Who's The Boss - is this the main reason why your dog misbehaves?
If you are having behavioral problems with your dog, part of the problem could be that you have given the wrong signals to your pet.
Essentially, you have to show him/her who is boss. If you think this might seem a bit harsh, think again.
This is actually what your dog wants, needs and expects from you. Not being the boss is often the root of all your dogs misbehaving problems which can annoy, frustrate or embarrass you.
Take your spot as the Alphadog
Dogs are consider by most "experts" to have descended from the wolf. Mankind has systematically bred and domesticated to suit his needs. However, no matter if your dog is a traditional working dog or a pampered toy variety, it still retains some wolfish traits. One of these traits is that it likes and responds to living in a pack.
If you have a pet dog, your family is it's pack and it likes to know where it stands in the pack. In most cases, it is at the bottom of the pack. It is lower in the pack than any humans although if you have more than one dog in the family, it could be above that other dogs.
The role of the Alphadog and all the other “dogs” above your pet is to enforce their dominance. In other words, constantly demonstrate that they are above the dog. Again, this might seem harsh and many people struggle with this, but ultimately your dog needs to know this. It keeps the dog in line and behaving respectfully.
If he/she does not know who is the leader of the pack, he will try to raise his/her station and this is often the reason why your pet may seem to be misbehaving.
Being The Boss
Being the boss ultimately revolves around you doing things first or before your dog. Simple things like eating first and then feeding your dog or entering the home first tell your dog that you are the boss. You make the rules and call the shots.
Being the boss also means that you make the rules and are consistent with them. For instance, don't let your dog sit on the sofa. And if you make this a rule, then you have to stick to it. Don't let the dog sit on the sofa one week and then enforce the no sit rule next week because there is hair all over it. This just confuses the dog.
Many people struggle with this concept, especially if they have a toy breed of dog or pamper their dog a lot. They treat their dog like it is an equal partner which makes the dog think it is equal. When it thinks like this it may try to wrest the position of alpha or top dog from you. This could cause the dog to be aggressive to you or aggressive to other people. Other behavioral problems could manifest too as it thinks that it can make up the rules.
Being the Alphadog doesn't mean you have to be nasty or mean spirited with your pet. In many cases, once you have established that you are the boss and are consistent in your treatment of your pet, you shouldn't have to constantly enforce your dominance.
Posted By mick
Updated : 16th May 2020 | Words : 554 | Views : 4486
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