The Old Trainer: How the ‘Rule of the Pack’ applies to your dog

Dear Old Trainer: My wife and I almost gave up on Devo, our 2-year old Beagle. He just refused to be trained. We found your column and tried your ideas and it was like magic. He pays more attention now, but I have no idea why. Why is he such a good dog now after refusing to learn for so long?

Stan, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Old Trainer: Because of the way a dog’s brain works. The biggest mistake humans make is projecting human traits onto their dogs. It seems logical on the surface — if it works on humans why not on pets who seem almost human?

But dogs live by canine psychology and it’s nothing like the human variety. The dominant aspect of canine psychology is the Rule of the Pack — the leader gives the orders, the pack obeys.

Pack protocol is the canine version of Hemingway’s “iceberg theory” of writing. Hemingway said, “If a writer knows enough about his subject he may omit details—the submerged part of the iceberg—and yet the reader feels them as strongly as if the writer had stated them.”

Rule of the Pack is the hidden part of the iceberg when it comes to training a dog. Devo ignored orders because his DNA told him you were not a leader. Now you conduct yourself the way he thinks a leader should and — because of that iceberg called pack psychology — he’s happy to obey.

People think, “Well, if I give an order he will obey because I’m a human and he’s a mere dog.” Dogs have a fine laugh over that one.

Dogs don’t enter a family and think, “they are all humans and I’m a mere dog so I rank last.” They think, “I adore my new pack and my first job is to figure out which ones I can boss around.” They love humans, but leadership — in their minds — has nothing to do with love.

They are content if they see a leader because all dogs crave order in the pack. If they see a vacuum of leadership they are still happy because they take over as leader and run the pack the way they want.

Even in families where dogs accept a human as leader it’s common for them to take orders from that leader but ignore orders from the rest of the family. Rank within the pack is so important to the canine mind dogs never stop judging where each member ranks. If you rank below them, they aren’t following orders from you.

Shakespeare might have been describing dog training when he wrote this dialogue in Henry IV:

Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.

Hotspur: Why, so can I. So can any man. But will they come when you do call them?

Anyone can give a dog an order, but will they listen when you do? Dog parks are full of people screaming at their dogs while the dogs ignore them and run around having a good time.

Any experienced trainer will tell you that 95% of the time when they are asked to train a dog they wind up training the owner, not the dog.

In your case Devo didn’t need training, you did. As soon as you turned yourself into a leader Devo turned into a trained dog.