Like humans, very few dogs are natural born leaders, but you may wind up with a dominant dog that would normally take the lead position in the pack. If you are not the Pack Leader yourself this can cause problems, as a dominant dog will gravitate toward being in charge given the chance.
Dominant dogs
If your dog is dominant, then you need to be an even stronger Pack Leader. Keeping these five points in mind will help keep you on top and your relationship with your dog happy and balanced.
Do you have a dominant dog on your hands? Some canines will display dominant behaviors as young puppies while others will not show signs of dominance until they are fully grown. Aggression resulting from dominance can be difficult to correct in some dogs and will require consistency, patience, and time commitment. To find out whether you have a dominant pet, learn more about the most common signs of dominant dog behavior here.
Although dominant dog behavior can occasionally be seen in young puppies, it usually develops when an animal reaches maturity. Aggressive temperaments will become apparent in dogs between eighteen months and three years of age and is more common in males than females. The most aggressive dog breeds include Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Pitbulls, Siberian Huskies, and Jack Russell Terriers.
Dogs will exhibit dominance around other animals, people, or both. However, many dogs will limit their aggressive dominance to other canines. You may notice that your pet is being disobedient, guarding food and toys, nipping, or biting in the presence of other dogs.
Some pet owners provide their dogs with too much leeway at home which can cause dominance aggression to develop. In addition, pet parents that do not discipline their dogs when they are aggressive towards submissive animals may unintentionally intensify dominant behaviors.
Certain medical conditions may trigger dominant behaviors and aggressive tendencies in dogs. Thyroid issues and testosterone imbalances are common medical causes of canine dominance. If your dog suddenly lashes out after being touched, it may be a cry for help. Many physiological disorders can cause chronic pain in dogs and irritability. Have your vet conduct a thorough exam to see if your pup is suffering from a medical cause of dominant dog behavior.
Avoid scolding or physically punishing your dog when he exhibits dominant behaviors. Harsh punishments may increase the dominance and aggression. Providing your pup with more physical activity and regular obedience training can be an effective way to treat dominant dog behavior.
In some instances, aggression issues and dominance may require psychiatric medications to help curb the behaviors. Anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants may be prescribed. Most psychiatric canine medications will take several weeks of use before improvement is noticed. Medications most commonly used to treat symptoms of dominant dog behavior are benzodiazepine derivatives and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Specific drugs include Canine Xanax, Valium, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, and Prozac for dogs. Unfortunately, some dogs will become immune to the compounds in these medications making them less effective for long-term treatment.
Many signs of dominance aggression are obvious to pet owners, but many behaviors may go completely unnoticed. In most cases, dominant dog behavior will not develop overnight. Instead, it will unfold over time with signs building up over the years. Dominant dogs will not always growl or bite. When pet owners provide their dominant canines with what they want, there will be no reason for the dog to challenge their owners and exhibit aggressive behaviors.
Dominant dog behavior is one of the most challenging behavioral problems to curb in canines. In most cases, a professional dog trainer is your best bet for correcting the issue. If you go with an animal behaviorist, make sure they are certified in their respective field. Starting early with training will yield the best results and prevent long-term dominant behavioral issues. Also, when your puppy is young, it will be easier to make behavioral modifications and guide them to being a well-behaved adult dog.
Keep in mind that not all aggressive dog behaviors imply that a canine is dominant. Bad manners and improper training are often the cause of minor aggression. However, extreme cases of dominant dog behavior should be assessed by an animal behaviorist or vet who will be able to determine the best course of treatment. Pet owners should be aware of the dangers of dealing with a very dominant canine and take the situation seriously.
Below are some common behaviors dogs display when they believe they are above humans. Keep in mind that a dog does not have to display all of these behaviors to be in a dominant frame of mind. Sometimes an alpha dog will only display a few of the behaviors at random times, depending on what the dog decides it feels like doing at any given moment. Smarter dogs tend to challenge the pack order more than dogs of average or below-average intelligence.
Just looking at a dog and the way he carries himself can tell you what frame of mind the dog is in. For example, a dominant dog will walk high and proud, puffing himself out as much as he can. He carries himself with what looks like dignity to the untrained human eye. The body is carried stiffly, tail is up and rigid, ears are on alert.
Since dominant dogs look so proud and, we all have to admit, cute, if you don't know what the dog is really saying, and submissive dogs kind of look sad since they hold their heads low and slink themselves down, it's no wonder so many people have dominant dogs. When their dog acts submissive they mistake that for a sad dog. When their dog acts dominant they mistake it for a happy, proud dog. Dominance tends to get rewarded.
This yellow Labrador was growling and barking ferociously at a lady. The dog at one point trapped the lady in the corner of the garage until the owners were able to come and call her off. Most people would mistake this behavior as dominant-aggressive, but if you look at the dog's body language you will notice it is different than the Chihuahua shown above. The dog's tail is down and slightly tucked. The ears are back rather than forward. Notice how the dog is leaning slightly backward, rather than forward. This Labrador is insecure and fearful and she has learned to deal with these feelings by acting out aggressively. This dog may still bite a human out of fear, but the reasons for her behavior are not the same as a dog who is acting aggressive out of dominance.
Dogs have an instinct to migrate and an instinct to be led by their leader. Teaching a dog to heel on a lead is the single most effective way to communicate who is the leader of your pack. Dogs are happiest when they can be secure about the pack order. Humans are happiest when their dogs are relaxed and respectful of their surroundings. When dogs are allowed to walk in front of the humans while on a lead, it is communicating to them that they are above the human in the order. When the pack order is not made clear it causes dogs a lot of stress and anxiety. Have you mastered the walk with your dog?
The use of dominance and pack theory in explaining dog behavior has come under a great deal of scrutiny as of late. The Association of Professional Dog Trainers wishes to inform the dog owning public about the ramifications of a reliance on dominance theory as it relates to understanding dogs, interpreting their behavior, and living harmoniously with our canine companions.
Herron M.E., Shofer F.S., Reisner I.R. 2009. Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 117, pp. 47-54.
Despite the fact that recent studies have reevaluated hierarchy models and have modified our understanding of behavior in the wild wolf, the concept of a hierarchal relationship among dogs and humans continues to be perpetuated. To ensure a well functioning family group, a family needs to know more about canine behavior than outdated strategies focusing on pack structure. In fact recent research has clearly indicated that the longstanding theory which maintained that alpha wolves control through aggression and relentless management is more myth than fact. These theories have been refuted by wolf biologists and if this theory is no longer considered true for wolves, then how can it be considered true for our dogs? New research on canine learning patterns indicates dogs understand us far better than we understand them.
Dominance hierarchy based training methods assume dogs are committed to a battle of supremacy and constant challenge with family members. This premise is incorrect and not supported by scientific study. Trainers advising families to take charge of the pack by eating first, walking through doors first, occupying a higher position and worst of all, pinning the dogs into submission are ignoring the current scientific research and subjecting the dog to unnecessary and sometimes cruel training methods. In reality, dogs have an intra-species relationship and a pattern of behaviors with their human family members that are driven by a variety of motivations, including: genetics, socialization, available resources, fear, conflicts, learning, behavioral pathology and disease. Furthermore, application of scientifically based principles of positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, desensitization and counter-conditioning programs have been shown to successfully teach dogs desirable behaviors and prevent behavior problems while enhancing the human-pet bond.
Dogs are scavengers by nature and while he may longingly desire what you are eating, he is not reflecting on his place in the pack while he watches you eat. Simply put, because we provide the food, our dogs cannot eat unless we give them the food regardless if we eat first or second. Dogs learn best by operant conditioning and food rewards facilitate that learning process much like a wolf would learn how to hunt a prey. A successful hunt means that a wolf will likely try that strategy again. By the way, wolves in packs do not display a meal time hierarchy: in times of plenty; everyone eats together and in times of scarcity the parent wolves make certain their offspring are fed first. 2ff7e9595c
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