Does your dog engage in seemingly sweet, subtle, and manipulative behavior, such as nudged you to show affection, forcing a ball into your lap, mouthing your hand, or kicking you when you sit on the couch? Or does he display more of a pushy, aggressive dog dominance when he gets your attention?
In either case, you have a dog dominance behavior problem. Your dog seeks to control and manipulate you, and he won’t get as cute over time. These dog behaviors can lead to demands that alienate friends, prevent your children from hearing the serious message you’re trying to tell them, cause someone to trip and fall, lead to nipping or biting, and more. It’s not nice or safe.
So how do you make Fido stop? What can he do to assert his authority and gain his leadership position over this dog dominance behavior?
First of all, always have your dog sit or lie down, in a submissive posture, for a treat, meal or before going for a walk. Make the dog wait for him to be calm for ANYTHING… You’ll soon thank yourself!
Your dog should ALWAYS walk next to you or behind you on his daily walk, never in the lead. Remember the leader-follower rule. Note how calm a dog is when he is following an owner and how nervous he is when he is leading the control position.
To earn your dog’s full respect, your behavior and attitude must command that respect. One aid to help you exude authority in a way the dog actually feels and smells, is your intensely positive FOCUS. Stand up and focus on something that makes you very proud.
I think of a very unruly dog I once trained on and off leash, and the look on the owner’s face when he arrived a few weeks later. As he walked through the wide open door, seeing the previously feral dog sitting calmly behind my friend, he exclaimed, “This can’t be the same dog!” That makes me smile, fill my lungs, and push my head and shoulders square with powerful inner confidence!
Another dog training tip: If your dog is lying in your path but not fast asleep, DO NOT run over or around him. Instead, nudge him gently with your foot, tell him to move, or get his attention in some other appropriate way. He has to move for you, NOT you for him! He will soon understand this without you having to do anything. So, like my Border Collie, he’ll just get up and out of the way when he feels like you have to pass. Otherwise, he starts to feel like he’s in control and can also become a safety hazard, standing up unexpectedly when you walk over it and causing you to fall.
As much fun as it can be, rough and snarling games with your dog are certainly not recommended, especially not with youngsters who haven’t yet learned proper relationship boundaries and etiquette. Keep in mind that even older dogs can move from play to serious control actions as well. I have received and seen too many accidental bites and worked with too many unbalanced dogs as a result of this! I even have a friend whose three-year-old Dalmatian had to be euthanized after a series of horseplay with her little brother. It got to the point that the dog took the rough control into the house, playing no more, she finally bit the boy and drew blood more than once! Let the dogs play with each other.
Even games like tug of war between you and your dog are not good. Let the dogs play with each other, instead. Yes, that colorful rope you bought is just begging you to take one end to your dog’s delight. I watch my two dogs play this game… and the victor wins power! Increase your self-confidence. If you win, you diminish him in his eyes, and if you give in or simply lose control of the rope, in his mind he has just gained power over you!
No, your dog needs to be safe and confident in YOU and not feel competitive with you. This way, it’s a win-win situation for you and your dog, and YOU can be the TOP DOG, the confident leader of the pack!