Dogs gone to the pack

You can take the dog out of the pack but you can’t take the pack out of the dog.

Dogs understand a hierarchy system.  It is wired within them and because they cannot speak English, Yugoslavian or any other human language we need to examine theirs – the international language of dogs.  A pack is key to dogs’ survival and that is why it is so ingrained.  They don’t ‘do’ solo well.  Team-work and co-operation is the order of the day for their existence.

Being in charge of your pack may be you and one dog or a whole family.  Author Jan Fennel examines pack leader principles and how humans can use these to create harmony in households where dogs live.  Should you choose to accept this role and it is done the way Ms. Fennel suggests, you will not rely on force.

I hear a lot of talk about whether the term ‘pack leader’ should be used at all and more recently the term ‘parent’ appears a lot.

I can’t say what is politically correct, but either way it’s preferable we are our dogs’ keepers and not the other way around.  It is unfair to expect a dog to provide for our needs, emotional or otherwise.  It is not even fair to expect them to guard our home unless they are employed for that purpose, trained accordingly and your local council knows about it.

In return for food, shelter, exercise and companionship all we can really expect from them is their wonderful presence.  And if their presence is not wonderful we should start examination by addressing what ‘we’ are doing.  If we are prepared to apply training and extra stimulus we can expect more from them but not without putting in the effort.  Lets view dogs with respect for their intelligence, majesty and desire to fit in with a pack.

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)