Does your dog engage in seemingly sweet, subtle, and manipulative behavior, such as nudging you to show affection, forcing a ball into your lap, touching your hand with his mouth, or kicking you when you sit on the couch? Or does he show more aggressive and pushy 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 drive friends away, prevent your children from hearing the serious message you’re trying to tell them, cause someone to trip and fall, lead to bites or bites, 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’s 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 quiet for ANYTHING… You’ll soon thank yourself!

Your dog should ALWAYS walk beside you or behind you on your daily walk, never leading the way. Remember the leader-follower rule. Consider how calm a dog is when he is following an owner and how nervous he is when he is in front in the control position.

To earn your dog’s full respect, your behavior and attitude must command that respect. An aid to help you exude authority in a way that the dog actually feels and smells, is your intensely positive APPROACH. Stand up and focus on something that makes you feel 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 wild dog sitting quietly 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 straight 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 walk around him. Instead, gently nudge him 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 will just get up and walk away when he feels 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 him and causing you to fall.

As much fun as you may have, rough and tumble games with your dog are certainly not recommended, especially not with youngsters who haven’t yet learned proper boundaries and relationship protocols. Keep in mind that even older dogs can go from play to serious control actions as well. I have received and seen too many accidental bites and have worked with too many unbalanced dogs as a result! I even have a friend whose three-year-old Dalmatian had to be euthanized after a series of roughhousing with her little brother. She got to the point where the dog took the rough check into the house, not playing anymore, 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. Yep, that colorful string you bought just begs you to take one end for your dog’s delight. I watch my two dogs as they play this game…and the winner gains power! Increases your self-confidence. If you win, you lessen it in his eyes, and if you give in or just lose control of the rope, in his mind he 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 get to be the TOP DOG, the confident leader of the pack!