Here you are invited to keep up to date with Knightly’s world by reading his monthly blog!!
Hi everyone! This is Lauren here. Official typist for Knightly Chance, the super Moodle and my Furry Best Friend!! Knightly is slowly but surely stretching out on the chair next to me, his long legs kicking out, satisfied after a morning of walks and chewing a fresh bone in the yard with Paige (who now has both of the bones and is looking very very happy!). It's not unusual for Knightly and I to have a bit of a war over a sitting spot, pillow, or place in the sun. Sometimes I win and sometimes I just let him have it!!
When People find out about this, and everyone eventually does (I talk about Knightly and Paige a lot!), their reactions are pretty much the same each time. They range from ‘You shouldn’t let him do that’, and ‘He’ll think he’s the boss’ to ‘Your dog has no respect for you’ and even ‘You won’t be able to let him near children because he’ll probably bite them for sitting in his chair’!!!
This kind of thinking both amuses and annoys me. I think in part it stems from the belief that people believe their dogs need to be dominated in order to establish a pack order and to be recognized and therefore obeyed as alpha (or boss!).
The alpha theory implies that dogs, very much like wolves (genetically anyway!), have unbending social positions with one dog being the boss (alpha) above all others. It implies that in our homes, if we don’t dominate our dogs then our furry friends will find a way to take over this high ranking position!! If our pups are jumping on people, lead pulling, growling, or peeing on things, this is them demonstrating their dominance over us.
I often hear that I must not allow Knightly and Paige to sleep on my bed or sit on the couches, that instead of feeding them their dinner while mine is cooking, I must eat before them, and that I have to go through doors first.
Don’t get me wrong - not all of these are bad ideas! It’s nice to be able to go through the door without being bowled over by two determined puppies or worrying that they might somehow get out the front gate!! And if you don’t want your dog sleeping on your bed then go right ahead and buy him/her their own bed and get them used to sleeping in it (personally I can’t sleep without my two little blanket thieves!). The fact is that these actions won’t teach your dog that you are more dominant, it just shows them what to expect in certain situations.
One line of thought that really amuses me is that Knightly or Paige are being dominant if they steal my food while I’m not looking. Really?! Except for not being on their best behavior, the truth of the matter is both Knightly and Paige are scavengers (yes, even though I have them clipped and groomed and they play with soft toys!) - just like any other dog. It isn’t normal for a dog to not take food if the opportunity arises. This isn’t to say that food stealing is ok with me and that Knightly and Paige shouldn’t be taught not to do it!! But it is another example of how people are hasty to label an action as dominant even though it might stem from somewhere else entirely.
Instead of being aggressive with our dogs, I believe we should be calm and composed, running things like a responsible leader and as a family. Just like parents teach children the ‘normal reaction’ and how to respond to certain situations through life, we must also teach our furry best friends. If I use dominating techniques in order to control Knightly and Paige, how will they know that it is not right to dominate other people that they perceive as weak (such as senior citizens or young children) in turn?
Knightly and Paige are my best friends so why would I treat them like my worse enemies? Also why would I assume that all they think about is how to dominate me.
It really isn’t like this at all!! Yes I share with Knightly and Paige my couch, my pillow and sometimes unwittingly sweet potato fries from the edge of my plate. But I will not remedy that with aggressive dominance.
Using more positive methods give similar if not better results and it avoids having to stress not only your dog but you as well. Positive isn’t the same as permissive. You can solve a problem using positive methods (such as rewarding the correct behavior with pats, treats or playtime) and at the same time be seen by your pups as someone to listen to provided you put the effort into being consistent.
Moving on from the alpha theory towards positive reinforcement doesn’t imply that there has never been dominant dogs or hierarchies, it was one of the main stages of canine evolution. This being said, Knightly, Paige and I hope that dog owners can discard this way of thinking and make training and living with a dog a positive experience rather than a stressful dominating one.
Until next time, have fun!!
Love Knightly & Co. xoxo
When People find out about this, and everyone eventually does (I talk about Knightly and Paige a lot!), their reactions are pretty much the same each time. They range from ‘You shouldn’t let him do that’, and ‘He’ll think he’s the boss’ to ‘Your dog has no respect for you’ and even ‘You won’t be able to let him near children because he’ll probably bite them for sitting in his chair’!!!
This kind of thinking both amuses and annoys me. I think in part it stems from the belief that people believe their dogs need to be dominated in order to establish a pack order and to be recognized and therefore obeyed as alpha (or boss!).
The alpha theory implies that dogs, very much like wolves (genetically anyway!), have unbending social positions with one dog being the boss (alpha) above all others. It implies that in our homes, if we don’t dominate our dogs then our furry friends will find a way to take over this high ranking position!! If our pups are jumping on people, lead pulling, growling, or peeing on things, this is them demonstrating their dominance over us.
I often hear that I must not allow Knightly and Paige to sleep on my bed or sit on the couches, that instead of feeding them their dinner while mine is cooking, I must eat before them, and that I have to go through doors first.
Don’t get me wrong - not all of these are bad ideas! It’s nice to be able to go through the door without being bowled over by two determined puppies or worrying that they might somehow get out the front gate!! And if you don’t want your dog sleeping on your bed then go right ahead and buy him/her their own bed and get them used to sleeping in it (personally I can’t sleep without my two little blanket thieves!). The fact is that these actions won’t teach your dog that you are more dominant, it just shows them what to expect in certain situations.
One line of thought that really amuses me is that Knightly or Paige are being dominant if they steal my food while I’m not looking. Really?! Except for not being on their best behavior, the truth of the matter is both Knightly and Paige are scavengers (yes, even though I have them clipped and groomed and they play with soft toys!) - just like any other dog. It isn’t normal for a dog to not take food if the opportunity arises. This isn’t to say that food stealing is ok with me and that Knightly and Paige shouldn’t be taught not to do it!! But it is another example of how people are hasty to label an action as dominant even though it might stem from somewhere else entirely.
Instead of being aggressive with our dogs, I believe we should be calm and composed, running things like a responsible leader and as a family. Just like parents teach children the ‘normal reaction’ and how to respond to certain situations through life, we must also teach our furry best friends. If I use dominating techniques in order to control Knightly and Paige, how will they know that it is not right to dominate other people that they perceive as weak (such as senior citizens or young children) in turn?
Knightly and Paige are my best friends so why would I treat them like my worse enemies? Also why would I assume that all they think about is how to dominate me.
It really isn’t like this at all!! Yes I share with Knightly and Paige my couch, my pillow and sometimes unwittingly sweet potato fries from the edge of my plate. But I will not remedy that with aggressive dominance.
Using more positive methods give similar if not better results and it avoids having to stress not only your dog but you as well. Positive isn’t the same as permissive. You can solve a problem using positive methods (such as rewarding the correct behavior with pats, treats or playtime) and at the same time be seen by your pups as someone to listen to provided you put the effort into being consistent.
Moving on from the alpha theory towards positive reinforcement doesn’t imply that there has never been dominant dogs or hierarchies, it was one of the main stages of canine evolution. This being said, Knightly, Paige and I hope that dog owners can discard this way of thinking and make training and living with a dog a positive experience rather than a stressful dominating one.
Until next time, have fun!!
Love Knightly & Co. xoxo
