For the past several decades, dog owners have been inundated with messages that we need to be a "pack leader" or "alpha" with our dogs. Those specific terms imply that we need to take a power position by actively asserting dominance over our dogs in our daily lives.

So is all of this really necessary? Do dogs need leadership from us? And if so, what does that actually look like?

Guests:
- Ayelet Berger (she/her/hers) CDBC is a Certified Behavior Consultant and Co-Owner with INSTINCT Nashville.

- Taylor Snead (they/them) CBCC-KA, is a Certified Behavior Consultant at INSTINCT Portland (Oregon)

Hosts Brian Burton (he/him/his) and Sarah Fraser (she/her/hers) are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of INSTINCT Dog Behavior & Training. Both are Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and have Master's degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College/CUNY.

INSTINCT has 11 locations across the US and services the global community via virtual consults. Over 19,000 students have also taken courses at INSTINCT's online school (with many free courses available): Learn more at https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/

INSTINCT Resources:

Online School https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

Free Monthly Seminars (Puppy Parenting Roadmap, Rescue Dog Roadmap, Behavior Roadmap): https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars/

Youtube Version of the Episode (video): https://youtu.be/i2L_UB1c29U