A dog that does not know who is the leader of the pack is a confused dog and may exhibit many unwanted behaviors as a result. Your Great Dane is a pack animal. All dog packs have a pack leader and a social hierarchy in which each individual animal knows its own place.
Great Dane puppies are taught pack behavior by their mothers before they even leave the whelping box. By understanding pack behavior, you can use it to help train your dog.
Pack leadership always involves the strongest animal. In dogs and wolves, this leadership position is usually held by an adult male in his prime with enough life experiences to lead the pack in the business of day-to-day survival. Your dog will need to have a pack leader or he/she will become confused, displaying destructive behaviors and taking her anxiety out on those around her and her environment. A dog’s behavior and your dog’s body language is a good sign that she has a pack leader or is becoming the pack leader. A dog who knows her place in his human pack is a happy, well-balanced dog.
You, your family and your Great Dane make a pack. You or one of your family members will have to take on the responsibilities of alpha male or pack leader, and hopefully the hierarchy will have every human one point above the Great Dane dog.
Here are 15 tips to help you become the pack leader of your dog family:
- A pack leader always goes first. First when going through a door, first when going down or up stairs and first when walking your dog. Your dog must be behind the pack leader at all times. When walking his Great Dane, he should lead, not follow. Your dog must be next to you or behind you. Walks like this help release pent-up energy in your dog. This is the #1 way to communicate that you are the leader of your pack of dogs.
- When you enter the house or room where your dog is, you should ignore the dog for a few minutes (even if you only leave the room for a minute).
- Your dog should always have to work for a treat. A simple obedience command must be given before any treat is given. If he does not follow the command, he should not be rewarded with a treat. The dog should always gently take the treat from your hand.
- You must have set times for feeding your Great Dane, feeding the Great Dane should be done on a schedule. Do not feed your dog table scraps (especially Great Danes) Great Danes have very sensitive stomachs and if you deviate from their normal food and treats, you will have a sick Dane.
- Just like walking through the doors first, you should always eat first. The leader always eats first. When you feed your dog, eat a small snack first while your dog watches before feeding.
- You should never allow your dog to bite or bite anyone at any time, even during play.
- Your Great Dane should not sleep in your bed, not only because there may not be room for you, but also because in the dog pack the leader sleeps in the most comfortable place. This is not to say that you can never allow your dog on your bed. You can invite your Dane to lie with you on the bed, but have him stay at the foot of the bed and not get out of the way.
- If you make eye contact with your Great Dane, he should look away first. When the dog looks away first, it reinforces his status as pack leader.
- When walking your dog, you should never allow your dog to “walk you.” You should have a loose lease, not a tight one. Remember, the leader is always first and leads the way.
- One of the basic commands your Great Dane puppies need to learn is “let go.” Whatever is in his mouth, you should be able to take possession of it at any time.
- You should never play tug of war with your Great Dane. This is a power play and you can lose, especially if you have a Great Dane, you can end up getting hurt.
- When you put your dog’s food bowl down, have him wait until you tell him “Ok” to eat. Stand in front of the food plate and have her sit down first. If the dog does not follow her command, take the food and try again in 15 minutes.
- Every game you play with your Great Dane puppies should begin and end with you.
- If you have a very dominant dog who has problems with growling, you should stop him immediately and not allow him to lie on the couch. Remember, the leader of the pack gets the most comfortable spot.
- The most important rule of thumb for being a pack leader is to imagine yourself as big, powerful, and confident.
Remember, always stay in control and don’t let your emotions show while training your Great Dane dog. If you don’t think you will be able to establish this role, you should enroll your dog in Dog Training Classes. Your dog will be happy, balanced and secure knowing that he has a strong pack leader.
If you want to learn more about the Great Dane or become a leader of the pack, click here. [http://www.greatdane-dog-world.com/pack-leader].