How Do I Know If I Am The Leader Of The Pack?

There are some theories, some quite old, that explain that to achieve a good daily relationship with your dog you must make it known clearly that you are the leader of the pack. Are you interested in being one?

What it means to be leader of the pack

Surely you have earned the title of leader of the pack if you have managed to make your dog clearly understand that, at home, it is the last ear of the jar. You can corroborate this, for example, if you manage to:

• He does not demand food until you deign to give it to him, and that will always be after all the humans in the household have eaten and only if he is calm.

• Do not even think about going through a door before you,   much less going in front of you during the walks.
• Understand that he will not receive displays of affection from you except when you like to do so and that this will never happen if he is anxious and demanding.

But the million dollar question is: is that what you want a dog for?

Why do we have pets?

It is assumed that one decides to share his life with a pet as a way of giving and receiving affection, having a company, choosing to take care of another …

But where is the phrase of the dog as man’s best friend if what we do with the animal is to transform it into a victim of that very human attitude of exercising domination over the supposedly weaker?

It is as if you take it out on the dog because your boss is a despot or your partner does what he wants and not what you want him to do. But what fault does your furry have to be the repository of your desire to prove that you are the Alpha male or female ?

Is being the leader of the pack any use?

So you need to seriously consider whether it really does any good to be the leader of the pack. Do you really want to be? The ideal is that, both with your pet and with the people with whom you live, clear, coherent and precise rules of coexistence are established.

And while it is true that your puppy can have behavioral problems, assuming that he does it just to show you that he is the boss or because he wants to challenge your authority sounds quite ridiculous and linear.

So if your furry dog ​​breaks things in the house, defecates anywhere or is even aggressive, perhaps the answer should be better found on the side that:

• You have unresolved fears or trauma.
• He is stressed by specific situations.
•  He suffers too much when he is alone for a long time.

The theory of domination is out of fashion

It is true that today some who proclaim themselves specialists in animal behavior continue to do their business with the Alpha male and domination.

But the reality is that these theories – although they were in vogue a while ago – are already being put aside because later research has shown that they are baseless.

And although wolves – famous for living in packs – are the ancestors of domestic dogs, it is also true that between them and your furry there are centuries of evolution and changes generated by the dog’s coexistence with man.

Does your dog see you as the leader of his pack?

The ideal is, then, that without falling into the error of humanizing your furry, you educate him in basic rules of behavior so that things work well between all members of the family.

And if a behavior problem arises, try to find the origin and do not hesitate to seek the advice of serious professionals in the matter.

For the rest, enjoy your pet, who surely sees you as the subject of his affection and must have no idea what it means to be the leader of the pack and, for that very reason, he does not intend to take that title away from anyone.