Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - leash walking
Thread: leash walking
View Single Post
 
Old 10-27-2012, 06:43 PM
CFrance's Avatar
CFrance CFrance is offline
Sage
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Tamarind Grove/Monpazier, France
Posts: 14,705
Thanks: 390
Thanked 2,131 Times in 877 Posts
Default

[QUOTE=bkcunningham1;573279]May I please ask a serious question about being the pack leader? I understand this, Barefoot, and believe it with all of my being. But, how does a dog respect you as a pack leader when you have to follow behind their BMs and pick up their poo? Excuse me for sounding so crude, but it has weighed on my mind since I've lived here and constantly see people walking around picking up after their dogs and carrying the "you knw what" with them.[/QUOTE

BK, I think you are ascribing the mind of a human to a dog. I don't think they even notice that you're following them around picking up after them. They don't even understand the concept of defecating and who's responsible for cleaning it up.

What they're looking for is clear direction from you as the pack leader to remind them what's acceptable and what's not, in terms of their actions, not yours. And to trust that you will always do that. So you let them do this, and you don't let them do that, consistently, and that's what makes you the pack leader. They don't have a clue what you're doing or what it means when you pick up their poop, the same way they don't look at you as their servant when you put their meals down for them.