Dominance......A Thing of the Past?

Everyone knows of Cesar Millan and his charismatic dog-training show "The Dog Whisperer".  His training methods are not unknown to the dog-training world.  They have been practiced for decades and have been both successful and detrimental to owners and their pups.  Alpha Rolls, Submission, Negative Reinforcement, and Dominance are slowly becoming an undesirable method amongst trainers, veterinarians, and dog enthusiasts.

Studies have shown there are significant differences between domesticated dogs and wolves. The idea of "dominance" in a pack is much different than the way that we as humans have come to understand it. Leadership is a must, but fear based submission or forced submission are frowned upon. It has been shown that dogs work well as we do in a family environment, mother/father raise responsible adults, then the children leave and do the same.   It is not necessarily one man to rule with an iron fist. The dogs are provided with food and nurturing by their adults and learn to socialize with siblings and other young members of their pack (family).  It's a team building experience.  Though they do challenge respect as most human children do, they are not fighting for a top "alpha" spot.
My training techniques follow this same methodology. Owners need to understand the behavior of their dogs.  They need to ask themselves the questions, "What is it they need to satisfy them? What are they missing in their lives that causes these bad behaviors? What triggers these behaviors and how might we have contributed to it?"  Once we figure out the cues, the background, and the circumstances involved, we can make a plan specifically designed for your family (pack).  Most clients have dogs that are acting on their own because they are fending for themselves.  They are not provided with a stable family (pack) that fulfills its needs as a dog or breed.  Back in the Pack can help make you a family again!