Are YOU the pack leader?

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!

Comments

[Queen B]

You are exactly right. Everyone does better with well defined boundaries.

This is such a good reminder...my daughter better get ready!!

[Cathy]

So true, so true. We're working on that here too, dog and children. But isn't it the same way with God. Things go so much better when we allow Him control. It's all in is hands anyway and so many times I try to be the top dog and that just never never works.

Thanks for sharing.

[Angie]

I love your insight!

I have a strong-willed child and can't tell you how many times I've looked at him and said, "Hon, you will not win this battle. I am the mommy and I am in charge." He will usually give after about 15 minutes now (it used to be hours) to come sit on my lap and talk through the situation. Boy, parenting is hard!

[Sara Bowyer]

great analogy. I had never heard of this show...kind of super nanny for dogs!

I tell the young moms I mentor the same thing.....it seems tough now, but it only gets harder.

You're right, kids are crying out for boundaries!

[Dawn W]

Ahhh... so much truth.

If only I could teach my teens to "sit" and only "speak" when commanded.

Blessings!

[d]

My husband loves the dog whisperer. I have watched him once and was impressed.
I agree with you about the parallels with parenting. I think it takes consistency and that requires effort even when you feel too tired.
I've watched some of those nanny shows which are like the dog whisperer for children. I told my husband that I bet people will start paying others to come into their homes and teach them how to parent.

[rrmama]

You are so right. My kids respond so much better when I talk time to talk to hem instead of yelling when they do something wrong. And yes, Mr. Perfect will want one of those Jeep Power Wheels, but more, he will NEED one of those Jeeps! Shop around though, different stores have diffent ones. The Jeep came from Toys R Us and the John Deer tractor came from Walmart.

[Jen@OurDailyBigTop]

So true. It blows me away when I go into my kids' school and see some kids who just don't have any respect. I'm with Dawn - can we teach them how to sit and speak on command too?

[NancysLostandFound]

You are so right. Such great insight! I haven't seen this show, but I'm going to have to look for it.

[Brooke]

lol! they both seem the same to me - in both cases they come straight for me, not knowing that i really don't care for them.

unless of course they are smarter than me and are torturing me for the fun of it!

i love my niece and nephew - its other people's kids that are the problem. ;)

[Amber]

This is so true! I know so many parents with young kids (like me!) that are worried about their kids "self-esteem" and they won't discipline. Some parents want to be their child's friend, not their parent.

[Lynette]

If I look at the pic of your dog...it looks as if he/she is king of that castle:)

[angela]

Completely agree with you.

[Darlene]

I agree with you totally! Lexi (our child) knows we are the pack leader but we are having some difficulty with our poodle Lucy....lol. She is quite strong willed and stubborn....we are working on it!

[Dana Jones]

a very humble ending. And cute too!

[PaulaW]

I couldnt agree with you more on the parenting thing. My mom used to work in Juvenile Court and she often said "if only we could lock up the parents and send the kids home."

As for the "leader of the pack", I've always been that for my kids, even in those years that it made me "the meanest mom in the whole wide world". My kids would agree now, though then they might have said I was somewhat rabid about it.

Either I wasnt as bad as they thought - or they've finally gotten over it - because they are both back at home right now, and dont seem too upset about the rules I have.

And I will say BoyChild has used that same philosophy on Natty, the pit bull, and she minds very well (better than most kids I know).

[Valarie Lea]

I think Cannon tries to take the pack leader role, but I am fighting him for it. :)

[Grace]

We watch Cesar Milan too, and really enjoy his show. He's amazing. This post is great. You are so right about establishing just who is the leader in the home - whether it be for dogs or kids. And the earlier it's established, the easier it is for everyone, and the happier the household. Spot on post!

[Kristen@nosmallthing]

I love that show...he's awesome.

The Man and I always compare kids to dogs. Seriously. They are rather similar in a lot of ways. :)

[Sarah @ Life in the Parsonage]

Oh. How. TRUE!

[Ms.Tee]

This is one of our favorite shows, too - we love it :) great post, Ms. Jules!

[Lisa]

I've never seen the show (?) but I like the analogy to dogs because it presents the bare basics. There is no point or effect in reasoning with a dog for 5 minutes...same with a 2 year-old.

Hard to be "where the buck stops" everyday, but it is imperative for all involved.

Thanks for the little push/reminder/encouragement.

[Edwina]

He really looks like a leader all sprawled out in that chair.

[Miss Janice]

I totally agree that parents should be the "pack leader" of their children. But dogs...forget it! I have a Yorkie like yours and I can tell you...she is the "pack leader," plain and simple. Nothing works with this Miss Coco Chanel of mine. I love her so much...I don't care! Don't you just love your little Yorkie? Her picture is too cute!

[Heather of the EO]

I LOVE this show too. For the same reasons. And I'm so thankful for the reminder as I listen to my 3 year old call out from his bed. Yet again.

UGH. I HAVE to stick to my guns. Even though I'm tempted to keep the peace....ugh...this is hard...

:)