Although humans sometimes think of dog packs as primitive and barbaric, dogs are meant to exist in packs. Whether you know it or not, if you own a dog, you have a pack. Good packs create balance in dogs.

A good pack helps dogs to feel safe and to find their place. Any family with a dog should consider these pack facts:

• Packs always have a hierarchy, from the one in front, to the middle participants, to back of the pack dogs.

• When a dog knows its place in the pack, it can relax and feel balance.

• Most misbehavior in dogs comes when they sense that their pack is unstable and unprotected, their place unsure.

• If you own a dog, every living thing in your household is a member of your pack, so getting all family members on board with training will lead to greater success.