29/01/2025
In the Wild Wednesday
I often receive calls from frustrated dog owners seeking information on my Obedience Training Program in hopes of resolving “behavior issues.” While obedience training is always beneficial to a dog’s development, when a dog exhibits “behavior issues” or “doesn’t listen” it is almost always the human that needs training, not the dog.
Most behavior issues are a direct result of the owner failing to establish boundaries, limitations, discipline, and structure in the home.
In the wild…wolves are a highly organized pack. There is a breeding pair consisting of an alpha male and an alpha female. Either one can be the pack leader. The remaining members of the pack are various levels of hierarchy, but they all happily and respectfully follow the pack leader without question.
There is a misperception that wolves fight for the privilege of being the pack leader, but this is rarely the case and would only happen in an unbalanced pack.
The pack leader, male or female, is usually chosen by default. They generally just demonstrate a natural born leadership quality that the other wolves recognize and are more than happy to defer to.
The wolves in the lower hierarchy have a strong instinct to work together as a team and infighting over dominance is rare. Plus, the pack leader does not allow it. Survival depends on everyone knowing their place.
Most wolf experts believe the domesticated dog is essentially a juvenile wolf that never grows up.
Since juvenile wolves have absolutely no instinct, desire or expectation to be a pack leader, pet dogs are not born with a natural instinct to be a pack leader. Their instinct is to be a follower. Contrary to popular belief, your dog does not want to be the boss. They will, however, take on the role of pack leader, just as it happens in the wild…by default.
When the human fails to establish boundaries, limitations, discipline and structure, the dog feels they have no choice but to take on the leadership role. But since this is an unnatural role for pet dogs, this typically results in an unbalanced dog and chaos in the home.
More on this next week.