I've seen and received some questions about what qualifies as your dog attempting to be "dominant" over you...well, here we go:
My dog wants to sleep on the bed with me, and my trainer says I shouldn't allow it because it will spoil my dog...
That's crap. Period. Dogs and puppies bond most intensely when they are sleeping on top of, next to and with the rest of their pack members. Denying them this right is a personal choice. It is not required that you keep your dog on the floor, in its own bed or crate, in order to remain in the Pack Leader position.
Using a crate to assist you when you are housetraining a new dog won't ruin your relationship with your dog either. Nor will insisting that the dog must sleep on the floor, or in its own bed space. That is up to You, Pack Leader. You get to choose where the lesser members sleep.
Bearing this in mind, you DO have a problem if your dog is being disrespectful of your sleeping space. If you've ever tried to get in bed with your wife/husband, and the dog won't let you.....If you try to shove the dog out of the way 'cuz he's in your spot, and he growls at you.....
If your dog won't allow any other pets on the bed when they are up there....
Those are indicators that you may have an issue with a dog who believes they are higher ranking in the pack then they should be. Not that you have "spoiled" the dog.
If your dog is presenting that kind of response, then it's time to take away the resource: The Bed. Time to begin a training regime and routine that puts you back on top, in the dog's mind.
My dog climbs on my lap when I'm trying to watch t.v. and gets close to my face. He isn't licking me, but when I try to push him down, he stiffens, growls real low, and stares me in the eyes....
Ummm, yeah. You have a real problem brewing there. Direct refusal to stop invading your body space in a stiff-body posture kind of way, is a nasty bite to the face waiting to happen.
Every time I try to pet my other dog, she pushes her way in-between us...She has such a jealous streak!.....
Not particularly. It has more to do with your dog believing she has a higher rank in the pack then the other dog, and perhaps even you. The highest ranking member of the household has all the right in the world to choose when and who they give attention to; the lower members do not have the right to just jam up in there and demand love and affection when they decide it should happen.
If this is happening in your household, stop petting them both!!! Use your body to block the dog who is pushing her way into the affection time, (it may take a few repetitions and EVERYONE in the house has to do the same thing if she's doing it when they pet the other dog) and continue to pet the dog you were petting in the first place. Only when you have decided it is time to pet her, should she get affection. If the other dog shoves in there, do the same. It is Your decision, not theirs.
My dog refuses to come when he's called. My trainer says it's because he is Dominant....
My dog won't stop barking at everything when we walk, and pulls me down the street. My trainer says he is trying to be Dominant.....
My dog doesn't like strangers in the house, it's because he's Dominant; my trainer says so.....
Get another trainer.
That one is misusing the term Dominant. These are the kinds of "trainers" that blame Dominance when they are out of ideas. Most dogs are not dominant in personality at all. You force them to try to be in a more dominant role, because you aren't doing your job as Leader. They feel like Somebody has to run things, and if you're not doing it, they will try.
I see it so very often where a dog with a soft personality, and some fear issues has had to take on the role of protector, and they are handling it very poorly because they really don't want that role. As soon as we get the Human taking control of the situation, the dog relaxes and literally begins making soft eye-contact and sweet gestures to people they were reacting ridiculous to just moments ago. It's not so much a 'dominance' issue, as a handling problem.
As for pulling and barking at everything when you walk.....Dominance has nothing to do with that either. Your dog is simply reactionary and out of control because you haven't learned how to properly walk him. He has no idea what is expected of him, because, up until now, you have allowed him to lead you (albeit loudly and roughly) down the street. Why do you think he's still pulling? Because you're still moving forward. You're still following him. He thinks he's doing the acceptable thing.
But we put him in a prong collar and he STILL pulls!
And that's a discussion about Tools and their proper application per personality, issue faced, and general dynamic between you and your dog....Another time :)
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