Looking After Pets

Do you have a dominant dog?  Many pet owners don’t understand that a dog jumping up on people can be sign of dominance.Is it possible that these two dog behavior problems are related?  A quick lesson on dog psychology is in order.

Dogs Are Pack Animals

And every pack has a leader.  This leader, or “alpha dog” often shows he’s in charge by jumping on other pack members.  He’ll put his front paws on the other animal’s shoulders.Does this sound like your dog?

Watch how dogs behave when greeting each other.  Each one stands still and allows the other one to sniff him.  You’ll notice they don’t jump all over each other when first meeting.  Why?This would be considered very poor manners indeed by other dogs.  As mentioned above, a dog who puts his paws on another animal is asserting his dominance.

A subordinate animal NEVER jumps on the pack leader, unless he’s challenging the leader.The alpha dog doesn’t hesitate to correct this behaivor immediately. Otherwise he won’t be top dog for long.  You may be surprised to learn that allowing your dog to jump all over you reaffirms his notion that he’s the leader of your pack.

How To Stop A Dominant Dog From Jumping Up

Here are some dog obedience tips that can help control this behavior:

• Turn to the side, while blocking him with your hip.
• If he does manage to get his paws on you, send him a message. Turn your back on him, and ignore him.  Once all four paws are on the ground, tell him to “sit,” and praise him when he obeys.
• If a dog jumping up learns that he’ll get attention, he’ll keep doing it. This means not shouting “NO!” or stepping back while pushing him down.He’ll enjoy this game he thinks you’re playing.
• You decide when he gets attention, not him.  If he’s very insistent that you pet him right now, squirt him in the face with a water pistol.  It’s important that you don’t give in to his demands.

Teach your dog to sit and stay before you pet him.  He needs to learn to earn your attention, not demand it.Remember to always act like you’re the leader.  He gets your attention on your terms, not on his.

Consistency is extremely important when training a dog.It will be an impossible task for you to get him to stop if there’s someone in your household who allows the jumping, or even encourages it.  Everyone must be working together on the same goal, which is having a happy, well-mannered pet who knows where he fits into his world.

Need More Dog Obedience Tips?

In just ten minutes a day, you can teach your companion the dog obedience lessons that will transform him from a rowdy, out-of-control pet to a well-loved family member.  Don’t put up with your dog behavior problems for another day.  Just click on any link in this article right now to put an end to these problems.

Who said aggressive dog behavior is only found in big dogs?  Little dogs are sometimes a lot more aggressive because they can get away with it.  I have two little dogs, two dachshunds, and one of them, I hate to say, used to embarrass me a lot. 

I love my dogs dearly, no less because she was aggressive and crazy, but it scared me that she could get hurt or hurt another dog.  She mainly didn’t like other dogs too much and would growl and want to fight with them when they came close.  It made me nervous and I was always having to pull her leash really tight so she could not get the other dogs, even in passing them on the sidewalk.

Not only that, but she would pick on a lot bigger dogs too.  I knew if I didn’t put an end to her aggressive dog behavior she was going to get me and her in trouble. 

One day while we were at the park playing fetch another dog suddenly came up to her.  I knew this could be trouble, because she was very possessive of her ball and would not share it or let another dog near it.  But I had no time to get close before she started attacking the other dog. 

Well by the time I got to her and was able to separate them she was hurt, and bleeding all over.  Even though she started the fight and it was her fault, it broke my heart.  I know I never want to see that kind of scene again.

So I decided I had to put an end to her aggressive dog behavior right then and there.  I had to find a way to train her.  I did not want to pay a dog trainer.  That was out of the question.

I started trying to do the things that I thought would work, like give her commands and reward her with treats.  But I needed more help, as this was only working when I had the treats, and not all the time.  I needed a much deeper understanding of how to train a dog.  I needed some insider information from professionals.

So I finally found a system that really worked and helped me understand what I needed to do so I could help myself and then help her with her aggressive dog behavior.  She is really so much better.  I wouldn’t say she is a totally submissive dog, but a far cry from where she was.  She still pulls on the leash some, but not as much.  And, she doesn’t try to fight other dogs anymore, which was my main concern. 

I heartily recommend the #1 system for stopping aggressive dog behavior.

This dog training system will give you insights to every aspect of training your dog.  It will help you see through your dog’s eyes and understand what they think.

Aggressive dog behavior should be taken very seriously.  We all know what an aggressive dog can do.  He can get into a lot of trouble and get you into a very troubling situation.  Besides getting you into a legal mess, he can cause you a lot of stress and embarrassment with his unacceptable behavior.

Aggressive behavior manifests in many ways.  Of course, biting and growling at people or other dogs is the most obvious.  But you should always be aware of different kinds of dog behavior that are sometimes overlooked and can get out of control.

Aggressive dog behavior includes:

1. Walking ahead of you on a leash, or going in and out doors ahead of you.
2. Being demanding, whether whining or barking, to get your attention.
3. Being stubborn and willful, and not listening to your commands.
4. Jumping or putting their paws on people.
5. Pushing you to pet them or play with them by nudging you.

Aggressive dog behavior does not happen overnight, so you should watch out for signs of developing dominant behavior.  Also, all aggressive dogs do not exhibit biting and growling, but they may have one of the other signs of dominant behavior. 

Dogs know that they depend on humans for their survival.  They are fed and taken care of by humans.  However, when they know they can get their way by being demanding, they will think of themselves as the leader.  Since we cannot allow dogs to be the leader and let them exhibit all kinds of dominant behavior, such as biting, we need to nip this aggressive dog behavior before it has a chance to develop into more serious aggression.

You can hire a dog trainer to work with your dog.  However, this can be very expensive.  Also, dog training is as much training for the owner as it is for the dog.  The owner needs to be the alpha dog, so you both need to be trained.  You need to learn how to become the leader, and how to show your dog that from now on you are in charge.

Let’s face it, aggressive dog behavior can be very stressful and embarrassing at best, and very dangerous at worst.  You love your dog, and it would be awful if he did something irretrievable that could have grave consequences.

Learn how to stop your dog’s aggressive behavior with the #1 dog training method which has helped thousands regain control of their dog.  Everything you need to know to address aggressive dog behavior and become a leader.

Aggressive dog behavior can be seen in many places.  At the dog park, many times some dogs will start fighting and it can be hard to separate them.  It is usually the same dogs that like to fight, because they are aggressive dogs. 

Aggressiveness in dogs should not be tolerated.  It can be very stressful and embarrassing to have an aggressive dog, to say the least.  It can also be very dangerous.  A big dog with aggressive tendencies can seriously hurt someone.  Even small dogs can cause injuries, especially to children.

If your dog shows signs of aggression, treat this as soon as possible.  Don’t think that you will be able to stop him if he should snap and start attacking another dog or even a person.  I have seen an aggressive dog who had never bitten anyone and one day he went crazy and killed another dog who lived in the same house.  My friend who was his owner was not able to stop him at all.  In fact, she got bitten too.

But aggressive dog behavior does not happen overnight.  There are many ways that dogs express aggression, which you can watch out for and stop these behaviors from becoming worse.  Some signs of  aggressive dog behavior are being demanding, barking and growling, fighting with other dogs when you take them out, dragging you on the leash, nudging you with their nose to get something, and many others signs.  In other words, they have become the leader of the pack and they dominate.

In order to have a well adjusted dog that you can really enjoy, you need to get help.  So what are your options?  You could hire a trainer, but it is expensive.  Besides, the trainer will only train the dog.  The fact is that you need as much training as your dog, in order to take over and become the leader.

Stop your dog’s aggressive behavior before it gets worse, or before there is a regrettable accident.  Don’t be embarrassed or frustrated anymore with your dog’s behavior.  Have the kind of relationship that you have dreamed of with your dog.  Become the leader of the pack.

Here is the #1 recommended method of dog training which has helped hundreds of thousands with their dog’s aggressive behavior.

This method is guaranteed to help you and your dog with his aggressive dog behavior.

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There are some basic tenants to dog psychology and we are going to take a look at them here. Understanding your dog’s pysche can take some time an effort on your part, but will be well worth it when you are engaging in training him.

Dog psychology is learning to understand why a dog behaves and acts the way that he does. Even though the dog is a descendant of the wolf , he has adapted quite well to our human social organization.

Dogs have learned to live with and obey humans through successful training. When you and your dog build a trusting bond, there is a cooperation that is established: the dog behaves well and he will be rewarded.

The importance of understanding how wolves live plays a large part in understanding dog psychology. Wolves live in the wild in packs of two or more.The dictatorship system that the males and females use is strictly defined.

The leader or “alpha leader” of this system is almost always the biggest male in the pack.All of the other wolves in the pack folllow the alpha leader eagerly and with the utmost respect.

Wolves were able to adapt domestically with man thousands of years ago because of the similar social organization and instinctive mental or pyschological structure. When it comes to dividing duties like feeding, some wolves track the animal, one stands guard, and one makes the attack.After the alpha leader feeds first and is satisfied he will allow the other members of the pack to finish his “leftovers”.

When you introduce a dog to your household, he sees the family as a pack and all the members contribute to the hierarchal system.In order to figure out how he fits into this new system and who the alpha leader is, your dog will be watching everyone closely.

Who the leader is in the house will depend on their physical size and the tone of their voice; your dog will watch for these clues.Throughout the day your dog will also watch how everyone interacts with one another.

It is essential to establish yourself (or another responsible adult in your household) as the alpha leader.The sooner this is established, the fewer behavioral problems you will see.

You must also have a clear understanding that your dog is at the bottom of your family’s hierarchal system.

Your dog instinctually will put himself in charge if he sees that there is no heirarchy in place. This is when a lot of dogs can become overly dominant and destructive. Including your children-your dog should be subordinate to everyone in the household-and that should be obvious to your dog.

Because of their small size and their dependency on adults, it is sometimes difficult for a dog to understand that he is lower ranked than children. Dogs can sometimes become very aggressive towards children for this reason and might even bite on occasion.

You can help your dog realize that his position is subordinate to every other family member through disciplined training.To help you in this process you need good quality dog training resources.

Remember, training does take time and effort, but it is definately worth it!

All the best with the process of training your dog.

Darcy Austin is editor in chief of Dog Obedience University, a comprehensive resource on dog obedience training.