolf, and still, to this day, display a natural instinct to live and participate within a family "pack".
Teamwork and partnerships are the natural order in which canines think. A good analogy to explain this better is to observe the way a sports team all works together to accomplish the same goal of winning. Your dog is the same way and looks at you and the rest of his family as part of his "team". He counts on everyone of you in the house to teach him how to behave, understand the rules, and above all, help him survive.
In order for your "family team" to be successful, everyone in the house, especially the dog, must adhere to specific rules, characteristics, and respect. Such examples would include discipline structure, a common way of behaving amongst everyone in the house, and most importantly, respect between your dog and its owners (you and the family). Without these things, there would be total chaos for your pet and he would not have a clue as to who was the leader and how he should behave.
Just like children, dogs and puppies need to be confident in whomever is in charge and giving them direction. Not only is this important for obedience and having a well-behaved dog in the house, but it also gives the animal a sense of belonging. In terms of who should be the "leader" of the pack, it really doesn't matter to your dog, he just needs to be secure that one of you is in charge, for a better sense of his own security.
You Might Be Wondering "How will my dog know who is in charge since there are so many people in the house?"
This is an excellent question for those households with a lot of family members living inside. Amazingly enough, your dog will pick up on the natural order of things. Without being taught, your dog will come to understand the specific hierarchy amongst the family members. And what's more, should you (as the leader) are ever away from the house, your dog will still respect and obey the other members of the family in your absence, just as he would with you.
To Keep Your Dog Well-Behaved, Never Slack On The Rules
At this point it should be clear to you that all dogs must have order and respect in the house, between all members of the family, in order to keep them disciplined. Consider how poorly your children would behave if they had no parents as role models to keep them in check. Without someone enforcing the rules, which does happen often in some households, kids end up with an incredible amount of behavior issues.
The same can happen to your dog if he does not recognize the family as a team and is missing a sense of "who is in charge". And trust me, dogs whom are raised in this type of environment can grow up to have extremely negative obedience problems. The key is to have everyone in your family all agree on treating the dog the same way, between everyone in the household. This will ensure that your dog lives a life of happiness, security, and good behavior.
Daniel Waser is a dog lover since his childhood and currently owns two dogs. Visit his website for more information about dog health problems or get his free dog training tips.
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