Canine Domination; Good or Bad

Different dog breeds are often discussed amongst dog enthusiasts.  Certain breeds such as Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and German Shepherds seem to be taking a bad rap in the media today. While having these conversations with fellow dog owners, they often lead to the conclusion that a submissive dog is the safest dog to have. The truth is, a dominant dog shows confidence and self esteem. Dominant dogs can be both funny and the life of a party.

But is a dog’s behavior shaped by environment or genetics? This is a question dog experts discuss frequently. When a dog becomes aggressive is it because of the way we train him or is it genetically embedded?

Domination Meaning

The way a canine establishes dominance is very clever and methodical. In an attempt to undermine your authority your dog will make many clever tries to manipulate your behavior. Maybe he gives you a kiss, disobeying orders, puts his paw on your lap, or gently bites your hand –he is doing his own version of people training.

What Is a Dominant Dog?

If we look into the world of canine psychology and natural dog behavior we will find the answer. Your dog may attempt to bite or snap at you, and you may interpret that as aggression. He is not doing this because he dislikes you, it is his attempt to try and train you. Maybe he does not want you touching his toy! In the dog world strong messages are delivered by physical intimidation (touch).

Watch the Con Artist!

Sometimes your dog is training you and you do not even know it. Your dog is constantly testing to see how far he can push you. Lots of kisses and hugs from your dog on his terms is him training you. You will perceive this as sharing friendship and love; he perceives it as another notch up. This behavior may seem innocent enough to you but if continued it can escalate to a point where you cannot control your dog. It is best to establish clearly defined boundaries with your dog and let him know you are always in control.

Correct Dominant Behavior

Working with your dog is a lot of fun and can provide great family entertainment. Allowing your dog to become the dominant on his terms should be corrected in the early stages. The reason you want to correct this in the early stages is to avoid dangerous and unpredictable circumstances in the future. The most important thing with a dog is making sure he understands who is in control.

Off Limits

It’s pretty cute when Fido sits up on the couch when you have visitors, or sleeps on your bed, but this is also a signal of domination. As a rule of thumb do not allow your dog on furniture or beds, this is where the leaders go. The psychology of teaching your dog where he stands in the pecking order is done in slow methodical steps. For example, if your dog growls at your children when eating—allow your children to begin feeding the dog. If your dog eats one time every day allow your daughter to place the bowl in the place where he eats each day. Supervise this activity and make sure that your dog does not challenge your daughter. If he does, immediately correct him. In the canine kingdom, alpha leaders eat first and control when others eat.

Patience is a Virtue

There is no problem that you and your dog cannot resolve. You may find that some dogs are much more stubborn than others but they’re all intelligent in their own way and make great companions. Remain steady with your communication and give your dog a chance to fit into the groove. You will need plenty of patience in the first two years of your dog’s life, but consider that an investment in the future.

Ask an Expert

With the Internet today there is plenty of help available. If you are having difficulty training your dog and communicating your message consult in an expert. Whether you choose to find help locally or educate yourself by learning on the internet the key is gaining the necessary knowledge you require. It is you that must become the expert.

An Introduction

When people meet a dog one of the first questions they asked the owner is “does he bite?” If each dog owner answers the question truthfully the answer would be yes. All dogs by bite, it is part of their nature. Dogs use their teeth to eat food and defend themselves. If the dog feels threatened he may bite. You often hear stories about dogs that are nine or ten years old, have been gentle all of their lives and all of a sudden attack a person. Your best friend George may not be your dog’s best friend. It is always a good idea to do a proper introduction with your dog with any new friends.

We have all known certain dogs that just will not give up their toy. The same dogs will not allow you near their food bowl when they are eating. Food or toy aggressive dogs is an easy behavior to understand, even you have been possessive of the same things. Parents will often warn children to never pet the dog when he’s eating or don’t take the ball away from him. Although these words are for the safety of the children, dogs must be educated to allow this. Other dogs will allow you to take the bone from their mouth or pet them while they’re eating, why shouldn’t yours?

Random Behavior

So you play with your dog all day and have fun throwing infection the ball. Everything is great and all of a sudden your dog snaps. He is no longer predictable and you are actually afraid. What causes this type of behavioral shift? There is no blanket answer; it is up to you to discover what triggers this behavior. It may be as obvious as you taking the ball from him or it may not be that obvious. Pay close attention to the next time this behavior happens and tried to understand what causes this.