Dogs are pack animals by nature. When adopting a puppy, it is important to keep in mind that dog animals, they are not human. If you want your puppy to become a loved member of the family and not a burden, you must become the leader of the pack. Every new puppy owner must understand the concepts of dominance and alpha behavior. The Alpha animal dominates and leads the pack. The alpha makes decisions in which the rest of the pack respects. Puppy training is an important part in becoming the alpha leader.
When you adopt a puppy, you and your family become the new puppy's pack. You must make the puppy understand that you are the pack leader. If you do not establish yourself in this role, the puppy will do it as a natural response. Becoming the alpha does not mean you have to be aggressive or have a battle of wills. It means you must gain authority, build mutual respect, and provide the building blocks of communication. You can build this authority with puppy training.
In the wild a process called subordination is used. The process begins about the third week of like and continues through their youth. Puppies tend to push the limits with their superiors to gain social order of the pack. The adults will use a dominant down position where they take the puppies around the head/neck area and firmly pin them on the ground. Eventually the pups learn to great the leader with a sign of respect and affection by crouching down, with their ears back and tail wagging, and will lick their leader's muzzle. They do not learn to do this our of fear, but respect. Which is important for you to learn how to earn their respect, but not make them scared of you. This behavior must be consistent from the moment the puppy arrives in your home and through out it's entire life.
Pack animals are very social animals, even more so than humans. Once you bring a puppy into your home and form a new pack, he will want to be part of your pack. Let the dog be near you. He can sit at your feet while you watch TV or play on the computer. He wants to be near you and part of your family. Dogs should be allowed to live indoors as part of your pack. Making a dog stay outdoors can be one of the most physiologically harmful things to do to a puppy. It also makes them much harder to train. You need to create rules and boundaries and make the dog understand what parts of the house are available to him and welcome him into those areas. He also needs to know which parts of off limits to him. Make sure that he has his own crate (as dogs are den animals) he will come to respect his own area and in turn respect yours.
Adopting a puppy is a big decision, one you must fully commit to. There are financial, time, and training responsibilities. You should fully research your obligations to become a responsible pet owner. Becoming the alpha leader is only one small portion.
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