Eye Dominance Training

Dogs are pack animals descended from wolves. They are programed to follow and obey one leader, and any dog training must be done with the owner in that role of the boss or "alpha" dog, according to The Dog Health Guide website. Dogs that attack often do so because they wrongly believe they are the pack's alpha dog. Eye dominance training puts the owner in that leader position and demotes the dog to a pack animal.

  1. History

    • Dogs were first brought into people's homes about 15,000 years ago, according to a report from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Despite living alongside humans for so long, the animals still have a complex hierarchy, inherited from their ancestors. The alpha dog dominates and leads the other members of the pack when in the wild. This dog makes decisions for the entire pack, and the rest of the dogs will form a social hierarchy under that alpha animal. Each dog will know its own standing in the pack, according to The Dog Health Guide.

    Theory

    • A dog will follow an "alpha" person in the family home just as a wolf will follow the alpha or leader animal in its pack. It is, therefore, the owner's responsibility to establish himself as the alpha animal, according to The Dog Health Guide. The dog will take up this mantle if the owner fails to do so, and this may cause it to become agitated or stressed as it tries to lead the family. A person is not automatically in charge because it is a human. He must show the dog who is boss.

    Testing

    • An owner uses eye dominance training to become the pack's alpha animal. Jo Wood, a trainee dog psychologist in Yorkshire, England, suggests testing who is the current alpha dog by looking your pet in the eyes and seeing how he responds. You are the alpha in the family pack if the dog looks away from you; if it stares back or initiates a lot of eye contact, the dog believes it is the leader. This puts you below the dog in the pack and makes it more difficult to command or train the animal.

    Methods

    • Use steady, constant eye contact when your dog is being naughty or barking unnecessarily to teach it that you are the boss and that what it is doing is incorrect. If the dog recognizes you are the pack leader, it will respond and stop misbehaving, Wood explains. It is important to repeat this method because a dog may not obey your commands immediately and it may take time for the dog to realize it is no longer in charge. Reward the dog with treats when it responds properly, and give short and normal bursts of eye contact. A relaxed dog will respond in the same way.

    Results

    • According to The Dog Health Guide, a dog will be a more relaxed and happier animal when it realizes it is no longer the leader of the pack. It will no longer will be under stress to lead the family and will settle into a more submissive role. The dog will bark less, follow you around less frequently and also be easier to train. Eye dominance is a semi-hidden communication, but it makes a difference. A dog wants to follow a leader; once it knows you are that alpha animal, it will be more obedient to your commands.