Ten Tricks for Nurturing a Better Dog

Overcoming Behavioural Issues

Starting today, I will be posting a series of tricks for getting a better behaved dog. Whatever your dog's issue, be it for example fearfulness, aggression, obsessive behaviour, pulling on the leash, barking, or destructiveness, there are ten simple measures you can take to overcome them. Some are basic necessities for getting the best out of your dog; others deal with demonstrating to your dog that you are the leader and therefore the one to say which behaviours are acceptable and which are not. Although the principles are simple, the results of applying them, you will find, are nothing short of miraculous.

Leadership is all about being calm and assertive and showing confident body language and a serious tone of voice when unwanted behaviour needs to be corrected; at other times, when the emphasis is on encouraging a certain behaviour, then a more open posture and encouraging tone is required. There is never a place for shouting or hitting or violent handling, as these will only make your dog scared of you and more than likely create a whole new set of unwanted behaviours. The emphasis is on letting your dog know what is and isn't wanted, in a fair, controlled manner.

Rapid Change

Dogs learn very easily. Unfortunately, we're not always aware of what we are teaching them. So often when I am called in to rehabilitate a dog with severe behavioural issues it is clear that the people have unwittingly encouraged the very behaviour they want to stop while also unknowingly discouraging the good behaviour. We'll learn how to turn that around to help your dog understand just what is wanted of him or her.

The good news is that dogs accept new leadership and their new position in the hierarchy instantly, so you'll find that many of your dog's behavioural problems can be eradicated very quickly; as soon as you start behaving like a good leader, your dog will start to follow. The vast majority of dogs are happy to take on the role of follower and relinquish their perceived leadership role and all the stresses and anxieties that go with it. Understand and accept, though, that dogs will test leadership every day—not out of disrespect or to make you annoyed, but because it's in a dog's nature to ensure the pack structure is still solid and the leadership is strong; if it's not, a new leader must rise to the role, and this is when issues begin to arise, as most dogs just aren't cut out to lead, and will therefore make a real bad job of deciding what to bark at, be afraid of, chase, or attack. Be consistent with your rules and your dog will happily follow them; start to slack and watch as your dog tests the boundaries more and more or even start to think he or she is once again in charge.

It's no coincidence that the most nervous dogs belong to the kindest people, simply because they have been reluctant to be strict with their dog when he or she most needed it, even if that meant correcting fearful behaviour. Some people think that their dogs won't love them any more if they start correcting unwanted behaviour or demonstrate leadership in other ways, but this couldn't be further from the reality. Dogs need a calm, assertive leader in order to feel secure; when I go and put a slip leash on a fearful or anxious dog and do nothing more than refuse, with gentle tugs, to let that dog pull away from me, what happens next always surprises the person: that dog will stop trying to pull away and will instead come towards me, usually climbing onto my lap for a hug if I am sitting on the floor. This is because I have provided that dog with something the person hadn't: calm, assertive leadership. It's when they witness their dog going to cuddle a stranger for the first time ever that the people realise how real kindness comes from providing a dog with his or her needs, even if it goes against our instinct.

And that's what pack leadership is all about: changing our instinctual reactions to our dogs' behaviour so that we can show them in their own language who is the leader and just what is expected of them. Whenever I rehabilitate a dog, I am actually just helping the person change the way their dog perceives them. They learn to be assertive at the right times, but also to be loving, fun, excited, or relaxed at the right times too.

You Can Do This

So, get ready to start the course. This is based on the exact same lessons I give people who have asked me to help fix their dog's problems. Some can take these lessons, instantly comprehend the changes they need to make, and bring about instant improvement in their dog's behaviour all by themselves. That's what I'm hoping you will do, and I encourage you to post comments on your progress, or ask questions so that I can improve the lessons for yours and others' benefit. Some need to see the lessons put into practice, so I will be adding videos of the techniques later. Yet others believe that their own dog is special, that these techniques can't possibly work on their Fido, and give all manner of excuses as to why these methods simply won't work; for those people, I am happy to come show you, on your own dog, for a small fee, and my guarantee is that you pay nothing if you don't see an incredible difference in your dog's behaviour when I apply these lessons—I have yet to not get paid. These methods work. But you must believe it to see it for yourself.

Whatever your dog's issues, realize that they are fixable. When people asked Michelangelo how he managed to create such stunning sculptures from blocks of stone, his answer surprised them: he didn't need to create anything; he just chiseled away to release the beautiful piece that he knew was already inside. And that's all you have to do. Your dog is a good dog waiting to happen. You really aren't trying to achieve the impossible here; a well-behaved dog is in there, and all you have to do remove the obstacles that have so far kept him or her from showing you that. Your dog is a reflection of you; be a good leader, and your dog will be a good follower. We can all lead; I will show you how.

Relax and Enjoy

But don't expect 'perfection'; allow for your dog's individuality, especially when it comes to things like sociability or energy level. My own dogs know very little in the way of commands, other than 'come' and 'leave it', which are for their own safety. I like that they show their own character, and I don't enjoy seeing dogs whose every movement or will is controlled by the person caring for them. You and your dog will be happier if you don't give the impression that you control everything; instead, provide guidance as to what is not acceptable and allow your dog to be him- or herself within those boundaries.

So, enjoy the coming lessons. Practice them with your own dog. Post in the comments if you have any questions or setbacks or need anything explained better, and I will amend the posts accordingly. Posts will often be edited, so check back often or set it up so that you receive updates.

A happier relationship with your dog awaits you!


Seán