Saramgom & Dogs

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What is good leadership for dogs? – Be a good guardian

2026. 5. 7. Eng. 0 Comments

What is good leadership for a dog?

Good leadership has clear standards.

Hello. The person in charge of one of the bears is Bear. Today, I would like to talk about a word that is very often misunderstood in dog training. It is leadership.

During counseling, guardians often say things like this.

“I heard I should be the leader.”
“I feel like my dog is ignoring me.”
“Should I be stronger?”
“Should I make sure the hierarchy is clear?”

But the human bear is always mentioned first here.

Leadership is not about pushing hard

Really good leadership is not about making the dog scared, but about making the dog look at you when he or she is anxious.

Leadership is not about rank

Many guardians understand leadership as a hierarchy.

“I am above.”
“You are below.”
“So listen to me.”

If you approach it this way, the owner will have to become stronger and the dog may become more and more anxious.

Of course, dogs need rules. ButRules and coercion are different. Leadership is not about winning over the dog, but giving direction so that the dog does not get lost.

For example, let’s say your dog gets excited when he sees another dog during a walk.

This is how bad leadership reacts.

  • “Hey! Don’t do that!”
  • “Why are you doing this again?”
  • “Stay still!”
  • “If you get scolded, come to your senses!”

But good leadership thinks like this.

  • “Now, my dog has encountered a distance that is difficult for him to handle.”
  • “I need to move a little further away.”
  • “I need to help you see me again.”
  • “When the excitement goes down, I should praise you.”

Same situation, but completely different. One is to push the puppy, and the other is to guide the puppy.

The leader your dog wants is not a scary person

The fact that a dog follows its guardian does not mean that it is scared or looks at others.

A really obedient dog thinks like this.

“That person organizes the situation well.”
“You are safe next to that person.”
“When that person speaks, there is a reason.”
“Even if I get excited, I have a place to return to.”

This is good leadership.

Puppies don’t want perfect guardians. I trust guardians who don’t always get angry, guardians whose standards don’t change often, guardians who make decisions for me in dangerous situations, and guardians who don’t ignore expressions of dislike. For example, in a situation where a puppy that lacks socialization avoids dogs, a good guardian will give the puppy a sense of security by putting it between others rather than holding it. This will help the dog overcome the situation on his own and improve his trust in his guardian. 

The first condition of good leadership is consistency

What is good leadership?

The most confusing guardian from a dog’s point of view is one who can do it today, not tomorrow, and whose standards change depending on his mood.

Today, even when she comes on the sofa, I pat her and tell her she’s pretty. But tomorrow, they scold me for burying my hair.

Today, even if I jump at a customer, I smile and think it’s cute. But next week, people scold me for running.

Today, even if you pull the leash while taking a walk, it follows you. But one day, he suddenly gets angry and tells me not to pull the rope.

It’s really difficult from a dog’s perspective.

“Will it be replaced or not?”

Good leadership has simple criteria. What works continues, and what doesn’t continues doesn’t. And rather than scolding for wrong behavior, it first tells you what to do.

The second condition is emotional control

When the dog gets excited, the situation gets even worse if the owner gets excited as well.

If a dog barks and the owner yells, the dog may feel this way.

“Ah, the guardian is also upset.”
“As expected, this situation seems dangerous.”

Then you can bark more.

If the guardian pulls sharply when the dog pulls on the leash, the dog becomes more tense and exerts more force on its body. If the guardian becomes impatient when the dog is scared, the dog becomes more anxious.

A good leader is calmer when the situation is turbulent.

Of course, guardians are also people. You may get angry. You may be embarrassed. It can be annoying.

However, it is important to stop for a beat and think rather than scolding right at that moment.

  • Is this child being stubborn now?
  • Or is it because I’m scared that I can’t do it?
  • Do you still not know what it means?
  • Am I so excited that I can’t hear?

This one question will change the direction of your training.

The third condition is the dog’s ability to narrow down its options

Good leadership does not necessarily mean leaving things free.

These days, the saying “coercion is bad” has become widely known, and on the contrary, there are many cases where it is released without any standards.

However, it is difficult for dogs to judge all situations on their own. Children who are particularly excited, fearful, or wary can become anxious when they have too many choices.

What if the front door is open and you can go out at will, you can approach any dog while walking, you can run straight to a guest at home, your family keeps touching you while you are eating, and your child suddenly hugs you while you are sleeping?

This is not freedom, it is chaos.

A good leader gives the dog safe options.

  • “Let’s stay on the mat for now.”
  • “Let’s keep our distance from guests.”
  • “Let the other dogs pass.”
  • “If you get excited, let’s stop for a moment.”
  • “If you feel anxious, you can come next to me.”

Leadership is organizing the situation like this.

The fourth condition is to read the dog’s language

The dog does not suddenly develop problem behavior. Most signal first.

  • My body stiffens.
  • Ears go backwards
  • The tail goes down.
  • Keep your mouth shut.
  • Turn your head.
  • Yawn.
  • Flicking the tongue.
  • Step back.
  • Turn around.
  • Hides behind the guardian.

However, if the guardian does not see this signal, the dog will use stronger expressions.

Growl, bark, bite, lunge, run away.

At this time, the guardian says, “Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”, but from the dog’s perspective, it is not sudden.

I kept saying it, but no one heard me.

A good leader is not one who forces a dog to be quiet, but one who recognizes small signals before the dog expresses them loudly.

The fifth condition is that the guardian manages the environment first

Training isn’t just about changing your dog. In fact, many problems can be greatly reduced by changing the environment.

You can adjust the position of the screen or mat so that the front door is not directly visible to dogs that bark excessively.

For dogs that run at guests, you can create distance with a gate or leash rather than having them meet the guest right from the beginning.

For dogs that are reactive during walks, you may want to avoid times when there are too many people and dogs.

For dogs who keep chewing things, you can remove dangerous objects and provide toys that they can chew on.

This is not evasion. We are laying the groundwork for training to go well.

A good leaderdoes not throw the dog into problems and then makes him endure.He first creates an environment in which the dog can succeed. 

Good leadership is soft but not weak

Good leadership is gentle. But it is not easy.

  • You can be firm without yelling.
  • You can set standards even without hitting.
  • You can restrict behavior without having to force it.
  • You can tell them that it’s okay to not be angry.

For example, if a dog tries to run towards a guest, rather than yelling at it and scolding it, create a safe distance with the lead, move it to a mat, and reward it when it stays calm.

If your dog pulls on the leash while walking, instead of pulling it in anger, stop, change direction, and let the guardian know the moment the leash becomes slack.

If your dog expresses dislike, you should approach it not by saying, “How dare you growl?” but by saying, “This situation is burdensome. Then, let’s practice again in a safer way.”

Soft leadership is not neglect. This is accurate leadership.

When the dog appears to be ignoring the owner

There are moments when guardians are most upset.

“My dog ignores what I say.”

But in reality, it is often not ignored.

  • You may be too excited to hear.
  • You may be too scared to move.
  • You may not know what it means.
  • You may not have enough reason to do that action.

The same goes for people. If you’re too nervous, it’s hard to hear what you’re saying. When I’m so angry, I can’t explain anything. If you are too scared, your body freezes first.

So do dogs.

So, before asking “Why aren’t you listening?”, you should look at “Are you able to listen now?”

This is leadership.

The dog becomes more comfortable when the guardian becomes the leader

If you have good leadership, your dog will become more and more comfortable.

You don’t have to judge everyone directly. You don’t have to react directly to every dog. You don’t have to run every time you hear the front door. You don’t have to endure alone in a scary situation.

Because the guardian serves as the standard.

“It’s okay, you can stay here.”
“That person will pass by from afar.”
“You don’t have to say hello now.”
“I’ll sort out the situation.”

As these messages accumulate, the dog will trust its guardian more.

With trust comes less control. Relationships improve when control is reduced. As your relationship improves, training becomes much easier.

This kind of guardian is a good leader for the dog

  • Guardians whose standards do not change frequently
  • Guardian who does not get excited when the dog gets excited
  • A guardian who notices when the dog is giving signals of dislike
  • Guardian who cleans up the environment first before scolding
  • Guardians who provide safe options rather than unconditional freedom
  • Guardian who creates a situation where the dog can succeed
  • A guardian who helps you trust and follow rather than controlling you fearfully

Leadership is not created by the size of your voice. Leadership is created through repetitive daily life.

Conclusion

A trustworthy guardian and dog

Good leadership is not about standing on a puppy.

It shows the direction in front of the dog, creates safety next to the dog, and supports the dog from behind to prevent it from collapsing.

A strong guardian is not a good guardian.

A predictable guardian.
A calm guardian.
A guardian with standards.
A guardian who reads the dog’s signals.
A guardian who organizes the situation for them.

Such a guardian is a real leader for a dog.

This is what Saramgom thinks leadership is like.

Not “Follow me,”
“I’ll help you. Let’s go together.”

If you treat your dog with that mindset, training becomes a conversation, not a command.

And from then on, the dog does not follow its guardian out of fear, but because it trusts it.

Good article to read together