MANAGING PUPPY BEHAVIOR
Communicating human dominance to dogs early in life is key to developing a good
relationship. This can be done in a friendly and non-threatening way with most dogs. All
puppies will try to be as dominant as possible in their family so these tips are helpful for
every puppy.
Ways to kindly communicate dominance are:
-Using the “Nothing in life is for free” principle. This is a very effective technique when
used properly. The leader of the dog pack controls who gets to do what when. If applied
correctly, having control over the resources makes you pack leader by definition. The
dog must do something to earn everything in life – food, treats, attention, going outside,
coming inside, etc. To apply this, the dog must first be taught a number of different
commands to follow.
These commands can include sit, down, shake, stay, or any other tricks you would like to
teach. Use at least 3 different commands and this will help eliminate the tendency for the
dog to automatically perform a task and expect to get the desired result. The dog must do
what you say, when you say it. Therefore, before the dog gets anything in life, it must
perform the task you request. Rotate what command you ask so you are not using the
same one every time. Once the dog has satisfactorily performed the task, they can
receive the reward.
-Keep the dog off of high places. In the dog world, physical height can also demonstrate
dominance. Keep your dog off furniture or anything else that can help them be
physically taller than you. Make them wait at the bottom of the stairs while you go to the
top, then call them up to follow you.
-Do not respond when your dog asks or demands something from you. If your dog
bumps his head under your hand to try to get attention, ignore him. If your dog begs for
anything, ignore it as much as possible. When your dog tells you what to do and you
obey, he feels dominant over you. The appropriate time to give attention to your dog is
when he is behaving the way you would like (quiet, respectful, submissive, etc).
-Use a head collar to communicate dominance in the key pressure points of the muzzle
and back of the neck.
-Humans should go through doors before dogs. Make your dog wait while you go
through a door then, when you give them permission, your dog can come through the
door (this is true for interior doors as well).
MANAGING PUPPY BEHAVIOR (continued)
House Training
Make sure to go outside with your puppy every time. Use a special, favorite treat that
your puppy only gets during house training. This will help build motivation to go
outside. Give the treat to the puppy immediately after he/she eliminates in the
appropriate location. Treats must be given within 1 – 30 seconds for the puppy to
understand the connection. Once the puppy has shown that they are eliminating
appropriately on a consistent basis, you can slowly decrease the reward frequency (every
other time, every third time, etc.) until no more treats are required.
Only discipline your puppy for eliminating in the wrong location if you catch him/her in
the act. At that point, you can give them a firm, loud “No” response or use some other
loud noise to disrupt the behavior. Immediately take the puppy outside to the desired
elimination location and say “good dog” or “good potty.” This helps the puppy not only
realize where it is inappropriate to eliminate, but also where the appropriate location is to
eliminate.
Head Collars
We recommend head collars versus traditional collars for training. Head collars go
around the nose and behind the ears. They look a little like a horse halter. These collars
are no more uncomfortable than a traditional collar but are very important for two key
reasons.
-First, they communicate to the dog in dog language. When one dog is dominate over
another dog, they will either grab that dog around the muzzle or behind the ears. The
head collar puts pressure in these two key points to communicate dominance. The
correction with a head collar is not a jerk, it is a steady pressure until the dog relaxes and
submits. At first this may take a while because they are fighting the message you are
sending, but holding pressure until they relax and submit is the key to good results.
-Second, head collars do not use discomfort or pain to teach. Choke collars, pinch collars
and shock collars all use discomfort. Since head collars use the dog’s own language to
teach, they are usually more effective.
'Head collars are NOT to be left on the dog while unattended. Please remove the head
collar when you are not with your dog. The head collar can be left on the dog when you
are present and a light lead can even be left attached to the collar to facilitate correction
without having to reach for the face. Again, correction is to hold pressure until the dog
relaxes and submits.
MANAGING PUPPY BEHAVIOR (continued)
Head Collars (continued)
Head collars are very useful for:
- leash training (decrease pulling)
- eliminating jumping up or tackling behaviors
- correcting dominance issues
- eliminating licking or nipping
- general training
- many other uses
Dominance Behaviors
Many dogs exhibit dominance behaviors that are mild but over time could lead to an
unwanted progression of negative behavior.
Subtle dominance behaviors are:
- stare down - staring at the owner without blinking or turning away (do not
confuse this with simply having his attention)
- jumping up or mounting
- tackling or pushing a person over
- bumping hand to ask for attention
- pawing at humans
- mouthing behavior
- demanding anything from the owner
- getting onto a higher surface than owner (running to top of stairs then turning
around and looking down at owner, climbing up on furniture, etc.)
- going through a door prior to owner
- anything where the dog is calling the shots and not the human
Significant dominance behaviors are:
- growling
- lifting lips
- nipping
- biting
- hair standing up on back
- aggressive barking