by Jo.H

Created on: July 03, 2007   Last Updated: September 12, 2010

Dogs are pack animals, and as such like to know their place within the pack. Unfortunately, many people fail to become top dog in their 'pack', or family. If any dogs realizes that their owner is not acting as top dog they will naturally take over that role. Once this happens, they tend to bond to one person who they feel needs looking after and will guard them from all intruders, ie your new boyfriend or girlfriend.Dogs often don't want to be top dog, it carries a lot of responsibility. They have to be on guard constantly, as well as worrying about their owner.

At this point it is worth mentioning dogs do not 'hate' your boy/girlfriend, dogs do not hate at all. That is a human emotion. Your dog is just protecting someone who he views as weaker than him.

To overcome this situation, the owner of the dog has to regain control and act like top dog. This does not involve shouting at your dog, in fact it can be achieved by body language alone. Dogs communicate with each other by a complex set of body postures, and we can imitate them. To be assertive, stand tall, shoulders back and mean whatever command you are saying.

It is by far easier to be top dog from day one.Below I have listed a few simple methods to help you achieve this,

1. Always eat first. No submissive dog will ever eat before the pack leader.

2.  Always go through doors first. This makes your dog defer to you.

3. When going out for a walk, the human should always leave the house first and also stay in front. ie, leading your pack on the walk.

4. When returning from your walk, make your dog sit at the door and you go inside first. That way you are inviting your dog into your home and clearly marking your boundaries.

5. Never let your dog jump up at you, especially when they are excited. It might look cute but they are demanding your attention. The best way to deal with this is to simple walk away and ignore your dog until it settles. Then and only then should you make a fuss of your dog. By using this method, you are fussing your dog on your terms not theirs.

If you follow these few simple rules, you will notice that your dog is more relaxed and happy because it knows it has a strong pack leader who will take care of him/her.

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