How To Handle A Dominant Dog?

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 12:41

Many people, including experienced trainers, misunderstand the problem of dominance in dogs. They believe that dominance can only be suppressed by force. Just put the dog down and be done with it! here is the generally accepted approach to the problem. In most cases, this approach is incorrect. In addition, many believe that dominance is a problem only in large breed dogs and are wrong. For example, a large dog can send you, your little child, to the hospital. Dominance in any of its manifestations must be fought, and if the dominant dog cannot be completely subdued, then it is necessary to keep it under control no matter what size the dog is.

Dogs are gregarious animals, and the best way to learn more about dominance is to study the gregarious behavior of animals. To do this, first of all, studies of the behavior of dominant individuals in wolf packs should be used. In a wolf pack there is always a dominant pair of animals, which, without entering into direct confrontation with the rest of the pack, maintains a leading position solely with the help of various skillful tricks. The main role in maintaining a dominant position in the pack is played, in particular, by body position and posture.

I have been a Schutzhund sports fan since 1974. Unfortunately, over the years, novices who have come to Schutzhund have heard: "You should not train your dog for obedience until it is one year old or until it has been trained for protection." Nothing could be further from the truth than this statement. German specialists who came to our country and held seminars on training issues expressed an idea, which in translation sounded like this: "No obedience in the first year." The real meaning is what was lost in translation. They had only one thing in mind: before reaching a certain age (about 1 year), i.e. until full physical maturity, the dog should not be engaged in jumping, pulling, and exercises using coercion.

Unfortunately, many took the translation literally and during the important period of the formation of the dog did not engage in any training, which led in such cases to problems with dominance. I want to note that, according to my observations, most owners often, through negligence, by their behavior and lifestyle contribute to the development of dominance in their pets. Understanding the peculiarities and nuances of the dominant behavior of dogs will help the owner to take the position of the leader of the pack in his own home.

I will give a few examples of the dominant behavior of the dog in the house:

- the dog sleeps in the owner's bed, - does not allow the husband to enter his wife's bedroom after a long absence, - growls near food or toys, - does not allow the owner to take the toy, showing aggression, - always goes first to door, - requires attention and affection from the owner when he is busy with something else, - extremely aggressive towards other dogs, - selectively aggressive towards family friends.

If the dog is an adult and can bite, you need to take it on a short leash and make a series of sharp corrective jerks with the leash. If the dog is still holding the toy and continues to growl, he needs to make the suggestion in a stern voice and get the dog to throw the toy. Before picking up the toy, the owner must take the dog to a safe distance. Until you have learned to fully control the situation, you cannot give the dog a toy. It is the owner who controls the dog's world, and the dog must understand this. One of the points of this scenario is this: "Only the owner determines which toys to play with and for how long."

If the dog does not give up the toy even after correction with the leash, and the owner is not sure that he can safely remove the toy from the dog's mouth, there are two options for further action:

1) avoid dangerous situations only enter the fight when you are confident in your victory. When the dog finally lets go of the toy, pick it up and remove the subject for good. The dog should never play with this toy again;

Ed Frauli. Continued in the magazine "Doberman", 4/1999