This seminar is designed to give you insight into how your dog thinks. We will show you how to communicate with and learn to understand your dog. Our goal is to show you a training method that will create a reliable hunting dog in a short amount of time. The secret to our training method is in communicating with your dog in a way he instinctively understands. We hope you enjoy the class.

Becoming the Leader

Dogs have not significantly changed genetically from their wild wolf ancestors. Recent DNA studies confirm that your dog descended from and shares 99.8% of it’s DNA with the Gray Wolf.

Dogs need and thrive in a pack environment. They simply need to know their position in the pack. It is important to establish yourself as the leader.

As the leader, you must be dominant and consistently reinforce your leadership position at all times in the field, the yard, the house, etc. Anger, aggression or abuse will not establish you as a pack leader. Calm, assertive control is the key.

Much of the training in our program, as you will see, is done without verbal commands (cues). We use a number of commands, they just aren't verbal.  Training is best done with the dog in a calm state. Too much talking and unearned praise tend to increase the dogs level of excitement. When training a dog, as excitement increases, learning decreases.  Pack leaders demand calm submission.

Your dog communicates with you every day. For instance, does he ever lead you when on a leash? Does he ever go through a door before you? Ever possessive about his toys or food? Ever refuse to listen or makes you repeat yourself or say the command louder or with more authority? Ever purposely disobey a command that he understands? Easily excited, jumping up etc.? All of these thing indicate the dog believes he is the leader or is confused about his role in the pack.

Most dogs are allowed to be the pack leader at home. Owners don’t consistently show dominance. Then the owner/follower tries to get the dog to assume a submissive role while hunting. The way the dog sees it, you have always been the follower and now you expect to lead a hunt (the most important leader/follower activity to a dog)! These dogs will be confused, perceive you as a weak leader, and consistently try to enforce their dominant position in the field (out of control, won’t listen, ranging too far, won’t retrieve, etc.).

Showing your dog that you are his leader is simple. It begins with the walk.