Hubby and I are hooked on The Dog Whisper! I am telling you that guy is amazing. If you haven't tuned into his show you must.
To summarize briefly and poorly........he goes into homes that have dogs with an undesirable behavior and he helps the owner retrain the dog to desirable behavior....there is so much more to it you really need to tune in to see for yourself.
We have watched him "cure" dogs that run away from home to dogs that snap & bark excessively and even ones that eat too much..I'm NOT even kidding you!
His method is simple really and bottom line it is the same every time. Establish the fact that YOU are the pack leader NOT your dog! How simple and how profound is that?
This is what he tells the dog owners every show without fail....."YOU need to be the pack leader of your home and not the dog!" He goes on to inform the people that their dog needs rules, boundaries and limitations in order to be happy and obedient.
No rules, no limitations, no boundaries, no pack leader.....EQUALS... a problem dog & an unhappy household! He encourages the owner to take control back and set clear boundaries of acceptable behavior.
He also stresses that the dog must have consequences to his bad behavior and that we must be consistent with those consequences. Setting clear rules and limitations is vital!
You will hear him say over and over that his method requires patience & tenacity to have a happy balanced dog and to not give up!
Every single time I watch the show I think........ this is what parents need to hear over and over about their kids......I know it might sound a little harsh or cold but so many kids are running the homes and not the parents......they don't have the limitations, rules or boundaries that are needed to develop a happy obedient child.
In short the kids are the pack leader! You know we have all experienced this. Like when we give in to a temper fit to have a little peace or let our kids beg us in to doing something or having something we know is not the best.
Often times our schedules are too packed so we don't take the time to correct and discipline them properly and consistently in a loving but firm matter.
It is never too late to take back control and establish yourself as the "Pack Leader" of your home..... BUT the longer you wait the harder it will be. Really kids are crying out for someone to take control and give them boundaries.
I know talking about kids and dogs in the same manner might be a little odd but it is all about leadership really. Someone has to be in charge of the home....Who will it be at your house?
Let's just say we are working on things over here & I am determined to not give up!