Amichien Bonding

Special bonds have formed between humans and dogs for 1000’s of years. Today, more than ever before, many dogs become much more than just the family pet; they become part of the family. Dogs are intelligent, adaptive and loyal. It is these qualities which often cause humans to treat dogs as though they are humans. This misleads our dogs with confusing signals and often inadvertently encourages them to take on the role of leader (or alpha) within their human family (their modern-day pack).

Domestic dogs are descended from wolves and wild dogs. Dogs are not humans. They are pack animals. Their instincts regarding their position in the pack hierarchy and the survival of that pack guide their behaviours. They can only ever see the world from a canine perspective. They cannot think or behave like humans, they cannot speak our language. We therefore need to think in their terms, to communicate with them in way they can comprehend and to understand their canine needs.

Does your four-legged furry family member;

• Bark incessantly
• Jump on you or visitors uninvited
• Drag you down the street on walks
• Refuse to come when you call
• Nip, mouth or bite
• Howl or destroy your possessions when left alone
• Fear loud noises, thunderstorms etc
• Have obsessive behaviours
• Seem anxious or nervous

If so your dog may have taken on the role of pack leader. Dogs instinctively know that every pack needs a leader. The leader or alpha to a dog is not necessarily the individual who utters the commands “sit”, “stay” and “lie down”, etc. Leadership is communicated to the dog by a set of defined signals.

If it is not clear to the dog that there is a human leader he/she will take the task on themselves, even if they don’t
want it. Dogs are not equipped to cope with being pack leader in a human world they cannot fully understand. This causes
stress and a wide range of undesirable behaviours.

Dog Listening is about understanding and developing canine communication. It’s about establishing your ability to
influence your dog’s behaviour by communicating through your own leadership behaviour. By observing the behaviour of
your dog and responding via canine communication you confirm yourself as the leader in the eyes of the dog. Once you
master these signals you will be able to transform your dog into a happy, relaxed, calm, stress-free animal.