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Our Philosophy
To
understand a dog's behavior, it is essential to
gain insight into their fundamental nature. Dogs are first and
foremost socially-oriented, pack animals. All of their behaviors are
an expression of where they view themselves within their pack
structure, which includes not only other animals but any people
that interact with them on a day-to-day basis. 
Dogs crave
reliable leadership, and if none of the humans in the household step
into the role of pack leader, the dog will assume they have to,
since every pack MUST have a leader. This is the primary cause of
behavioral problems, since a dog that isn't given leadership
will assume the role of alpha but it doesn't have the tools
necessary to lead in a human world. It can't tell an acceptable
stranger from an unacceptable stranger, and it has no idea that
cars going by outside, the mailman, the meter reader, your
uncle Joe or whoever is not a potential
threat.
The only way
to gain willing cooperation and control of behavior from the
animal is to assume the leadership role within the pack by sending
clear signals that the dog can understand. The leader is the
one that determines how to respond to threats, controls access to
food, controls interactions between others, and in short, makes all
the decisions. Once the dog begins to see you as their leader, they
will take their cues for how to behave from you rather than choosing
to act out on their own. It is important to realize that the dog has
no idea that it is "the pet". From their perspective, they have as
much right to be the pack leader as you do and leadership and
control will go to whoever acts the part of protector,
caregiver, and provider.
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