Labrador training- the pack leader

When we think of a domestic dog it is easy for us to imagine an animal walking contentedly at its owner’s side, watching their every move, and acting upon every command, perhaps even to Cruft’s standard. So why is this image not always the case?

All domestic dog breeds originated from the wolf and, as such, hunt and interact in packs with each breed needing a pack leader - or Alpha Dog.

The pet dog - especially single animals within the family - will need to be influenced by another pack leader; its owner. As such, an owner, in training their dog can have a huge influence on the acceptable behaviour of the animal.

However, the skills required by a dog owner to teach a dog right from wrong have to be learned. An owner’s perception of what is, or is not good dog behaviour will vary from person to person and may, to some degree, depend upon the breed of dog. After all, there is a magnitude of difference between a poodle and, say, a Rottweiler, is there not? Well, at a base level no, not really. They all respond to the pack leader. So, the level of behaviour of the dog will be entirely dependant upon the level of training from its human owner. I’m not talking about the specialist, breed-specific skills, but more the basic interaction skills between human and dog.