Hunting Dogs

The dog is a pack animal. We all know this canine characeristic. Often, however, owners don’t forge their relationships with their dogs accordingly and send unintended messages to their charges. If a dog does not perceive its owner to be the leader of the pack, the dog will view the relationship as a democracy. It will start believing that it has an option in complying with commands. In a sound training program—one that benefits both the dog and handler—the handler holds all of the power.
To make it easier for the dog to succeed and avoid repeated corrections, the owner must communicate consistent messages of leadership. To do this, the owner must understand how a dog perceives the world around it as well as how the dog learns, forms associations and operates with a pack mentality.
It is inherent in a dog to test and look for signs of weakness in the pack leader. Packs of canines in the wild hunt together. There is a social structure and a corresponding hierarchy. There is only one chief. If all of the members of the pack were to make individual, distinct decisions, there would be chaos and constant revolt. There would be no organization or combined efforts to meet a common goal. If the pack had a weak leader, the members of the pack, in order to ensure their survival, would replace the weak leader with a stronger one—one capable of enforcing the rules that prevent chaos and maintain a unified social structure.
As mentioned, members of the pack evaluate and test their leader. They continually receive and analyze energy and information projected by the leader. Contrary to what some people think, dogs are comfortable with good leaders and the consistent structure enforced by them. Thus, it is imperative that owners assume a secure leadership role with their dogs.
A dog is an opportunist and will take advantage of any situation to test authority. If an owner erroneously sends messages that demonstrate a lack of leadership, the dog will challenge the commands more often. The inevitable result is that the dog either will get away with non-compliance—and thus develop a lack of respect for the owner—or be corrected more frequently. The dog that is frequently punished will find life dreary and often will act undesirably. No program that results in more correction will produce a confident or stylish dog.

During the imprinting stages, when a dog is six to 20 weeks old, the dog is learning the rules of the world. Dogs learn by association: The biscuit box means a biscuit is coming; boots on means the door will open. The more consistent the cause and effect and the more repetitions that are done, the more imprinted the association becomes. The reverse is also true. Keeping this in mind, the more repetitions there are of a “correct” behavior consistently followed by positive reinforcement, the stronger that behavior becomes. Conversely, repetitions of an “incorrect” behavior followed by negative reinforcement likely will see that behavior cease. If a dog does not comply with a command and gets away with it, the dog sees this as a positive response. It may take only a few repetitions of getting away with non-compliance be-fore the dog’s modus operandi becomes a pattern of disrespect.
Because it is a dog’s nature to test things, it is important to lay the proper foundation during the imprinting stage. In order to do this, it is also important to understand the concept of variable reinforcement. Variable reinforcement means that behavior that is learned through rewards received at random is much more difficult to stop. For example, say a dog begs at the dinner table and is rewarded with a piece of steak. The following few nights the dog begs but is reprimanded for the behavior. Then the next night the dog begs again and is rewarded with a morsel. Now it has become much harder to stop this behavior because the dog has become somewhat of a gambler. It thinks, I may get corrected, but then again l may get a treat. Good trainers are savvy about the impact of variable reinforcement. Being a good leader necessitates being a good trainer.
An analogy can be made between dog training and running a successful business. A top-shelf manager earns the respect of his employees by being a good leader. Paychecks are issued in a timely manner for jobs well done. Lack of effort is not rewarded with raises or other perks. There is no free lunch in business, and it is the same in dog training. Being a good leader and having the respect of your charges go hand in hand.
In order for the dog to recognize the trainer as the leader, the trainer must act like a good leader. A leader is fair and, if the case dictates, generous. A trainer cannot expect a dog to know what he is thinking. It is the responsibility of the trainer to clearly communicate what he wants by showing the dog and using cues or commands such as voice, whistle or hand signals. A good leader is unambiguous about what the commands mean and sends consistent statements. A dog should never be corrected if it does not know what a command means or if it may be unclear about what behavior warranted correction.
Equally important is to not reward a dog without a reason. Paychecks are given as a result of effort. Rewarding a dog for no reason leads the dog to believe that the trainer is weak and can be taken advantage of. A good leader shows the dog what is expected and rewards it for its efforts to succeed. If the dog is rewarded for not doing anything, why should it make an effort? A few indiscriminate rewards coupled with variable reinforcements soon will put an owner in a hole that is difficult to dig out of.
A general in the army would not accept a private brushing past him and barging through the door first. When a dog crashes by the owner and rushes through the door first, that makes a statement. The declaration on the dog’s part is: It’s all about me. I am more important than you. I am numero uno and hold the votes. A good leader would have the dog wait until he went through the door and then release the dog to follow. That is how to be a boss who enforces the idea of respect. The same would apply to jumping out of a vehicle or bolting out of a kennel run.
It is easy to send a message that leads a dog to challenge authority. For example, allowing a dog to sleep in bed with you during the imprinting stage sends the message that you are equals. Equal means the dog has a vote—and an option regarding responding to your commands.
Being a good leader is a lifestyle, not a one-day training event. Focus on sending the desired message to your pack animal and you will both benefit.

For more training articles or for information on the George Hickox School of Dog Training, visit www.georgehickox.com.