Becoming Top Dawg
Achieving Alpha Position
Do not feed your dog table scraps. This will encourage your dog
to beg as well as steal, which will make the dog feel dominant.
Communication
Dogs are social animals that are highly communicative. They use a broad
definition of communication, transmitting information in a wide range of
fashions that include their senses of smell, sight, touch, and sound.
The sense of smell carries a far greater importance for dogs than it
does for humans. They use their sense of smell to communicate and
recognize individuals as well as their status and health.
Leash and Collar
The proper use of the leash and collar is as a training aid, not as a
control device. Used as a training aide, applying tension only for
correction, helps to establish leadership for the handler that can be
duplicated off-leash. The dog wears the collar under supervision, but
does not associate it with formal obedience. The leash and collar also
serve to focus work exercises properly as the dog is asked to walk with
the handler, but is then allowed to assume responsibility for its
further actions and positions. The dog does not associate nonverbal
corrections – through applied tension – with the handler.
Three Categories of Correction
There are three categories of corrections: under-correction,
over-correction, and proper correction. Under-corrections do not enable
a response from the dog, and the behavior continues. Over-corrections
are excessively intense and cause the dog to become confused and lose
confidence. A proper correction establishes a level of negative
reinforcement that stops the unwanted behavior, but does not cause the
dog to lose confidence. Corrections can also be used to change the
thought process of the dog. In order to implement this type of
correction effectively, the handler must be highly aware of the behavior
patterns of the dog.
Praising the dog immediately after a correction has stopped unwanted behavior has two effective results: 1) it removes the pressure from the dog, and 2) it creates a solid association of the negative with the behavior and positive with the handler.
Corrections levels should increases in intensity until the desired attention is attained, and the pressure should be removed by positive reinforcement.
See