Dogs are natural pack animals. They look to a leader, and rarely challenge the one that leads them. If you don’t establish yourself as your dog’s leader early on, then you may have to deal with serious behavior problems throughout your dog’s entire life. If it appears that you are the inferior one in the relationship, then you need to take back your place as leader as soon as possible.
You first need to identify whether your pooch is acting in a dominant or in an aggressive way. Although the two are linked, there are differences between them. If your dog is growling, barking, biting, or acting in a similar way, then he is exhibiting aggressive behaviors. A dominant dog is more aloof; he may disobey orders, not perform things he has been trained to do, or demand playtime and attention, among other behaviors. This article is intended to help dogs that think they are dominant, not dogs that are acting violently towards their owners. If your dog is being aggressive, then you may need to call in the help of a behavioral specialist.
Maybe you never controlled him as a puppy, or didn’t establish house rules early on. For whatever reason, your dog does not see you as his leader. This problem needs to be taken care of as soon as possible; otherwise, dominance can turn into aggression. First, set yourself up as a leader. You need to be confident and able to handle your dog. You should neither completely look passed your dog’s behavior nor get angry or aggressive toward him. You pretty much have to start with the basics. A hint for any dog behavior situation is to go through obedience training. Completing a training program with your pooch can help put you back in the dominant position, while building a stronger human-animal bond.
Start with the little things. If your pooch begs for his food, then deny him what he wants. No, don’t starve him; but, you can wait a few more minutes, or until he gets distracted by something else, to feed him. If he begs to go outside, then follow the same guidelines. Once outside, then use a leash to walk him (whether or not he is accustomed to the leash). Do not allow him to lead you; instead, keep him by your side as you walk. The more often and longer you exercise, the more tired your pet will be. This definitely helps out with controlling behaviors. A great tool to utilize in cases such as these is a schedule. Mapping out a routine for your pooch helps keep the begging to a minimum; if he knows when it’s coming, then he doesn’t have to beg for it. Include meals, exercise, and grooming time on the schedule.
When you are inside your home, do not allow your pet to be “king.” Don’t allow him to sit on top of any furniture or eat table scraps. You should provide him with a comfortable place to sleep in an area where you spend most of your time. There is no sense in isolating him from the family. If he begs to be pet, then simply tell him “no” or a like command and redirect your eyes from him. While you “negate and ignore” his bad behaviors, you should start rewarding his good ones. For instance, if someone knocks on the door and he obeys the “sit” and “stay” commands, then give him a treat for his good behavior. He’ll soon learn what you want from him.
While training or retraining your pooch, it is important that everyone in your household is consistent in the training. Your pet won’t understand what is desired of him if everyone has a different rule or uses different commands. If you set a schedule, then encourage everyone to keep the same schedule. Consistency is always a major aid in any form of dog training.
If your dog is showing signs of dominant behavior, then it is important that you take care of things before it turns into aggressive behavior. If your dog is already to the aggressive point, then you may need to call in the help of a behavioral specialist. There are simple things you can do around your home to regain your dominance. Whatever you choose to do, make sure the other members of the household are following your lead. Consistency should be one of your best friends right now!
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Pet-Super-Store provided this article. They are a website featuring dog beds, orthopedic dog beds and dog crates