Peeing on the carpet, knocking you down, or stealing
dinner off the counter are all signs that your dog
doesn’t respect your rules. In other words, you are not
the Alpha Dog.
If you ever want to have a peaceful and happy relationship
with your dog, you need to learn how to become top dog.
It’s not just a silly phrase. Dogs have a heirarchial
ranking system. In simple reality, the only two ranks
you need to know of are top dog , and not top dog….
The Ruler, and the Rule Follower. Naturally you don’t want
to be caught in the trap of being subject to your dog.
You want your dog to respect you and obey you. Don’t confuse
the two. A dog may obey you out of fear, but not respect you.
That is a dangerous situation to be in. Have you ever seen
the movie Iron Will? If not, watch it. It gives some great
insight.
There’s a dog sled driver who beats his dogs into submission
and treats them terribly. They respond to his beatings and
he has a winning team, but at the first sign of weakness,
they turn on him and… well it wasn’t pretty.
Of course that’s a dramatization and worse case scenario.
Frankly, I think anyone who beats dogs has it coming. It’s
just not necessary to rule with an iron fist.
Most dogs are receptive to attitudes that are as basic
and primal as fighting, but are much less violent.
For example, simply giving commands and being consistent
goes a long way. If your dog is always made aware of
what is and what is not acceptable, you will have a greater
chance of success.
When your dog disobeys, scold him and send him to his quarters-
whether it be a dog bed, a kennel, going outside or just a
specific place in the house.
Don’t allow him to beg for food. Doing this gives him the
impression that it’s okay to whine to get what he wants.
It’s not.
If and when a dog should bite you, and you have had this
dog and don’t believe him to be wild or sick, then you have
to take action to ensure he knows that it will not be accepted.
(If there is any indication of disorientation of your dog
at this time, call a vet. Dogs can bite if they are sick, hurt
or scared. You should seek professional advice.)
Appropriate action would not be to scold or hit the dog but
rather to grab his head firmly, not in anger or rage but in
calm control, and bite him on the ear. Don’t try to break
the skin or really hurt the dog. You are just making a point here
that you are the leader and he needs to respect you.
It is also highly recommended that you train your dog to
walk with you on a leash, at your heel level. This puts the
dog in an active submissive role on a regular basis and helps
you to enforce that you are the boss.
I would suggest getting a book or training video to get
more details on the topic, or research dog forums for advice
from other owners who prefer to train themselves and not send
their dogs to obedience school.
Remember that if you want to be the top dog, you have to
take control. Leadership is essential in a dog’s life. You
are the one who gets to choose who that leader is.
About the Author:
Tina Spriggs is an expert dog lover whose lifelong interest in canines provides the motivation for her site. To learn more about dogs or to find gifts and toys for them visit her site at
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