The Real Key to Dog Training

So I get asked all the time, what is the real key to Dog Training?

The answer is actually pretty simple. You must convince your dog that you are the pack leader.

When you are the pack leader your dog does not feel the need to constantly bark at everything that he/she perceives as a threat. Because in the dog world it is the pack leaders job to protect the pack. So if your dog is barking and showing aggression at everything it sees, it is simply trying to protect the pack.

When you are the pack leader your dog will stop pulling on the leash. Because the pack leader decides where to go on walks. If your dog is constantly pulling when on walks it is because he/she thinks that it is his job to decide where to go.

Dog anxiety comes from  a dog thinking that it is the pack leader. Imagine you are a dog trapped in a world where there is nothing to eat (your house). The dog thinks it is his job to find the food so that the whole pack (you and your family) can eat.  He has been through the whole house and found nothing to eat. Imagine the despair of that situation to your dog. But if your dog suddenly realizes you are the pack leader and it is not his/her job to find the food and the anxiety will stop.