No Bad Dog?

Question

I have a dog named Bipsy she isnt that old, she is 1 and a half feet in height, and usally she is very sweet, but nowadays she snapps at me and growls. I try to correct her, tell her NO, and I even try to hit her, not very hard though, but she still growls and snapps at me. How do I show her I am the boss.

Answer 1

Is she in heat? DO NOT hit her when she snaps and growls. Instead, put her in her crate, or simply tell her NO and walk away. There is a training method called NILIF...it stands for Nothing In Life Is Free. Basically, make her work for her attention and food. She must sit before she gets fed (you have food bowl in hand when she sits), She must sit or lay down to get a rub, put her through her paces before giving any kind of affection.

Answer 2

Dogs by nature are pack animals. How dogs determine ranks amongst themselves has more to do with who can provide stability and order in the pack (displays leadership qualities). Packs function well when the leader exudes confidence, clearly defines boundaries, provides food, settles internal conflict and protects the pack from danger. You can also be such a leader in your household pack (packs can consist of as few as two members). This means you make the decisions AND you provide a sense of security. A lower ranking dog will only challenge your authority if they sense that you are unpredictable (may or may not take care of it's needs, which include mental stimulation, praise and protection, not just food). This means:
- feeding, walking, playing have at set times
- using the same words when giving a command
- giving quiet, assured brief correction when necessary
- providing your dog with opportunities to succeed (please you) and/or being shown what to do as opposed to what not to do
- giving rewards and lots of positive feedback

By being an effective leader, your dog has less to worry about and knows it will have it's needs met. Not unlike being a good parent :)

Answer 3

Hitting a dog is not the way to train it or show it you're the boss; all that does is reinforce to the dog that you are a threat to it.

Under what circumstances is the dog growling? Is it all the time or just when you're trying to take something away from her or trying to get her to something she doesn't want to do? In other words, what might you be doing to provoke her reaction. If you can figure that out, it will be easier to correct the behavior.

Do NOT use a crate as "punishment". Crates are supposed to be "safe" places for dogs, not prisons.

Dogs do not respect humans who are unpredictable in their actions, who yell a lot, or who try to hit or slap at them. If you want your dog to respect you, you first have to get yourself under control. When you speak to her use a calm but firm voice; ignore her when she misbehaves and give her lots of praise and affection when the does what you want her to do; don't yell or scream; and NEVER hit her. When she can trust that you will be calm and predictable, she'll be more apt to do what you ask of her.

Answer 4

If this was a sudden change in behavior, you really should consult your vet. Animals will "turn mean" sometimes if they have developed a health problem.

And most animal behavior problems disappear if the animal is getting adequate exercise. My dogs are fine all summer, but act up in the winter when we walk them less.

Two things to try to establish you're the boss:

1) make her sit and stay in one spot for a ridiculously long period of time. (My husband did it with our St. Bernard for three hours). Every time she gets up or inches forward or lays down, bring her back to the same exact spot she started at.

2) Look her in the eyes and don't look away until she does. Do this twice a day. It establishes dominence. (works on people too!)

best of luck!

Answer 5

dogs only understand dog language.... whatever that means. first of all. always be consistent in your corrections and only give a correction once or the dog will think your commands are arbitrary and can be "listened" as she sees fit. actually the problem you have may be b/c you've hit her, no matter how soft, so stop that behaivor immediately. also be fair when you correct her and ask yourself if you've done something that may have aided her in poor behaivor; ie. didn't take her out soon enough for a bathroom break, left food in a place where she can take what isn't hers, etc. either way to answer your question, when you give a command like sit, tell her once, and if she doesn't do it right away make her sit then praise her for doing so. training a dog to sit and making her do it a minimum of 25 times a day through her puppy years is a great way to establish who is boss, but again, only tell the dog once to sit and if she doesn't make her. also, walk you dog on a leash that is an excellent way to establish an "I'm the boss" relationship. finally, when you dog has acted up to the point that a correction is necessary take you dog with both hands on either side of her neck, above the throat and below the jaw, make her look you in the eye and tell her no (don't choke or otherwise hurt the dog), then lightly but firmly shake her head side to side for a few seconds (again, DON'T do this in anger or in a way that hurts the dog, you don't want a british nanny situation), top it off by placing the dog laying down on her side and hold her down at her shoulder for 30 seconds to a minute; she will resist but you must keep her down. i know this sounds like rubbish but this is very similar to how a mother dog or more established leader of a dog pack would correct an inferior member of the group. dog always know their place in a pack and corrections are always given to an inferior dog when they act up. if you don't correct your dog, your dog will challenge your authority b/c she will think she is the leader of your pack. another great way to establish your spot as "top dog", "alpha male", whatever you call it is to get your dog on the floor and lay softly a top of her, petting her, playing with her feet, etc. again, this sounds ridiculous but it will be your way of telling her you're in control and you won't hurt her. finally to establish trust with your dog lay your dog on her back and gently rub her belly. dogs feel very vulnerable when on their backs and by putting her in this position and being nice to her she will learn to trust you at all times. now then, i must plug this book that i think will back up everything i have said and give you great insight to you and your dog's relationship. it is called "good owners, great dogs" written by brian kilcommons. i have a very stubborn 90 pound chocolate lab and without this book my dog would have been taken to the middle of nowhere and dropped off; this book single handly saved my dogs life and i highly recommend the read. read it for the sake of your relationship with your dog.

Answer 6

Watch Cesar Millan the Dog Whisperer. He is awsome with canine behavior. You will get some great ideas, concepts and tips from him and his shows. He has a web site, TV show and has DVDs available. Your dog has taken the Alpha role between you and her. You have to take that position back.

Answer 7

Talk to your vet about doing a thryoid test. That is a very big sign that there is a problem with that. Also talk to an experenced trainer who has experence with this sort of thing. Your vet could help you find one.

Answer 8

Have a cage for her to be able to get in for when she is bad..flip the nose real gentle not hard at all..and tell her you don't want the snapping ..and put her in the cage..keep doing this..will take time ..just keep repeating it over and over..it will get across ..

Answer 9

You should take her to obedience classes. They will show you what is the right thing to do, and how to do it. It is all in your body language, and they will show you what kind of body language and tone of voice will work.

Answer 10

DO NOT HIT BIPSY. She may be trying to tell you, in the best way she can, that something is wrong. Take her to the vet and find out what is bothering her.

And, you aren't the boss. She is. You just haven't discovered it yet.