A Dogs Status

As humans we are in a constant game of status finding. In our jobs, our family, the homes we live in, the car we drive, the friends we have, the social events we go to, in sport, in government, schools, money... the list could go on.

Our status will change depending on the setting and situation we are in and who is the most intelligent and capable to make the best decisions at the time. A lot of the time this is unconscious and we do it on autopilot.

Dogs, like us, are constantly looking at the status of others around them and are always asking - Who is in charge? Who is going to take responsibility?

The reason why is down to their survival instinct (it is for us too, if you get rid of all the ‘stuff’ in our lives and go back to basics)

They need someone that they have confidence in, to look to in every situation to make the important decisions. A dog will ask many questions about who that will be, to make sure its the right one, to keep the pack safe. If we don’t answer those questions in the right way then your dog is going to assume the role itself (even if their personality means they are not very capable, as their has to be a leader!)

Some dogs need more convincing than others, depending on their past experiences and personality. However it is so important we take this role as dogs don’t understand our human world and it is incredibly stressful for them to do this job.

So stop now and take a look at your dogs behaviours and see if you can identify when they are asking you a question about your status and then let me know what you find - I'd love to know!

Through Dog Listening we teach people how to answer these status questions plus many other questions dogs ask and we teach you how to communicate with your to show them that you are the right person for the job in every area of their life, so they can relax and know, you've got this.

If you want to learn - lets have a chat. You can book in a free call with me here