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Blog Entry 24 of 35 Ask the Dog Guy
The Dog Guy (me) answers questions about dog behavior/misbehavior.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~AsktheDogGuy

Leadership!

Contributed by: Dave Pearson   on 6/22/2008

Dear Dog Guy,

Thanks I need some help on how to reaffirm my dominate position....they both think they rule the roost....(This is the 3rd in a series from a lady in Arvada with a Pug that marks and sheds who also has a female Min Pin).

Aghast in Arvada

Dear Aghast,

Tough Love comes to mind when I think of how to convince your dog that you are dominant. First of all, ALL dogs crave structure (leadership). So much so, in fact, that if they don't see it, they become it. It's been my experience that people with larger breeds are better at leadership than those people with smaller breeds. I'm just guessing that this has to do with the "cuteness" factor, and that smaller breeds seem less threatening than larger breeds. It is also important that leadership begin as a puppy, but it is NEVER too late. Below is a checklist, parts of which I stole from the Internet, that should be followed as much as possible.

When you look through this, I think you'll see why smaller dogs are sometimes more of an issue. Some of these will be easier than others and not all apply to all dogs in all situations. For example, I have an aging Norwegian Elkhound that sleeps on the bed when he wants. He has NO leadership issues and is not allowed on ANY other furniture and is only on the bed at my invitation.

? Feed scheduled mealtimes (No free-feeding)
? Feed AFTER humans eat.
? Dog goes AFTER humans through doorways.
? Avoid playing tug-of-war and NEVER lose. YOU decide when the game is done.
? If you establish eye contact, dog must avert gaze first.
? Dog is NEVER allowed to bite or mouth ANYONE, ANYWHERE! (this includes play)
? No sleeping on the bed with ANYONE (I know this can be tough, but it's important)
? Petting or attention to the dog should be given when the HUMAN decides attention is to be given (absolutely NO PETTING when the dog nudges or paws you or your hand)
? Puppies or small dogs who demand to be picked up and held and/or demand to be put down should not be picked up until they sit or some other acceptable quiet behavior and should not be put down until they settle quietly in your lap or in your arms.
? Games with toys, especially fetch, are initiated AND ended by the human.
? Never put yourself in an equal or lesser height position than your dog (i.e. - kids don't get to lay on the floor to watch TV when the dog is out and no one plays on the floor with the dog)
? To go along with the above, dog is NEVER allowed on furniture, especially if uninvited.
? Enforced time-outs in crate - no reason, and not used only when dog does something bad! Also not only used when you are not home.
? A simple obedience command, such as "sit" should be obeyed before any pleasurable interaction (eat, pet, play, etc.)
? Dog should be taught NOT to pull when on leash.
? Dog should NEVER be left unsupervised with children or ANYONE who cannot maintain leadership over dog.
? Dog MUST MOVE if in your path on a floor or stairway, etc. even if you are able to step over him.
? When on a walk, dog must not be allowed to sniff or eliminate anywhere he wants (for males, one mark against one tree is enough!)
? Everything belongs to you: the toys, the crate, the bowls, the bed, etc - they are only on loan to the dog! You should be able to clean, move, handle or remove any item at any time without hassle from the dog.
? Dog should be taught an "out" or release command ("give", "release", "out") for things in his mouth. Dog should not be allowed to steal things and if that happens, they should be able to release item on command.

I realize that some of these may seem like overkill, but your dog will thank you in the end. He/she will be happier not to have to take the lead (and will likely stop other bad behaviors as well).




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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Dave Pearson

Arvada , CO

Dave Pearson has posted 35 blog entries and 0 comments since joining on 1/7/2008. Dave Pearson 's average blog rating is 5.
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