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Snap at you. A dog who thinks he has a higher status than you is likely to stare, bark, growl, snap, or even bite when you;
Move him off a chair or bed Occupy or disturb his bedding Physically stand over him He will challenge the threat to his position by growling or snapping because you allowed him to believe he had higher status. Many problems with aggression towards owners occur when a dog thinks he has higher status or there is doubt as to who is the leader. If you think that your puppy is trying to move upward in status, go back to the list of ways to act like a leader and use the behaviours to reinforce your leadership position. Avoid playing games with your dog that reinforce the idea that he is the dominant partner. Play fighting or wrestling can result in your dog thinking that he won the contest, which elevates his status. You can also inadvertently teach your puppy some lessons he could do without, such as the power of his teeth, that he is stronger and quicker than you and that in an encounter with you he is likely to win. The tug of war is a game to avoid with a status seeking dog, especially if he initiates the game. Your dog will view it as a win if he ends up with possession of the article. In his mind every win like this elevates his status. If you do play, you must always start and finish the game and you must always end up with possession of the article. Put the toy away for a future game. It isn't necessary to take a puppy's food from him when he eating. Most good natured pups will allow this anyway, but once your dog has earned his food (by sitting before eating or waiting before eating) he should be allowed to eat it in peace. It is important to teach your puppy to relinquish possessions when he is asked. It is not acceptable for him to be possessive over toys or food. He may inadvertently have something which is dangerous or something valuable. In this case, trade his prize for something else of equal or greater value (to him). You should practise this long before he has Dad's watch. This way he will learn that he doesn't need to be possessive of any one article. If a puppy becomes possessive over a tasty bone, swap the bone for another equally as good. © Fernamber Golden Retrievers 2002-2008 |
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