Your Dog, The Pack Animal!

One thing that cats and dogs have in common –they are pack animals. In fact they have that in common with us!  A pack animal is a creature that, when in the wild, survives in a group. This group is based on a pecking order. This structure, which is based on many politics, was evolved to support nomadic, breeding and hunting activities.  

Pack behavior is most noticeable in dogs. It is part of the nature of the beast!

The reason it is so important for you to understand pack behavior is because it gives you the secret as to why your dog knows how to control you and get away with it.  In a wolf pack, there is a social structure in which each canine has a well-defined role.   It is like the military.  This is why dog obedience experts say that your dog actually likes being told what to do. His natural instincts actually embrace the idea of being controlled, because in a pack, the pack leader would give him commands. This means that you must learn to be your puppy’s pack leader if you are to train him.  From birth, a wolf is assigned his role in the pack.  

Genetics have a lot to do with it. A leader is born hard wired with alpha dog characteristics. There are very little opportunities for social climbing. A lot of it is based on looks and ability. A pack member’s superiority in the pack determines where it sleeps, if it gets to eat first or last and whether it is going to dine on fat or bone.  The dog that is the leader or alpha dog cares for the whole pack. In the wild he sleeps at high point so he can protect them all and see the entire territory. He gets to decide who mates with who and is the main aggressor.  

As this is something that is usually determined by birth, it is not easy to teach a dominant dog, who thinks he is an alpha wolf, to be a pet.   He thinks he is protecting you or your family and that you are members of a pack.  

This is why a dog that is aggressive is not necessarily a bad dog. He may simply be an alpha dog who, however inappropriately, might be trying to do his job. To harshly discipline a dog that is “doing right by you” really causes chaos and frustration.. The animal can lash back at you.  

Primal pack instincts can also come up during a walk in the park. For instance, when two dogs are first introduced to each other, you may have noticed that they have an inherent need to decide which dog is superior to the other.   The subordinate dog will usually adopt a submissive posture such as rolling over to display his tender underbelly. This rolling over to expose the underbelly is the doggie equivalent of “I surrender.” Or “I am at your mercy.”    

Sometimes there is a scuffle to try and figure out dominance or submissive urination.  This behavior is part of an ancient survival instinct that dictates that animals in a pack cannot be equal. There must be a chain of command.   This is why you must ask yourself who is “top dog” when it comes to the chain of command in your house.

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How To Kitten Proof Your Home

Have you just got a new little kitten? If so you have to be as attentive to them as you would be a toddler. They are curious and always getting into everything.  

Some people make the mistake of thinking that kittens have all of these natural instincts that protect them from danger. This is definitely not true. They are as out of it as human toddlers. They will eat the wrong food, chew on the wrong plant and misjudge distances.

Like all kids, kittens are on a learning curve and they do need to be protected from danger in their immediate environment for at least the first seven months of life.  Here are some ways that you can kitten proof your home so that it is safe for the little critter.  

Check your dryer drum before you to turn it on. Kittens love warm areas and they like to sleep inside dryers.   They could be killed if they are trapped in a dryer.  

Get rid of toxic house plants. A young cat does not necessarily instinctively know which plants are bad for it and which ones are good. The safest thing to do when you have a new kitten is to just get rid of your houseplants.   Use fake flowers or plants instead but be careful there are no small plastic parts on the articial flower that the kitten can pull off and choke on.  

Remove rocking chairs. These are very easy for a kitten to get trapped under.  Keep your kitty out of the garage (especially in the winter.) Kittens are attracted to the taste o poisonous antifreeze.  

Wrap up electrical cords into bundles. The texture of an electrical cord is attractive to teething kittens. Of course chewing on an electrical cord can also cause elrotcution. When purchasing appliances look for ones that have cord retractor or ones where the wires are concealed. This is also good if you have human toddlers tripping around the house. If this is not possible then wrap the cords in heavy plastic tape.  Don’t let cords from window blinds dangle. Tie them up as kittens can get caught in the loops and hang themselves accidentally.  

Don’t leave plastic bags with handles lying around as kittens like the crackling sound they make. However the handles are a real strangulation hazard! Also never leave something like a plastic drycleaning bag around as they could suffocate.  

Keep your windows closed in a way that a kitten can’t slip out the window and fall out. Make sure the window screens fit in there securely.  

Take all big cushions off of the couch. When they are little kittens like to crawl under these big pillows and have a nap. The danger is that they could be sat on and crushed.  Protect your kitten from people who are mentally ill, moody or who have addictions. Pets, especially cats, can be the targets of anger, frustration and other human emotions.  T

he biggest danger to cats is letting them outside. If you live in a rough area know better then to expose a tiny vulnerable kitten to all of the predators (both human and animal) that are out there.

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