Dealing
with the Dominant Dog
By Ed Frawley
Questions & Answers
on Dominance
The
Theory Of Corrections in Dog Training
Before you begin to read this article I want to point
out that I wrote this article back in the 1990's.
In December of 2005 I finished my 3 1/2 hour training
DVD of the same topic. This DVD was 5 years in the
making. I have produced over 100 dog training DVD's
and think this may be my best.
The information in this article and the DVD is a result
of 45 years of experience in training dogs. Over 30
years of studying the art of protection training and
breeding over 350 litters of working bloodline German
Shepherds.
The information in this article encompasses about
20% of the information in the DVD.
If you have a serious aggression problem with your
dog there are three DVD's that you need.
Many people, including experienced dog trainers, misunderstand
dominance in dogs.
There are a lot of people who give very bad information
(dangerous information) on how to deal with dominant
dogs. Some people don't have a clue how to deal with
a dominant dog, others try what I call the HALTY APPROACH
(aka the tree hugger approach) while others feel force
is the only way to handle the problem.
Some think you just “alpha roll the dog and be
done with it.” This is a common approach. In most
cases, this is also the wrong approach.
In addition, many people
think that we should only be concerned with dominance
in a large dog and not a small dog - this is also wrong.
While a large dog (like the one in the photo above) can
put you in the hospital, a small dog can put your child
in the hospital. Dominance of any kind needs to be dealt
with and if not eliminated at least controlled in ALL
dogs.
I have owned a number
of extremely dominant male dogs over the past 40 years.
These dogs have forced me to study dominance. I look
at dominance in a different way today than I did 20 years
ago. I have learned that dominance is often (not always)
easier to control by using your brain and controlling
the environment the dog is placed in.
No one likes to get bit.
I look at the scars on the arms of many of my friends
and consider myself lucky. I have never had a serious
dog bite, yet I have handled some very dominant aggressive
animals. This includes more police dogs than I can remember.
When I ask people about
these scars, I always get the same answer: “I made
a mistake with that dog.” Getting “dog bit” comes
down to making mistakes in how we handle our dogs in
a given situation.
One of the biggest mistakes
new dog owners make is to fail to realize that their
family pet is a pack animal. The fact is most dog owners
don't even have a clue what this means, much less understand
how strong pack drive is in their family dog. Their lack
of understanding of this very important issue is what
gets them in trouble.
One of the best ways to
start to learn about dominance is to study pack behavior
in wolves. Look at the research done on wolf packs. A
wolf pack always has a dominant pair of animals. Wolves
don't maintain their dominant position by fighting with
pack members every day, they do it through subtle means.
Body posture and attitude play a major factor in maintaining
a dominant pack position.
Dog on Furniture causes dominance.
Rank Problems in the Pack
Structure
Rank within a family pack
is a huge, huge thing to a pack animal. A lower ranking
pack member would not challenge the pack leader for food,
or act aggressively towards a higher pack member when
they tried to get into the bed that the lower pack member
was sleeping on. Pack leaders eat first and they get
the better sleeping quarters.
What this translates down
to is this "if your dog growls at you when you go
near his food bowl or if it growls at you when you go
to bed and it's laying on the bed - or if it growls at
you when you try and take its toy away from it - the
dog does not feel that you are a higher rank in the pack
than it is." When a dog growls at the wife or kids
in the family, it sees itself as a higher rank than family
members. When that happens there is a problem brewing.
When Does Dominance start?
It is an extremely rare
situation for a dog younger than 8 months of age to show
signs of aggression related to dominance. In fact most
serious dominance problems do not appear until a dog
enters maturity. This takes place between 15 and 36 months
of age. The most common age is around 18 months.
As a dog matures, its
instincts tell it to assume a rank within the pack. As
a youngster it was willing to be a follower, but if it
grows up and does not receive the proper training or
if that training was lacking (which it often is) or if
it is allowed to display rank behavior (i.e. lay on the
bed or on furniture etc) the drive to become higher pack
member will take over. The behavior related to that drive
is often to threaten other pack members with aggression.
Dogs get themselves in trouble by growling, showing teeth,
nipping or even biting anyone it sees as a lower rank.
People often mistakenly
confuse prey drive with dominance. These are two totally
unrelated and different things.
When a pup chews on your
hands or your pant leg (even if its verbalizing by growling)
it's displaying prey drive. Puppies play with littermates
by using their mouth. When they move into a human family
they incorrectly assume that this is how you play with
your new human pack members. It's the owners job to teach
the pup manners.
This article is not about
prey drive - but I must say that I can't count the number
of emails I get where people mistakenly think they have
a dominant puppy when in fact all they have is a very
nice pup with a lot of prey drive.
We use prey drive in training.
When we reward a puppy with a toy we are taking advantage
of his prey drive. If you want to know how to do this
get my video titled Building Drive
Focus and Grip The unfortunate fact is that many
people screw up their puppy by over correcting prey drive
behavior when all they would have to have done was teach
the pup that toys are prey items and arms, hands and
pant legs are not. It always saddens me when I see this
happen. I always look at it like the pup was not dealt
a fair hand of cards.
Obedience Training is ONLY
the First Step in Controlling Dominance
Simply teaching your dog
to mind goes a long way towards establishing yourself
as a higher ranking pack member.
Think of it like this.
The alpha member of a wolf pack would never accept orders
from a lower member of his pack. When rank is such an
important issue to a pack animal - following the commands
of another pack member establishes that member as a higher
rank in the pack.
Poor Obedience Training
is Part of the Cause of Dominance Problems
When you think in terms
of rank and pack behavior it's easy to understand how
ineffective obedience training results in dominance issues
with maturing dogs.
The correct way to obedience train a dog involves three
stages of training:
-
The Learning Phase
-
The Correction Phase
- The Distraction Phase
1- In the Learning Phase
the dog is taught the meaning of a command through motivational
methods. This means we guide the dog through different
exercises by giving them food or a toy reward when they
do what we want.
2- In the Correction Phase
we teach a dog that it will be corrected if it does not
follow a command that it has learned in the LEARNING
PHSASE. We know the dog knows what we are telling him
to do, but he refuses to do it.
It would be unfair to correct a dog for not following a command that
is does not know.
3- In the Distraction
Phase we teach a dog that it has to mind all the time
- no matter what's going on around it. We do the training
for the learning phase in a location the dog is totally
familiar with (i.e. your kitchen or back yard)
In the distraction phase
we increase the level of distraction the dog is expected
to perform in. (i.e. in the park or in front of other
dogs)
Many obedience classes
do a decent job teaching owners the LEARNING PHASE but
they really drop the ball in the CORRECTION and DISTRACTION
PHASE. Classes that focus on CLICKER TRAINING and training
classes that focus on owners using HEAD HALTERS (Halties)
or instructors that are against physical corrections
are examples of this. Many of the pet warehouse training
classes fall into this category - they want to appease
the tree huggers and PETA terrorists.
When a dog has not had a solid foundation in all three phases it will
not mind all the time. When these dogs are faced with a high level
of distraction they ignore commands.
People who only take their
dog to puppy classes also miss the training on corrections.
The only place a puppy should be corrected is for not
coming. If they don't COME when called it could result
in a dead dog. Puppies should not get serious corrections
until they are 6 to 8 months old.
A
MUST READ BOOK for everyone who
owns a dominant dog. Learn from the mistakes of others.
When Your Dog Won't Mind
When the Alpha wolf issues
an order - pack members listen and mind or they don't
survive. When dogs choose not to mind their owner they
are in effect saying they do not respect that person
giving the commands. Dogs that don't follow commands
think that they are an equal or higher rank within the
family pack.
Dogs are extremely observant.
It does not take them long to determine that you, or
your wife, or other family members are not consistent
in how you expect them to mind. Once a dog figures out
that it only has to mind under certain circumstances
it is a short step for the same dog to start to think
that it only has to mind when it wants to. This empowers
the dog and elevates pack drive.
They begin to think they
can ignore commands that they choose. With some dogs
(thankfully not all) this translates into challenging
an owner or family member when their confidence has been
built to the point where they want to challenge for a
higher rank in the pack.
This is the exact place
where dogs start to show their teeth, growl at the owner,
nip at the hand that tries to take a toy away etc etc
etc.
Had this same dog gone
through training for correction and distraction at a
young age the odds are this situation never would have
evolved because dogs that are brought up properly look
at the owner as a clear pack leader.
This is the reason SO
MANY DOGS seem to live happily with the family up to
12 to 18 months of age and then suddenly change into
CUJO. It's when the flowing hormones and raging pack
drive and lack of proper obedience training take over
the family pet.
Did You Wait too Long to
Obedience Train?
When owners wait until
a dog matures to start training this results in some
dogs thinking "Why should I mind this person? I
am stronger than he or she is and I don't have to do
what they say".
In other words by waiting
to train a dog or by ineffectively training a dog the
owner creates a situation where they have to use extreme
force or fight the dog to show the dog that they are
stronger. I will get into this in more detail later.
Controlling Every Aspect
of Your Dog's Life Helps Control Dominance
The remainder of this
article is going to offer ideas on how to control different
aspects of the dog’s life.
While the majority of
dogs only require obedience training to get their dominance
under control, other dogs need additional work to establish
their handler as the pack leader.
Owners often inadvertently
allow things to happen that helps develop a dominant
behavior in their dogs.
Understanding subtle
dominant behavior in a dog help people learn how to establish
themselves as the pack leaders in the home. Here are
just a few behaviors many dogs will display that represent
a dominant behavior:
-
Sleeping in bed with
the owner
-
Pushing you to pet
him
-
Not allowing the husband
into the bedroom after being gone on a trip
-
Growling near food
or toys
-
Not allowing you to
take toys away by showing aggression (not just playing
keep away)
-
Always going through
doors first
-
Always going down
stairs first
-
Being extremely dog
aggressive
-
Resisting laying down
when told to DOWN
-
Showing aggression
to certain family friends and not others
Your bedroom and YOUR
BED!
Controlling dominance
begins at home. The first thing we need to do is to take
total control over the dog in terms of where he is allowed
to sleep, eat and play. The dominant dog should never
be allowed to sleep in the bedroom. The best place to
sleep is always reserved for the pack leader (you). Make
your dog sleep in a dog crate in a room other than the
bedroom. Of course, if your dog lives in a kennel out
back this is not going to apply.
When people bring an 8
week old pup home there is nothing wrong with putting
the dog crate in the bedroom for a week or so to allow
the pup to adjust to his new home. But as soon at the
dog is crate trained (does not scream in the crate) the
dog crate should be moved out of the bedroom.
I do not allow a dog to
sleep in the bedroom until I am 100% sure the dog knows
exactly who the pack leader is and I NEVER ALLOW DOGS
ON THE BED.
Your Toys
As puppies grow up they
should not be allowed to become possessive of their toys.
Your attitude needs to be ALL TOYS ARE YOUR TOYS and
you allow the pup to play with YOUR TOY.
A new pet owner should
not play tug-of-war games with their pup. Tug games are
an integral part of protection training but they have
no place in raising a pet. Playing tug with a dog creates
dominance problems. The dogs get empowered when the owner
lets the dog win the game.
The handler should be
able take every toy away from the dog at any time without
the dog showing aggression. If the pup growls, there
is a protocol that should be followed. I have covered
this in my DVD on Dominant Dogs
In its simplest form we
look at what caused the pup to get over excited. It can
be the owner over stimulated the dog and caused the problem.
When that happens this is a handler problem not a dog
problem. If a pup bites (which is common and normal)
with normal handling we don't hit the pup we simply lift
it by it's cheeks and hold it as we stare in his eyes.
We do this until he calms down and submits.
Back in the early 1990's
I used to recommend shaking a pup by the scruff of the
neck. I no longer do this because some people take this
too far.
If the dog is older and
there is a concern over being bitten, a leash should
be put on the dog and the dog should be corrected off
the toy. If there is any growling at this point the handler
should scold the dog with a firm, deep voice.
Once the dog has dropped
the toy the handler should lead the dog away from it
before bending to pick it up. Until the dominant situation
is under control that toy is never given to the dog again.
The handler controls his dog’s universe and the
dog needs to learn this. The factor in that scenario
is, “You determine what toys are played with and
for how long.”
If the dog will not give
up a toy when corrected on leash and the handler does
not feel comfortable with his ability to safely get the
toy out of the dog’s mouth, there are 3 options
available:
- Ignore the situation, only pick
a fight that you can win. When the dog finally releases
the toy, pick it up and put it away for good. He doesn't
play with it anymore.
- Trade the dog for a piece of food.
When he drops the toy put it away and set up a training
session where you are in a better position to correct
the dog for not releasing the toy. (possibly having
a muzzle and prong collar on to make sure you will
not get bit)
- To win the toy war with a
strong mature dog takes planning. If it's done wrong
you will be bit.
First put 2 collars on the dog. A Leerburg Dominant
Dog Collar is the best to first put on the dog. (Click
here or see photo below) The second collar can be a normal collar.
Attach a leash to a post or a tree or solid object in your home (i,e,
around a door knob and then close the door on the leash so the long
end of the leash in a different room than where the line is over
the knob.)
When the dog has the toy in his mouth,
put him on leash and take him to the location of the second leash
that is attached to the post. Clip the second leash to the dominant
dog collar on the dog. So the dog now has two leashes on, each attached
to a different collar.
Now tell the dog to
drop the toy and back up and stretch the dog between
the post and you. Put enough pressure on him that he
spits the toy out. As soon as the dog spits the toy
out verbally praise him. If you can approach without
getting bit, do so and calmly praise the dog. If he
tries to pick up the toy when you approach, don't get
mad and scream. Just calmly say NO DROP IT and back
away as you tighten the leash again.
This process should not be a wild and hectic operation. Keep your
cool and remain calm. By remaining calm you greatly increase your
image in the dog's eyes - he sees that you can choke him until
he passes out without getting mad. This procedure does not hurt
the dog. There is no real pain, it just takes the air away from
him and he submits. If the owner makes a fight out of it and gets
crazy and screams it defeats the purpose of what you are doing.
Continue to choke the dog as long as he goes after the toy when
you approach. If you don't feel comfortable picking the toy up,
then kick it out of his reach. This is one way that you only pick
a fight that you can win.
This two leash process
is only necessary with big dogs. Little dogs still need
the dominant dog collar but they are simply picked up
off the ground and hung until they drop their toy or
stop acting aggressive.
Some handlers are simply too soft in temperament and they will not
do this. My position is that when the option is to solve the problem
before the dog bites someone - or to do this rather than put the dog
to sleep - well it's a simple decision for me. I would rather deal
with handler aggression with our dominant dog collar a
few times than by taking the dog to the vet and killing it. In most
(not all) cases the problems have been caused by the owners not doing
their job properly. So here is part of the fix on tough hard dogs (toughness
and hardness are not a size issue - small dogs can be very hard dogs).
Training a Dominant Dog
Requires That You Have Quality Training Equipment
One point here. Make darn
sure you use good
equipment when you do this. Make sure your leash
is a quality leash like you see the photo below. You
would not want your leash to break when you are in the
middle of a problem with a handler aggressive adult dog.
Leerburg
Amish Leather Training Leash
If you have no plans to
protection train your dog it is not a good idea to play
tug games with puppies. This builds the dog’s drive
towards being possessive of his toys.
If you do plan on doing
sport work (Schutzhund work) or have plans to make your
pup a personal protection dog or police service dog you
are going to want to play a lot of tug games with the
pup. We want to build its drive towards the tug and eventually
the bite sleeve or body bite suit. What needs to happen
at an early age is to develop a relationship with the
dog that after allowing him to win the game of tug a
few times, the handler can take the tug away from his
dog. I have found that giving the pup a piece of food
after taking the tug away is a way of rewarding the dog
for releasing the tug. This also is the beginning of
teaching the dog to “OUT.”
This photo is an example
of exactly how NOT TO KEEP YOUR DOGS. One of the biggest
mistakes dog owners make is to allow dogs on furniture
or beds. This causes dog fights and increases the potential
for dominance problems. In this case the small dog on
the back of the couch was almost killed by the other
dogs.
Dinner Time
A dog with dominance problems
is never allowed to be in the kitchen or dining room
while the family eats. The worst thing that can happen
is to feed a dominant dog from the table. Again, the
pack leader always eats first and gets the best pieces
of food. If your dog is a house dog, put him in the dog
crate or another room at mealtime.
Feeding the dog from the
table enhances your problems.
Aggressiveness Around the
Food Bowl
Being aggressive around
the food bowl is a common problem with some dogs. There
are two issues about food aggression:
I look at the food issue
differently than many people. A lot of trainers will
tell you to practice taking your puppy's food away at
a young age. I prefer to look at it in a different light.
I don't want my dog to be aggressive around his food
bowl. I am not sure that this translates into "me
taking his food away."
In fact I think that many
people make mistakes by taking their dog's food way too
much. Why not look at it from the dog's point of view:
You are starving and your
mother gives you a plate of mashed potatoes and turkey.
As you are eating your father reaches over and takes
your food away for NO APPARENT reason. You never said
anything wrong or did anything to be punished by losing
your food. After awhile your father puts the plate back
but then takes it away again. This creates confusion
in your mind because you look at it as if you were being
punished. If your father does this all the time when
you are a kid it will eventually piss you off and at
some point you will put your foot down and say ENOUGH
OF THIS CRAP. STOP IT !!!
I feel a better way is
to build trust in my pups. Teach them that I am a good
guy and that I am always fair with them. I will train
them that they must SIT before I put the food bowl down.
This is something they have to do their entire life.
When my pup eats I will
softly talk to him and very slowly pet his back. I try
and be very very calm about this - not hectic patting.
I want the pup to learn that me being around him when
he eats is a good thing. I may put my hand in the bowl
but I never take his food. If he shows aggression I will
shake him and scold him. But if this is done properly
he will learn that me being around the food bowl is not
a bad thing.
With older dogs I am not
sure it’s worth the fight to win the battle. If
I buy a dog that is already aggressive around his food
I usually do not force the issue. I still make the dog
sit for the food bowl. But with these dogs I feed them
in their dog crate or dog kennel. I put the food down
and walk away.
With food aggressive dogs
I NEVER LEAVE FOOD IN A DOG BOWL and I NEVER FEED A DOG
OUTSIDE OF THE DOG CRATE. To do so only courts disaster.
If there is still food in the bowl 10 minutes after feeding
I open the door on the crate, take the dog out and close
the door. The dog goes outside and I remove the food.
They only get food one time a day - if they don't eat
they are either too fat or not hungry. It does not hurt
a dog to go a day without food. In fact FASTING a dog
for one day is healthy for the dog.
When and How to Pet and
Praise the Dominant Dog
Having a good bond with
a dominant dog is critical. These dogs live and die by
pack order. The only way to maintain control is to maintain
a good relationship. But this must be done on your terms.
A dog that comes to you
and tries to force you into petting him when you are
reading the paper or working on the computer is displaying
a form of a dominant behavior. Do not allow this to happen.
Make the dog go lay down. In fact, controlling his behavior
through the use of a long down is one of the very best
ways of establishing yourself as the leader.
Almost all dogs want to
be petted. But there is a difference between a happy,
friendly dog that just wants a pet and a dominant dog
that wants to force his attention on you when you are
busy doing something else. Understanding the difference
between these situations may come down to experience.
If your dog doesn’t display any other symptoms of
dominance except wanting to be petted, you don't have
much of a problem. The solution is to always make a dog
do something before you pet him. Give him a SIT command,
or give him a DOWN command then pet him.
What Do You Do at Doors
and Stairs
Never allow your dog to
go into a room or through a door or down a stairs before
you. This means very little to humans and a lot to a
dog with tendencies for dominance. Make the dog sit at
the door every time you take it outside. Just like you
make it sit every time you put the food bowl down to
feed it.
If one of my dogs tries
to rush past me to go down stairs I use my knee to slam
it into the wall. I teach the dog the WAIT command on
our walks. I then use this command at doors and steps.
If I have to have the dog wear a prong collar and a drag
line in the house I will do it. A Drag line is a short
leash that does not have a handle. The dog can drag it
around and it will not get caught on furniture the way
a normal leash with a handle does.
Showing Aggression Towards
Family Friends
When a dog shows aggression
to certain visitors to the house this is a form of dominance.
People with small dogs think this may be cute, while
others are pleased that their dog is acting protective.
Both are wrong. This behavior needs to be controlled.
The dog needs to be taught that this behavior is unacceptable.
The easiest way is to
verbally scold the dog and put him in his crate or put
him in a different room. When you show him that you control
his environment all the time you are establishing yourself
as the leader. In a pack, the pack leader is the one
that determines who fights and when. If we allow our
dogs to determine who to attack on their own, we are
allowing his dominance to take hold.
People that protection
train dogs (in Schutzhund or police work) may be thinking
that this is bogus because these dogs go out and work
on their own. The fact is that Schutzhund dogs, personal
protection dogs and/or police service dogs do not work
on their own. Through training the handler establishes
the rules of engagement. The dog learns when it is and
is not acceptable to bite. The
fact is that protection training helps establish pack
order as long as everything else in the dog’s life
related to dominance is done properly.
Doors and Stairways
Living with a dominant
dog requires a number of small subtle things being done
to make the dog understand that you are his master, the
leader of his life, the person he looks up to and respects.
One of the small things you can do is always make the
dog let you walk through a doorway or go down a flight
of stairs before he does. This may seem like a small
thing but in fact it is not. If you enforce small things
like this (that do not require a fight to accomplish)
you are setting the tone for the relationship.
Dog Aggression:
This is a difficult situation.
I have found that it’s easiest to control this at
a very young age and get a grip on it before it becomes
a serious problem. I do not allow my puppies to fight.
I step in and shake the snot out of them for getting
too serious about fighting. They quickly learn that I
am the one who determines if and how hard they are allowed
to play.
Controlling dog aggression
in adult dogs is the topic of a completely different
article. It involves using electric collars and muzzles.
The fact is that with some adult dogs that have not had
this early training, no amount of work is going to completely
eliminate dog aggression.
Alpha Rolls ARE STUPID & VERY
DANGEROUS:
If I tried to alpha roll
one of my stud dogs without a muzzle on he would eat
me for lunch. When I hear people talk about taking an
adult dog and “alpha rolling” them I shake
my head and compare it to Russian Roulette.
For those that don't understand
what an alpha roll is, let me explain. When a dog shows
signs of dominance many trainers will tell new handlers
to take his dog and force it down on its back on the
ground and stare in their eyes until the dog looks away.
The handler is supposed to get down on top of the dog
and grab it by the sides of its cheeks and stare right
into his eyes until it submits.
Well, this is fine for
some little FOOFOO - or with a dog that is not very dominant.
But you had better not try it with a large dog that truly
is dominant. I just got an email from a friend who told
me about an episode in his California Schutzhund club
where two dogs got into a fight. After the fight was
broken up one of the dog handlers (who was not very big)
alpha rolled her large male German Shepherd male (who
had not been obedience trained during its first year
of life). Well, the dog attacked her and bit her in the
face and upper body leaving her with permanent disfiguring
scars. The dog was subsequently put to sleep. The lady
had over 100 stitches in her face.
The unfortunate thing
is this did not have to happen. The lady had been given
bad information. If things had been done differently
this would not have happened to this poor woman and the
dog would probably still be alive today.
I
am not a fan of “Alpha Rolls.”
Always remember that if
you are going to pick a fight with a dominant dog, you
had better pick one you know you can win.
My feeling is that in
most cases with extremely strong tough dominant dogs
I accomplish as much through subtle body language and
voice commands. In other words, rather than create a
situation where I have to string a dog up on a leash
(and damage the bond with the dog) I will avoid the situation
all together or I will scold the dog with a deep voice
and stare at him. Think of it like this - the Alpha Wolf
in a pack does not have to attack pack members to get
his way. Through body language and verbalizing the Alpha
is able to do almost everything he needs to do.
There are times with
a real kick-ass dominant dog that I will not even force
the issue with a direct stare because this could trigger
an attack. I will wait until I solve the rank issue in
a different way or I will wait until I can control an
attack and win the fight. In other words I fight on my
terms and not his terms. I will assume a subtle alpha
position by scolding the dog and then either lead him
away or call him to a heel and walk away from the situation.
Here is where we need
to know our dogs. You may know that a truly strong, stubborn
dog may fight you if you try and force him into a down
position after a confrontation. I am a firm believer
in not having a fight with my dog (unless it cannot be
avoided). I believe that you lose a lot more than you
gain in coming to blows with the animal. It’s always
better to control him a different way. For example, if
you see him stiffen up and hump his back after a situation
occurs, don't try and down him to illustrate how much
of a higher rank you are, rather heel him away and put
him in his dog crate. Do something to show the dog that
you are the one that is in control of him and his environment.
If a handler forces a
situation to the point where the dog attacks, then that
handler has made a mistake. He has misread the situation
and now has a problem. The goal is to see the potential
for a fight before it happens and avoid it without losing
face with the dog.
For example, when I first
got my last police dog he was a very dominant dog. In
the beginning I used a Tri-Tronics electric collar to
get the dog to release his drug toy. The collar helped
the dog spit the toy out on command, but he had such
strong drive for that particular toy that he would guard
it. In the beginning there was a risk of being bit if
I tried to reach down and try to take it away. So I would
heel the dog away from the toy and go back and get it
when the dog was not standing over the toy. As I built
my bond with the dog and gradually established my position
as pack leader I could take the toy without ever using
an electric collar. But this took 6 months of consistent
work.
Allowing a dog to lay in
bed greatly increases Dominance in the Dog
(child's face has been
intentionally masked)
REVIEW
So as I close this article
there are a couple of things that need to be remembered:
-
Only pick a fight
that you can win
-
Whenever possible
use your head and think about a problem’s cause
and a solution
-
In most cases you
lose more that you gain in a fight with your dog, even
if you win.
Always remember that once your dog relinquishes
pack order to you he will be a much happier dog. It’s
like a great burden is lifted off their shoulders. As I
work through the various problems on dominance with a dog
I always remember that in the end this dog is going to
be a much happier dog.
DOMINANT DOG PODCASTS
"Breaking
Up a Dog Fight without Getting Hurt"
"Breaking Up a Dog Fight
without Getting Hurt"
71 Minute Audio CD
Dog fights are violent,
loud, and dangerous events. I get emails every day on dog
fights. As I wrote this description I got 2 emails. In
one email the family had two dogs . Their female GSD had
just killed their Dachshund. In the second email this family's
dog had just been in a fight with a neighbor's dog and
done $1,400 damage.
In the mid 1990's I wrote an article
on How to Break Up A Dog Fight -
that article is still on my web site. This 52 Minute Audio
Book CD is an update of that article. The information in
the podcast and on the CD has more details on making the
decision about even trying to step in to break up a fight,
it discusses many methods used to break up fights and it
tells how to break up a fight when you are alone. There
is also an extensive section on preventing dogs fights.
The CD will play in any CD player.
Our Basic Dog Obedience DVD demonstrates
how to break up a dog fight without getting hurt. I actually
demo the procedure with two dogs.
Additional
Articles Related to Dominant Dogs
The
Theory of Corrections in Dog Training
The
Ground Work to Becoming a Pack Leader
Raising
2 Pups at the Same Time - Why its a bad idea !!!
Dog
Fights and Questions on Dogs that are Animal Aggressive
Introducing
a New Dog Into a Home with Existing Dogs
Using
Breaker Bars in Dog Fights
Chow’s & Chow
Mixes - know what you are buying!!!
This pup may look cute now
-
when
the dog is 18 to 24 months old this could come back to
haunt you.
DOMINANT
DOG EMAIL QUESTIONS
Question About Dangerous Dogs:
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am writing this in a desperate attempt
to keep my sanity ...I have been arguing with my husband
for the last 6 months about his dog. We are expecting our
first child in 5 days and still nothing has been done.
At first my husband pacified me with "I'll find somewhere
for the dog to go" to now "I'm not getting rid
of the dog".
If I could simply explain----we have been
together for 5 years, when we first met I owned a male
Pit who he eventually became very close with. Two years
ago the male Pit died from cancer, to say the least we
were devastated to the point of grief counseling and antidepressants.
We loved the dog. Four weeks later John comes home with
a female Pit. She was cute enough and having her here did
alleviate some of our pain; I begged him to take her back
and he didn't. I wasn't ready to give my heart to another
animal. She is now at 22 months and I believe beginning
to show real signs of dominance. The other night I awoke
and came out into the living room and she was laying on
our comforter on the couch, I immediately pulled the blanket
out from under her and scolded her to get off which she
did, but when I came out of the bathroom she was in my
bed laying next to my husband! I went to grab her collar
and she growled at me for the first time. I couldn't believe
it and for a split second I didn't trust the dog. Maybe
she feels my animosity once we had a neighbor over with
his 7 year old, as they were leaving the child walked into
her "space" she is frequently on a runner in
our yard,,,she pinned him down and started like she was
trying to bite him, although she didn't. I thought then
my husband would get rid of her. He later rationalized
and said she didn't know the child and our child would
be different. I am in a state of terror over this .....I
am having nightmares of killing the dog out of fear it
will bite my not yet born son. My husband refuses to see
it any other way. Every time someone brings a child around
he tries to let the dog near it. Needless to say anyone
who has a child will immediately remove it. The dog is
extremely hyperactive, when John plays with her he plays "rough
wrestling" the dog sounds ferocious. I never play
with the dog. She nips and dodges right for the face. One
time I went to pet her as she was sitting there quietly
looking cute, I made the mistake of getting too close and
she head-butted me right in the FACE! INSTANT FAT BLOODY
LIP!
Like I said my due date is in 5 days, he
swears the dog will not be here when we arrive from the
hospital. If he plans on the dog coming back I have threatened
to have it taken away. I've told him about my visions of
killing the dog if it comes near the baby. Do you have
any suggestions for this no win situation?
Thanks -------Desperate and Pregnant in RI
Answer About Dangerous Dog:
Your husband's problem is bigger than the
dog problem. If you don’t solve that first you will
never solve the dog problem.
Bottom line is this is a dangerous dog and
he does not admit it. You both need to read my article
on Dealing
with a Dominant Dog.
If you change the way you live with this
dog it could be saved but it does not sound like your husband
has a clue. He falls into the category of STUPID STUBBORN
DOG PEOPLE – the worst kind – owners like him
are the reason for 95% of dog bites to kids.
So with all this said you have three choices:
1- Have him read the article and promise
to make the changes
2- When you husband is at work – take
the dog to a shelter and leave it
3- Leave your husband.
There are no other options.
-------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Frawley,
I just spent the better part of my day looking through your website,
and I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated the "dumb and dumber" section.
I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time! It's so refreshing to
see someone being honest even if it's not what people want to hear.
Last year I finally got up the courage to consult a trainer about my
dogs. My ex-husband left me with two backyard bred female Pit Bulls
who I unfortunately loved very much but could not control and nearly
lost a finger splitting them up from fighting (I REALLY would have
been on your dumbEST section if I went into detail!) As a last resort
before putting one of them down, I began working with Roland Fox
who is a certified master trainer and runs a program called K-9 Solutions
NYC. His training methods run parallel to yours and quite literally
changed my life. I now have full control over my two formally unmanageable
dogs, and no longer fear what next potential disaster is around the
corner. The change in mine and my dogs behavior so drastically improved
all of our lives that I have decided to become a full time trainer
and now work (as an apprentice) with Roland. One of the tips he gave
me to improve my capabilities was to study and learn from your website,
particularly to see how ignorant the average dog owner is! I'm sure
you get thousands of emails and I don't want to take up any more
of your time, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading your web pages, they
have been of unmeasurable help to me, and I wanted to thank you.
Very Sincerely,
Rachel Eckman
PS...Not that you need me to tell you, but crate training my dogs saved
their lives. I am taken aback every time I hear someone say that crating
a dog is mean or unnecessary. My dogs not only needed crates, but they
love having their own space!
-------------------------------------
Dominant/Aggressive Dog Problem Question:
Mr. Frawley:
Your website is very informative, thank you for making all this knowledge
available, it truly changed my mental paradigm on dog behavior. I read
your articles on aggressiveness and would really like to ask for your
advice on a time bomb my father (Edward) is keeping at his house, a
2-yr-old intact Bullmastiff, aka “Bruce”.
Just a quick overview on the dog's temperament:
Gets along with his 2 feline companions, occasionally will
press his chin against the younger cat's back (which is
the cat that gets petted the most) but still lets the cat
eat/drink from his bowl and they lick each other’s
forehead occasionally. He doesn't display aggressive behavior
towards dogs either, when he was younger he would be afraid
but now just ignores them (unless the dog is unrestrained
and barking, then he will start barking but never actually
fight).
With people it's a different story. He loves
all the family members but is weary of strangers, will
get along with just a select few. I know you're thinking "this
dog was never properly socialized", and you're right,
he also wasn't taught basic commands such as "sit", "stay",
etc.. He's always been treated by my father like his “kid”,
my dad would constantly play with him, hug/pet, let him
sleep on the couch, sometimes climb into bed. He would
also make this huge commotion when getting home (whistle,
call the dog's name and give the dog full attention as
soon as coming in through that front door).
Now this loving relationship between the
two has changed, I think Bruce is trying to challenge my
dad's "leadership" in the pack, but I'm not sure
since there are other factors involved.
We live in Florida and Hurricane Wilma made
a mess in our neighborhood, destroyed the fence on the
backyard, the roof, the streets were chaotic. We were stuck
in the house with no electricity for a few days. Bruce
was probably confused to see his environment change so
much, during those day he also couldn't see what was going
on since we had shutters blocking the windows (his favorite
spot in the house).
As soon as it was safe to roam the streets,
my dad took Bruce for a walk but had placed the prong collar
on the wrong side (he never really used the prongs for
training since he thought It'd be cruel, he got the collar
as a gift from my sis and would use the “pain-free” side).
Bruce felt the prongs and made a sound like he was hurt,
my dad immediately fixed the collar and spoke to bruce
softly "I'm sorry, etc..".
After this day he started
to sometimes growl at my dad.
One person advised us
to show Bruce the prong collar every time my dad
was about to take him for a walk and throw it on the
floor and say "this hurt Bruce. It's bad.. bad!" and
get an alternative plain collar and show as being ok,
so that the dog would associate the pain he felt with
the object and start trusting on my dad again.
A few days after, just when we thought things
were going back to normal, my parents were coming back
from work and as my father opened the front door Bruce
just snapped. He growled and tried to bite him, during
that instant my mother pushed my father back, commanded
Bruce to stop and got bitten on the arm. When she started
yelling the dog stopped, he realized he wasn't getting
his primary target. I came rushing from the bedroom to
see what was going on, and my parents were behind the door,
I immediately bribed Bruce into one of the bedrooms and
left him there in the dark the whole night (btw, he hates
sleeping in the dark).
He then was kept in the patio and backyard
for almost a week. The veterinarian prescribed him a tranquilizer
and an anti-depressant and told us to get him neutered.
My mom would show him her arm and say “bad dog, look
what you did”and he would sometimes look away and
sometimes bark. He's been taking the meds for 11 days (with
progress) up until yesterday when my father decided not
to give him any and the same episode happened. As soon
as they opened the door Bruce growled. This time he couldn’t
bite, since he wouldn't get close to the door - there was
this piece of crown molding on the floor blocking his way
there. He could have easily jumped over it since it was
so low, but if the path in front of him is not clear he
won't go over objects (he's had this fearful behavior since
he was a puppy, so imagine when he saw the hurricane mess).
He stops growling and barking when my parents reprimand
him loudly but stares defiantly.
Shortly after the incident I gave him his
medication, put him outside and am leaving him there for
a while (he's an indoor dog, who's constantly left sleeping
on the couch when my dad is at work). He hasn't tried to
challenge me yet (I never really established a bond with
him or praised him constantly, I just don't intrude on
his space and he doesn't intrude on mine), he seems ok
with my mother but has stared her straight in the eyes
after she told him to shut up and stop growling. His main
target is really my father. My dad is so heartbroken, his
reaction is more like "why are you doing this to me?".
I think he needs to hear that he has to be
tough with this dog, he can't act like everything is normal
and try to pet the dog, take him off the medication and
just wish for things to be normal in a few days. I'm here
on a short vacation while my husband is out to sea w/ the
Navy, so I won’t be able to help my dad with this
situation for much longer (I only have 2wks). I'm sorry
this e-mail is so long, but I felt you needed to know the
details in order to better comprehend the situation. I'd
truly appreciate it if you could take the time to answer,
the stress level here is pretty high. My mother found a
no-kill shelter which accepts aggressive dogs. No one wants
to euthanize Bruce and I'm a firm believer of new beginnings.
Thank you very much for reading, your advice is gold.
Alexandra P.
Answer to Aggressive Dog Problem:
I recommend that you
go to my web site and read the article I wrote on my
philosophy of dog training. I think you will get some
good ideas there http://leerburg.com/philosohy.htm
This dogs is dominant. He became this
way because of the way your father and mother raised him.
Many people make the same kinds of mistakes. It's too bad.
I have a saying: I have a saying that
I tell people – it goes like this” Everyone
has an opinion on how to train a dog – just ask you
barber, your mailman and your neighbor” The problem
is very few people have the experience to back up their
opinions. This results in a lot of bad information being
passed out So people like yourself need to figure out who
has the experience to warrant being listened to.
The information you have been offered
falls into this category. In fact its stupid advice. I
strongly recommend you and your parents read the article
I wrote titled THE THEORY OF CORRECTIONS IN DOG TRAINING.Your father failed
your dog in not properly correcting the dog.
In addition you need to read the article
I wrote titled Dealing with Dominant Dogs. Allowing dogs
like this on furniture and on the bed is insane. It’s
a recipe for disaster. But then you are living the disaster
right now with this dog.
In my opinion this dog has gone beyond
your families skills to handle it.
If you think you want to try - it will
need training and a new lifestyle. You may want to read
the article I wrote on GROUND WORK BEFORE OBEDIENCE TRAINING.
Regards,
Ed
-------------------------------------
Dominant Dog Question:
Dear Ed,
About ten days ago I was attacked by my 3 year old Basset Hound. I had
to go the hospital and Simon was placed in Animal Control.
During this past ten days
I have tried to find a home for him with a strong trainer.
I know that a family situation was out of the question.
In ignorance, I thought maybe a rescue group would take
him. I could not find a home for him. With children still
in my home, we could not bring him back. This has really
been a heartbreaking experience for me because I was so
close to this dog and I loved him so much.
Simon's behavior had increasingly gotten worse from growling and snapping
to as of this instance running and attacking. As I lay on the floor
and was bitten over and over again I thought he was going to kill me.
The more I fought back with my legs and arms the more he bit. I did
not know he was capable of this especially with me who loved and cared
for him.
I have had dogs all of my
life and I have never come across this aggression situation.
After seeing your website , I now realize how ignorant
of dogs and their emotional and behavioral needs I am.
I have such a soft heart
(especially for that Basset Hound face), that I truly let
this dog take over. Disciplining him was hard because he
would come at you. What I don't understand is that having
always been around dogs raised in our home from puppies
why hasn't this happened before. I grew up on a farm and
dogs ran wild with no training .
I have been informed by
several area rescue groups that there is a definite problem
with the breeder we chose. There supposedly have been complaints
to the American Kennel Club. I was told I needed to add
to these complaints. I now realize there were warnings
that I didn't respond to. There were possible training
techniques to be used as puppies develop that I knew nothing
about. After speaking to my vet many times about this he
would just say that there have been cases of Bassets being
aggressive and that I might have to give him up.
I would eventually like to have another dog but I want to do all the
right things. Should I choose a different breed of dog? I have always
loved beagles and bassets and was raised around them. I would appreciate
any advice you might give me.
Thank You,
Cheryl
Ed's Comment:
Your experience is not unique.
Not properly raising a pup can have dire consequences.
You are not alone - so many people ignore pack instinct
in their dogs - they don't see RANK issues when they start
to develop.
The fact is that serious
obedience training at 5 to 6 months (with a correction
phase) will often eliminate these kinds of problems. People
need to neuter dogs at 6 months, they need to use dog crates
and they need to train their dogs. When these three things
happen you will seldom have problems like you just had.
It's a terrible thing to
be attacked by any dog, much less your own. It's also a
sad thing to have to put a dog to sleep - but in this case
that's what should happen to this dog. Once a dog like
this has attacked an adult member of the family there are
very very few people who have the experience to correct
the problem. 99.9% if the so called behaviorists out there
would not have a clue on how to fix this dog. Vets fall
into this category. Medication would not work.
-------------------------------------
Dominant Dog Question:
Dear Mr Frawley,
I wanted to shoot you a quick email to let
you know the great improvements I'm already making with
Hunter (training him myself). I watched your tape, which
by the way was fantastic, it was like showing the secret
behind a magic trick. It was inspirational and encouraging
and it got me really excited and motivated to train Hunter
the right way and it made it seem possible (I even made
the liver treats).
Also I've been reading the book "The
Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell, which I've found to
be very interesting. Just by working with him everyday
my problems have almost diminished completely already.
I can have people (friends & family) come to the door,
ring the door and actually have them come in without a
fuss. Now hunter barks at the door when the door bell rings
or he hear someone coming up to the door, and once I open
the door and greet the people he's fine and walks around
and smells them with no agitation (actually seemingly social).
I always make him sit before I open the door, maybe that
helps. Also now on walks no more barking and lunging, I
do keep him by my side when we pass people or I will have
him sit or down so that he gets used to seeing people pass
by and that it's no big deal.
As a side note, every week the housekeepers
come by and I always put Hunter outside because he's always
barked when they're around, and through the glass when
he's outside, they aren't friends or family so I still
like to play it safe in fear of being sued. Today I thought
I'd put him on a leash and work with him in the house while
they were cleaning. Everything was fine he was paying attention,
and I saw that he wanted to smell the housekeeper who was
standing next to me so I thought why not (mistake! mistake!)
the second he smelled her he started barking like crazy
at her. He was on a leash so I corrected him and he immediately
stopped but I couldn't figure that one out. Any insight?
Well I've just only started training him
so I know I've got a long ways to go, but I was so excited
with his major improvements and I wanted to share them
with you. Also I noticed in your catalog that you have
a newly updated basic dog obedience on
DVD, but I couldn't find it on your website. Could you
direct me to that page because I would be interested in
purchasing the basic dog obedience tape
on DVD as well.
Thanks.
Regards,
Yvette
-------------------------------------
Dominant Dog Question:
I have some of your video tapes and equipment
and I just can't tell you enough how much they have helped.
You deserve an award for your videos! Out of my first litter
of German Shepherds, I have chosen a male to keep and train
for my own personal protection dog. My husband & I
manage a small motel now and he is a city cop and works
at night, so I'm here by myself a lot. I feel very confident
that I have chosen the right dog for me because of your
videos and articles on testing pups. This puppy "Zeus" and
I "clicked" when he was 2 or 3 weeks old, it's
one of those hard-to-find bonds between owner and dog,
that no amount of money will buy. I am so proud of him.
He's 14 weeks old and we have mastered "sit" very
well and now we are working on "down" and also
working with a leash some. Your videos have taught me a
better way to train and I am more patient because I have
seen the outcome. I get so frustrated with some of my customers
that buy my pups, as I'm sure you do too. I can't seem
to get the fact through that a well trained dog doesn't
just happen or that it takes more than a month or two to
get a wonderfully trained dog and just because a puppy
has a good working bloodline doesn't mean that he will
automatically be "wonder-dog", that it does take
some training. I recommend your articles and videos to
my customers and give them your web address because I believe
you are wonderful. We've been able to accomplish much more
with our dogs since we discovered you. We even have a 1/2
Rott. that has been a pleasure to train. I always said
I would never have a Rott. I thought they were "time-bombs".
He has proven me wrong. He is about 18 months old and is
a little slow maturing, but we're not rushing him. He is
just now starting to show some aggression. Thanks to your
articles on "Dominance" and "Aggressive" dogs,
we better understand all dogs now and I'm not so afraid
that this Rott ( Rabi ) will be out-of-control. My husband
brought him home from the pound because he had a good bite
and because he had a very even temperament. ( not to mention
that he's a little soft hearted and could not stand to
see him put down ). And I am so glad he did. I have to
tell you though, that when strangers or friends are over
and they hear us tell Rabi "fooey", that think
we've lost our mind. This is Texas, "fooey" isn't
in the vocabulary ! But it DOES work. My husband was told
that you never are suppose to say your dog's name along
with "no" or "fooey" that they associate "no" with
their name after awhile and you have trouble getting them
to "come". Is that true? It makes sense. The "Dominance" articles
really helped with my stud dog. At 2 yrs. he started getting
pretty dominant towards my husband mostly. It really didn't
take a lot of effort to make him quit, just persistence.
He's fine now. Before reading your articles I wouldn't
have known what to do with him because I have never had
a dog with that much dominance before. Again thank you
so much for taking the time to write all those articles
and make all those videos.
Sincerely,
Lisa
-------------------------------------
Dominant Dog Question:
I copied this letter in this article after
it was posted on my web discussion board by Julie Gausten
This is a sad story, but I have learned
the hard way:-
When I was a Teenager, my parents got
me a Corgi (Pembrokshire). I called him "Ross" and
he was a real sweetie as a pup and grew to be a very handsome
adult.
He was not neutered, as my father just
winced at the idea and the only reason he was not allowed
on the beds or furniture, was because my mother hated to
see dog hair! (a lucky break?).
Anyway, we were asked to leave ob training
classes, as he was so disruptive. To their credit, they
did advise us that "we would have problems with this
dog". But did not offer any other advice.
The odd growl here & there, progressed
to food and toy possessiveness & finally (after about
5 years) a fully fledged "attack" on a family
member. (Me! - when I tried to pick him up to give him
a bath!). How he missed my face I will never know.
After this, none of the family could
ever trust the dog and he was put-down.
We gave this dog no leadership, guidance
nor training. He did pretty much what he wanted, no wonder
he thought he was head of the house. We just thought he
was "The Dog"! and knew no better.
If only I had known then, what I know
now about the treatment & training of a dog.
I have always wanted another dog, but
was very wary about the prospect. However, having researched
dog training, I took the plunge. I now have 2 well mannered
dogs, who know their place & receive leadership, guidance& training
- as well as play & lots of love!.
Ross died because he lived with people
who "killed him with kindness", It saddens me
so much when I think about what happened.
If he is waiting for me at the bridge,
I hope he will forgive me for failing him.
RIP "Rossie Doggie", I am so
sorry.
Julie Gausten
Dominant Dog Question:
I have purchased a few videos from you
and some products your website is awesome thanks.... My
question is I have a 5yr. old Rott he has a good pedigree
with some good working dogs in it that was told to me by
a Rott person well the dog has been obedience trained and
has some some bite work I got the dog about 2yrs ago and
he has been a good dog playful and very alert but when
I purchased the dog from a K-9 trainer and breeder of Shepherds
and Malinois he said Bo has a lot of defense in him and
to be careful with him and not let him around children
as he is a one handler dog well I did just that and I keep
him in a very secure kennel around no one but here recently
when I go take him out of his kennel he will growl at me,
I tried correcting him but he still does it and when I
get him out his tail stops wagging and when I praise him
he’s not excited anymore. Bo is very dog aggressive
from day one and tries to chase cars... lately I’ve
had to muzzle him to put him on a chain to clean his pen
out I use a Jafco muzzle I got from you, now I have to
make a decision whether to keep him and deal with this
problem or put him to sleep,I would like to keep him but
am I putting myself in a dangerous situation of getting
bit one day or can I deal with this problem, selling him
is no option because I know he can hurt someone badly and
there are too many irresponsible dog owners out there so
what should I do?????
Thanks, Confused Allen
Answer:
It seems a little old for a dog to all
of a sudden start to become aggressive to the handler.
Usually this begins at an earlier age (around 2 or 3.)
I would begin by having the dog checked
out by a vet. Maybe there is something medically wrong
with him. Maybe he is not feeling good and just wants to
be left alone.
If the vet gives him a clean bill of
health then you need to deal with his aggression or make
the decision to put him down.
I have an article on "Dealing with
the Dominant Dog and Dealing with the Overly Aggressive
dog" - read these and make sure that you are doing
everything properly.
If the dog is used to we | 
