As I've mentioned before in my post on the roots of canine behavioral problems, species misunderstanding can be one of reasons you are experiencing behavioral problems with your dog, ranging from jumping on people to being pushy for attention or food or even biting on occasions. Dogs that do not understand the difference between humans and dogs can be extremely difficult and often-times even dangerous. By keeping some basic rules from when your dog is a puppy can really be the difference between a dog that understands that you are a human or a dog that cannot tell the difference between you and its con-specifics. When a dog thinks a human is another dog then this dog will naturally challenge the hierarchy in different life stages, such as during puberty or with other humans that they may consider weaker than you. We are not an Alpha-dog and we need our dogs to really comprehend this difference so your position in the hierarchy is never challenged. In many ways by keeping the boundaries clear you are making it clear to your dog that you are not part of any hierarchy that needs to be challenged.
1) Never let your dog lick your face or lick you continuously:
Licking in dogs can often times, when it is one or two licks, be considered affectionate, but excessive licking can also be a sign of establishing status. Especially licking your face. If you dog tries to lick make sure you immediately move away, you do not need to shout or say "no" or push the dog away, you merely just need to alter your body in a way that your dog does not get the opportunity to lick your face.
2) Never let your dog lean its hips or shoulders against you:
If you carefully watch adolescent dogs of the same sex and age you will notice that in their game playing they will eventually shift so a side-by-side position leaning against each other. This behavior is often interpreted as affection seeking and we often immediately start petting the dog relishing the attention they are seeking and thus unintentionally rewarding this behavior . In actuality what the dog is doing is a display of dominance, similarly as above, all you have to do is move away from this behavior and not give your dog the opportunity to lean against you.
3) Do not let your dog be at the same height as you, whether it is by letting it sleep in your bed or letting it sit next to you on the couch:
When we allow our dog to sleep in our bed or sit on our couches we are allowing them an equal status to us. While in principle we may love our dog like a member of our family and we may feel inclined to treat them equally, your dog will not interpret this behavior in the same way you do. In the dog's mind if they are allowed to be at the same height as you then for the dog it means that you are another dog and a participant in the dog hierarchy.
To avoid this behavior never allow your dog on these places and when your dog does try to climb, try and get into a position that makes it hard for your dog to climb up. In conjunction always make sure your dog has its own comfortable bed and places for it to relax on. When your dog is lying on its bed make sure you give it treats, a chew and a lot of attention. Eventually your dog will learn that when in their bed they get lots of positive experience and will naturally gravitate towards the space they associate with such positive experiences.
4) Never let your dog take your place when you get up:
Many of us notice that once they get up their dogs automatically take over their favorite spot. This is a direct challenge to the dog hierarchy, which you do not want to be part of. Make sure you sit down, ignore your dog and slowly inch your way into your original place till your dog is forced to get up on its own.
5) Always ask your dog to perform a command before giving it attention, food or treats:
Your dog must understand that nothing in life is for free, barking at you, or nudging you with their nose for attention or treats is unacceptable. If you reward this behavior your dog will become dominant and eventually start challenging your position because it will think you are part of the dog hierarchy.
6) Do not let your dog jump on you or other people
If you watch your dog interacting with other dogs you will notice that it jumps on certain dogs, usually those smaller in size or of the same age. With older dominant dogs it is rare that you see this behavior. Make sure your dog doesn't jump on you. Every time your dog starts jumping on you make sure you give it your back. Eventually it will stop this behavior.
7) Never let your dog pull you on the leash or decide where you will be walking :
A dog that pulls on the leash and is walking ahead of you has automatically elevated its status during these walks. Dogs that pull consider themselves in charge and in control. Always make sure your dog is walking at least one foot behind you on a loose leash and you are the one deciding where you go and where your dog gets to sniff. A separate blog post will specifically address how to deal with this behavioral problem.
8) Never use physical force with your dog:
Whether its something your dog has in its mouth or you need to make it go somewhere. Teach your dog a command and never challenge it with physical force. Dog's can use physical force with each other, but not with humans make sure you train your dog basic obedience such as staying at doorways and dropping things on command using of course positive reinforcement.
9) Do not play Tug-of-war or rough physical games with your dog :
Tug-of-war and rough playing is something dogs do with other dogs, if you start doing it with your dog then it will think you are another dog and will find ways to start challenging your position in the canine hierarchy, it is much more effective to just not become part of that hierarchy.
10> Do not feed your dog table scraps or food you eat while you are eating :
Your dog at a very young age needs to understand that you eat very different food. If you feed your dog from your own food the dog will become extremely confused about the boundaries between your species.
11) Always go through doorways and tight spaces before your dog:
For the same reasons mentioned above when dogs go first it confuses the dog/human boundary.
12) Get your dog used to having its food, toys and bones handled by you:
Make sure you let your dog get used to you handling its food. Please do not do this in the Cesar Milan method of removing the food from the dog, this will only make your dog trust you less. What you need to do is make sure you always have something your dog loves more than what it has and slowly approach your dog and give it treats while feeding it, or when you take a toy from it replace it with something it loves more. My dog has gotten used to me holding her chews while she chews on them at times especially if they are too big for her and they are moving around a lot.
By following these simple rules, you are not mistreating your dog you are just clarifying the boundaries between humans and dogs. It is important to realize that your dog does not perceive the world in the same way humans do, and while we may doing these behaviors out of love, this is not how your dog interprets it. Your dog will interpret it as a signal that you are another dog that it will eventually challenge. If you have an extremely submissive dog and this dog is not challenging your position in the hierarchy, then understand that these behaviors will cause chronic stress in your dog and they may redirect aggression towards others or developed other stress behaviors such a constant barking or destructive chewing. Imagine how stressful it might be for your dog to be constantly challenged, doing these behaviors with a dominant dog may result in the dog challenging you and in a submissive dog it may result in the dog becoming chronically stressed out. Keep your boundaries clear and you will most definitely experience a very rewarding and close bond with your dog!!!
