how do you show dominance over your dog.?

Question

My dog keeps coming up and barking and nipping at my. I figured out that he is trying to win dominance. SO I started saying NO really loud but didn't work so now i back him in a corner and tower over him and say no but he still does my mom told me to get down and sit on him until he stops. What do I do to get hime to listen me.

Answer 1

Try the exercises in the link below.

Answer 2

I don't know what breed we're talking about, but I'm guessing it's a small one. Any dog can be trained to behave with positive reinforcement. No hitting with your hand or other object, other than a newspaper (they hate the sound)... Leash corrections and a stern "no" will get your point across. Word to the wise: Dogs learn to "count'. Correct them the first time and every time they have behavior you are trying to stop. "NO growl".... and then praise her when she stops. A spray bottle of water can work for certain things. Try to work on one behavior you want to change at a time. Try it for a week. The dog should have the idea by then and you can work on the next behavior. If you're talking about a Jack Russell Terrier, I haven't met one that isn't trying to be dominant and they are hyper, that's just part of their personality. They think they're 10 feet tall. LOL. "No bark" might be the one you want to start with if you live in one of those cities that gives out big fines for barking dogs. Good luck.

Answer 3

Ack. Sorry, but all that you teach a dog by bullying him in the way that you describe is that you are not trustworthy. Instead of trying to "be dominant", think about ways that you can give consequences for your dog's behavior. Behaviors that you want your dog to do should be rewarded. Things that your dog does, like barking and nipping, need to be stopped in a positive way. When your dog nips at you, scream "OUCH!" as loudly as you can, and then leave the room. Your dog learns : "When I nip, the game is over." You will need to repeat this as dogs learn by repetition. You do not need to hit, strike, or tower over your dog to make your point. Trying to punish a dog in this way will not teach him that you are the boss, so please don't do this.

Answer 4

In order to show dominance over a dog all one really has to do is show the dog that the person has control over the dog. With a smaller dog that could mean picking it up, hence the dogs knows that you have control over its body. With a larger dog that could mean putting a lead on it and or confining it to a given area for a while. However, I think you liked being directed by others so you are asking for advice about something in a particularly silly manor, and that your mother didn't tell you to sit on the dog. Also I think your dog might be simply trying to comunicate by what you call nipping and he wants attention. If he actually means to control you you have to go ahead and do something like pick him up to show him you are in control. If he is larger than you are, you shuld get someone who can handle the dog to be there while you, the smaller person, show the dog you're in control.

Answer 5

You really ought to have him leashed with a training leash in the house until your dominance is established. Be sure to make him wait when you go through a door - you need to go first. You can also put him in a down position and roll him over and keep him on his back. Dogs who are submissive lie on their backs. Try not to wrestle with him or get down to his level. Also make him sit and wait for his food. Release him to eat when you say it's time, not before. All of this takes a bit of training, but it works. Both of my dogs know I am the boss.

Answer 6

Here is a couple of things I use:

1) Barking: Get a spray bottle with just a hint of bleach...(NEVER ENOUGH TO HARM THEM!!!)...but just to get that smell in it. Fill it with water and spray them with it when they continuously bark.

2) Food: When it is dinner time I make my dog sit and wait for the command "ok" My dog will not get up to get her dinner until I say ok. I will say go ahead, or get it and she won't budge. If she does, I use a booming voice and say NO.
(This is wierd, but I read somewhere if you spit in their food, just one little goober, they will realize your scent and that will show them dominance...I have not tried this because I think it is gross...but hey?)

3) Walking: When walking and they are pulling on the leach, get down on both of your knees and hold the leash with both hands and tug really hard. They will come flying back to you. When they are back at your side give them a training treat and praise them. This may take a few times, but it works. They may also yelp, but it is not hurting them, it just scares them.
(It sounds harsh as well, but it really is fine.)

4) Biting: Keep a muzzle on them when they seem aggressive. They will associate the muzzle with their negative behavior.

I hope all this helps. Good luck!

Answer 7

Establishing dominance is very easy. There were a few good suggestions given but it's pretty basic to establish and to maintain.

Dogs are pack animals. The learn and communicate through body language, tone and pitch, eye movement, and basic commands that YOU teach them. Every encounter you have w/ your dog is a training session - even with play, and just basic day to day routines.

A dog will thrive in an establish heirarchy. 1. Discipline 2. Training 3. Exercise 4. Love All four of the elements daily and you will have a happy healthy part of the family and a functional part of the community.

To establish your Alpha status is through training and discipline. You don't need to hit, smack, flick, yell, shout etc at your dog. Your emotion and energy translates to your dog. If your hyper your dog will reflect that, anger and aggression will breed the same result from your dog. Backing your dog into a corner teaches your dog to be defensive and react in that manner.

I highly recommend a prong collar for training and discipline. It looks horrible and torturous however it's exactly the opposite. It mimicks the affect of what would happen in a dog pack. The Alpha would correct a dog by appling pressure to the chest or throat area.

Do not apply constant pressure, or drag the dog w/ the prong collar on, it diminishes the affect. All you need is a quick tug (called a correction).

Train your dog to become proficient in sit and down. Down is the dog submitting to you. Use treats, pets, and play as rewards. Tell the dog to down and coax him w/ a treat. (you should have the leash on in and out of the house while training). If he acts out give him a quick correction to rectify the behavior.

Everything in your house should be a command. To get on the couch or bed, to be pet, to play, to eat, to go outside, to come inside. To receive attention the dog should sit. YOU should be passing through door ways first.

Telling your dog NO is useless. It's a common word and loses meaning to the dog when it's used for everything.

When the dog gets out of hand you need to tell him to down. THEN you tell him when to get back up. If he gets back up, correct him and put him back in down.

NO need to yell or spank. Just be patient and consistant. You should also be walking the dog 2-3 times a day and he needs about 30 min - 1 hour of all out running exercise to burn off excess energy.

Just good exercise daily makes a miraculous difference in their behavior.

Walking is also a HUGE way to establish and maintain your Alpha status. A dog should be next to you or behind you at all time. YOU should be leading the dog. He should be focused on you and your pace.

To teach heel first chose a command - "heel,lets go, etc" With the prong collar on have the leash very loose. Do not have it tight or restrictive. You want him to pull or at least attempt to. Give him the command and start walking, when he gets out in front of you a bit, turn abruptly give a sharp correction. Do not pull or drag, just a correction and have him catch up to you. Keep the leash loose and keep walking. Keep a good pace. When he starts to get out in front of you again turn and give a correction.

Good Luck

Answer 8

If you do everything you have written you have a very good chance of getting bitten by a fear aggressive dog. There are positive ways to gain the alpha position in your "pack". Google "Nothing In Life Free" (NILF) training. Its a positive way of training your dog. You control the food and praises-you are the dominant one. Please research NILF and practise it. You may also want to enroll in obedience classes with your dog...take your Mom along so she can see and learn what its all about too.

Answer 9

dogs learn more from being disciplined for good things than bad. if you wanna show your dog that you dominate him..keep using NO! really firmly and if he doesn't lock him in a small room like a bathroom or his cage for about 5 min. if he doesn't it again do that same thing the key part to this is persistence. but when he comes up and licks your hand or nudges it praise him pat him and give him a treat. remember that doing this over and over is going to be the key =] good luck

Answer 10

It all depends ...what kind of dog are we talking about here? How old is it? Next time hes acting up tell him NO in a sturn voice then toss his *** in his Kennal for awhile and ignore him. He'll start to realize that man if I act like this Im going to get locked up and with locking him up you have total control of the situation without anyone getting hurt. You have to start with dogs when they are young. They are a pack animal so you have to let them no who's in charge. If its a smaller dog. What I've seen work is what one of the others said. Roll the dog over and tell them NO!! When mine were little i would grab the scruff of the neck and pin them down lightly and tell them NO this worked great! My dogs don't do anything unless I give them the go ahead. They wait for their commands for everything eat, bed, poop, etc...its the only way to get a well ajusted dog is to be very dominant.