As soon as we think about getting a dog we are already setting ourselves up for success or failure. Our human thoughts about how a dog will meet our human needs directly impact our ability to maintain a follower role for our dog. Dogs are born with this pack mentality regardless of whether their pack consists of dogs or humans. Dogs will assign themselves and us with a role which meets their assessment of the state of the pack. When a dog assigns themselves with the dominant role it is because they must. Many weeks and months may pass before it reaches a point of getting help, our dream of a perfect dog has now become a nightmare. Once a dog has become the dominant pack dog everything becomes contaminated as a result. We can create a world for the dominant pack dog to fit into, unknowingly. With walls, fences and gates containing a problem rather than truly fixing it.
We may get so upset over one behavior issue that other dominant behaviors are missed, ignored or misinterpreted. The dominant dog will exhibit an overly possessive and dominant state of being. The owner is seen as a pathway and caretaker. Certain people and interactions represent challenge to the dominant pack dog. The dominant dog may appear to respond at the owner's aggressive approach but still avoid him or her at the same time, nothing has really changed during those moments of frustration or anger. Over time the dominant dog will accept less and less authority and those things which represent it.
Context is everything when it comes to determining the true reality of the current pack situation. The dominant dog will view one owner in the context of owning him or her, in a possessive state of being. The human owner will interpret this behavior as "the dog loves me more than my spouse". In fact the dog views the other owner as a challenger to their pack role and avoids them most of the time. This can cause conflict and relationship issues for many people. The solution is to re-align the pack roles with the dog as a follower of the human owners. What can appear as fear and skidish behavior is part and parcel of the stress and anxiety this dominant role creates for a dog. Owners will often nurture this behavior with empathy thus projecting weak pack energy and shifting more power onto this dominant role. I call this the "psychology twister effect" for the dog owner. The seemingly fearful dog will seem skidish one second and become aggressive the next. Working with the dog owner to gather a different perspective becomes critical in order to turn this type of situation around.
During role change the dominant dog may appear uncertain and may rebel somewhat to your changing interaction and role. This is normal. Imagine being the boss of a company for many years, with making important decisions, impacting peoples jobs and lives. The feeling of power. Your job, your role has suddenly been changed to an filing clerk. The feeling of uncertainty, loss of power. You may resist this change. This change in fact causes stress and anxiety for a period of time, it is all you have known for months or years. After a few weeks of transition and change you begin to feel at ease, almost happy now. Being the follower rather than a leader has many advantages. No more decisions which impact peoples lives at that level. These are the same feelings a dog feels during the process of role change.
I love dogs, make no mistake. I enjoy the connection of having a dog lick my face. I know however that I must meet his or her basic needs as a dog first and then my own also get met, in a more powerful way. The solution is to mimic those qualities of the lead dog which meet the criteria which will allow the dominant dog to release that unstable role, over time. Within pack only a leash and flat collar are needed, and even these are only a means to a end, a pathway towards meaningful change. The power of the mind, the psychological. To be in the moment, assessing, challenging, gaining advantage. Every moment in pack is an opportunity to move forward towards a new day regardless of the past.
Dale McCluskey
Dogs are a true gift and allow us into their world through the pack relationship. By adopting the lead role we can achieve harmony and true connection with our special pack members. This system of training builds a bridge between the human and animal world and offers hope for all dogs and owners regardless of current behavior issues, problems or goals. Visit k9pack.com |
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