Dominant Dog Behavior: Reasons and Simple Correction Methods

A dog is a unique creature. Any other animal has no features that would let it not only live with a human but also to be used for so many various purposes. Many of these features a dog have gained for its flock nature.
A dog uses the rules and laws that work in a flock to the surrounding people and the family. Dog owners, their children, dogs, relatives and friends, neighbors are treated by a dog as the representatives of his flock. That's why before we talk about dog and human relationships we should consider relationships of dogs in a flock.
This question is very broad, and it is difficult to explain in one article. That's why we will point out the moments, that characterize the reasons of dog dominance.
Any flock has a strict hierarchy that establishes all relationships of its members.
A dog of any stage tries to keep its place from descending and uses any possibility to rise higher. Besides the rise happens always for the condition of exchange, that another member becomes lower in the flock hierarchy, and his descending never happens voluntarily.

What makes a dog get a higher rate in daily life?

• A better place for sleeping. A leader always sleeps at the best place. Other also not bad places are taken by other dogs will lower, but also high rate. Obvious outsiders try not to step into this zone, otherwise they will be shown their place immediately (by physical means, by just growling or look; there are almost no battles when the hierarchy is stable).
• The right to take the food first. At first there is a leader who eats and then all the others, and not altogether, but by its turn according to the place in a flock.
• The right to take the catch of a lower member. Unwillingness of the opponent means as claim for a higher place and is suppressed immediately.
• The one standing higher in hierarchy always given way to come first.
• The leader determines himself where the flock should be, how long and where it goes further.

• Does your dog try to go first when you both come in and out of home?
• Is it easy for you to make your dog go to its place?
• Does your dog ask to feed it first before all the family have dinner?
• If you are busy (read a book or work at your laptop), may your dog come and ask for attention?
• When you are walking in a park, do you or your dog decide where to go? 
• Does it happen that your dog growls at you or even uses its teeth?

If any of these questions has an answer "YES", then your dog shows dominant behavior.
We are tell it at once that you should not suppress your dog completely, especially if you are training it as a guard dog. A completely suppressed dog is unable to attack a stranger without your command, whatever features and skills it may have.
But if your dog comes out of control, and obviously, socially dangerous, then the problem of dog dominance is to be resolved immediately.

How to correct behavior of a dominant dog?

The first step is to start dog obedience training. It may sound corny, but you will do nothing without dog training. Exercise of practically any dog training course works efficiently to make dog dominance level lower, because many of these exercises imply control over a dog. When you train a dog to move by your side, lay, stand, sit, you dictate to a dog the position of its body. Exercising hold you determine a control of time. In conclusion, work on any command means to obey your will and obedience to the owner.
Aggressive dogs with dominance tend to attack a dog right at the moment of training obedience commands. And it is the best "remedy" for dog aggression to make it obey your command.
Besides training of your dog, the following rules will help you to reduce dog rate:

1. Always feed a dog after all the family finished the dinner.
   
2. While dinner (breakfast, lunch etc) do not allow a dog to be in the kitchen and never feed at the table. If you think that you just give a  treat. on dog ;language it means that you give a part of your food before you finished your dish. An it reduces your rate.
   
3. A dog is to come into any door, stairway, exits, and lifts after you only.
   
4. Never let your dog crawl to your chairs, sofas, and beds. These places are for the leader only.
5. Determine "forbidden zones" where a dog is not to appear on any conditions. Usually it is a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. 
6. After a game with a fetching article, and other toys always take them from your dog. It is you who decides when to start a game and when to finish it.

Follow of these simple rules together with one of dog training courses and it will reduce dog dominance and prevent dominant aggression of your pet.
But it is to be practiced towards dogs, whose behavior really demands means. Do not put pressure on a dog that is under control, especially if you are going to use it as a guard.

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