If Your Dog Rules the Roost – It's Time for Dog Training and Leadership

I was walking my dogs awhile back when I heard a commotion coming from behind a house. A woman was trying to get her small dog to come. He was running around in the backyard with his owner hot on his heels; determined to catch him. She had the bright idea of trying to slow the dog down by tossing a jacket over him. It was somewhat amusing to watch until I thought about the confusion going through the scared dog's mind. "What does she want? Am I in trouble? Is she going to hurt me?" It was obvious he didn't know what "come" meant and wasn't sure what he was suppose to do. Instead of yelling at your dog to try and get him to mind, it's time for some dog training and leadership if your dog rules the roost.

It's important to understand how a dog views the world. There always has to be a leader and since we are the ones responsible for everything dogs need, including protecting them, they expect us to take the lead role. But, if we don't, they will. In their mind, that's the way it's suppose to be. Someone has to set the rules, make all of the decisions and keep the peace, according them. Dogs have simple rules they live by and they expect us to follow them by taking charge. When a dog takes the lead spot, that's when behavior problems begin. Everything is thrown out of whack when our roles are reversed and neither the dog or the owner will be happy.

Small dogs can develop small dog syndrome. Some people think it's cute when their little dog growls and snaps when someone tries to touch him or his owner. They see the dog's aggression as defending his owner, but it's not. He's feeling threatened and since his owner isn't trying to stop an attack, from the dog's point of view, he's forced to defend himself. A dog acting out in this matter doesn't see his owner as his leader. Small dog syndrome can cause a little dog to display a variety of bad behavior. Growling and snapping isn't cute and what his owner fails to understand is the dog is feeling nervous, confused, intimidated, threatened and isn't a bit happy. Anytime a dog of any size growls, that is ansign of aggression and their behavior needs to be corrected before it gets out of hand. It's not the dog's fault, it's the owner's fault. A dog with small dog syndrome considers himself to be the leader, but it's not a role he wants and he reacts in the only way he knows how and that's with aggression. 

Small dog syndrome and other types of behavior problems can be turned around with positive training and with you taking the lead role. Harsh and heavy handed training techniques are about as effective in changing a dog's behavior as it is in changing a defiant teenager's attitude and it can have the opposite effect and make things worse. You can't force a dog to comply and still have a stable and happy pet who fully trusts you.

Dogs love to learn and want to please us and a dog's training is just as important as teaching your kids. If your dog doesn't listen to you, shows signs of aggression, marks territory inside the house, is an aggressive chewer, barks constantly or shows any other bad behavior, they are trying to tell you to take a look at your family hierarchy. Who is leading who. Bad behavior is also saying you need to take 10 or 15 minutes every day to teach your dog basic commands and make sure he gets plenty of proper exercise. Most behavior problems can be corrected with training, exercise and taking the lead role. Exercise and training stimulates his mind and keeps him healthy in spirit and body. 

A word of caution when dealing with a dog that has developed aggression issues. If you aren't comfortable working with him or don't know how to handle dog aggression, call a professional animal behaviorists for help. If you don't know what you're doing, you risk making your dog's aggressive behavior worse. Aggression can be caused by a medical condition, so get your pet a checkup to rule out any health issues you may not be aware of. Dogs are just like us and if they don't feel well or have pain, it could be why your dog is acting out. Food, leash and toy aggression should be dealt with immediately. Aggression can be corrected. It's not a fatal disease. 

Don't be afraid to take the lead role and train your dog so he can understand what you expect from him. He is perfectly happy letting you make all of the decisions so he can be just a dog.