Dog Pack Behavior

Alpha of the pack

If your dog has some behavior issues, Diana Metli can help; she recently joined the team at Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa as a dog trainer.

On Thursday, Metli worked with Digger, a 2-year-old black Lab mix at the animal shelter. He sat, came when called and stayed in place.

It's all about being the alpha of the pack, Metli said.

"You are a two-legged member of a four-legged pack," Metli said. "Your dog doesn't care how many legs you have. You're either the alpha or the omega, and I suggest you get in the alpha position real quick, right off the bat."

Metli, however, stressed that alpha doesn't mean dominate.

"Make your dog respect you, not fear you," she said.

Working with dogs and their owners to correct behavior issues is a passion for Metli, who began showing great Danes as an 8-year-old.

By 13 years old she was being asked to show dogs for others.

"I loved it, and I've been doing it ever since," Metli said. She's a professional dog trainer and handler and owned a dog training business for two years.

The more she worked with other dogs, the more she learned about different breeds' behaviors, traits and quirks.

"It helped me be a better trainer," Metli said of her showing experiences.

The courses at Almost Home will teach people the basic commands for dog obedience, such as heel, sit, down and come.

Metli said consistency is a big factor when teaching dogs good behavior, and the sooner a family starts training the better.

"Some people are misinformed and think you should wait until a dog is 6 months old to train them," Metli said. "I started training our dogs at 8 weeks old."

She referenced the puppy that people see on the Cottonelle toilet paper commercials.

"That's probably a 3-month-old puppy, and it's already trained off leash," Metli said. "They're easy to train when they're puppies, but you can train them at any age."

Metli said that over the years she's saved dogs from "death row" through her training.

Families would be ready to put down their dogs because of behavior issues and use Metli's services as a last resort.

"It's my passion to help dogs here and others who are on death row because of behavior problems," she said. "For example, problems with leash walking can be corrected.

"I'm really, really excited to get back to my passion."

Metli will also be available to conduct in-home boot camps for companion dogs by appointment.

Dog Training | Warning, Don't Read This Aggressive Dog Training ...

Basic dog obedience training is extremely important because dogs, like people, are not born with good manners. They need to be taught how to act. It is very likely for a dog to have behavior problems. Some canines display aggressive dog behavior, some bark too much, some are constantly digging up your garden, etc. So, if you are having difficulties with your dog, don’t have a panic attack! You are not the only one with an unruly pet, and there are solutions to your dog’s problems. Dog aggression is a typical problem that dog owners are confronted with. Aggression is only one of many bad dog behaviors that can be prevented. However, in order to stop dog behavior problems, you first need to be able to understand their underlying causes.

Correcting aggressive dogs is possible. To be able to do so, you must first get at the root, or cause, of the aggressive behavior. The most important question you must ask yourself is the following: Is my dog acting aggressively towards strangers, family members, or both. You must ask yourself this critical question. The answer will influence treatment of the problem.

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If your dog only acts aggressively towards strangers, then it is necessary for you to learn how to socialize your dog. However, if your dog is acting aggressively towards members of the family, you need to learn how to counteract the effects of resource guarding and dog pack behavior. A dog may also show aggression towards members of the family if he is mishandled or mistreated. It is important for each family member to learn what type handling/treatment can trigger aggression.

With the proper guidance, aggressive dog training becomes less of a burden. There are many books on dog behavior that can help you with dog obedience training as well as teach you how to stop dog behavior problems, such as dog aggression. So, if you want to train your dog in the house and don’t want to spend a ton of money on training lessons, then a book on dog behavior is an excellent investment!

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