When is it most important to assert your authority?
There are key situations where leaders need to assert their authority with the dogs. But we don’t mean being demanding and demonstrative, we just mean being a good leader and using the qualities we just talked about. The key situations when you assert your authority in a benevolent manner include walks, feeding times, when strangers are going by, and dog greetings. Turn these activities into great learning experiences for both you and the dog by using your best leadership skills. The dog looks to you in these situations as a leader and they take their cues from you on how they behave. We don’t let the dog rush to eat their food, you may ask them to sit and then release them with a cue, for example. We will talk in greater detail about cues later in this lesson.