I've read every dog book, listened to every video, read hundres of posts, and here is what helped me the most. I figured out that my dog needed a champion. As much as I tried to exude pack leader, I finally realized that he still figured that no one was going to protect him from harm except for himself. I have to make up senerios in my own mind to understand this. Like, a battle is going on and there are two generals. One is shouting out orders telling the troops to advance, but all his soldiers are still scared and getting killed right and left. The other general doesn't say anything but walks out on the hill bombs dropping all around him his shoulders out head up in defiance. He walks back and calmly tells them, today I'm going to lead you into victory!
So on the our afternoon walk yesterday I strutted with my head cocked absurdly high and my chest out. I flexed my arms at my side. (Later, when I got home and showed Allie, she burst out laughing. When she immitated me she looked like a gorrilla.)
At any rate, it worked. Gobo obeyed my Heel! commande forevery step of the walk -- even when we passed the home of one of his villains, the black lab mix at the end of the block.
Whenever I affected my mucleman pose, Gobo would look up at me in complete awe. Perhaps this whole dog problem was simply a matter of posture.
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