It is in your dog̵7;s nature to have a boss, which is more commonly referred to as the ̶0;Alpha Male.̶1; When your dog does not recognize an ̶0;Alpha Male̶1; in the household, he will automatically assume he is the boss. However, your dog̵7;s role in the household should be to follow, not to lead. Still, there are ways that you can show your dog that you are the boss.
Things You'll Need
- Dog treats to reward your dog
Instructions
Determine your dog̵7;s feeding schedule. If your dog can walk over to his bowl and eat at his leisure, he is in charge of his eating schedule. Refrain from leaving a supply of food in his eating bowl and create a feeding schedule for him. If you control when he eats, your dog will realized that you are the boss.
Control your dog during your daily walks. Do not let him control you. If you let your dog lead the walk by walking in front of you, he believes he is the boss because he is in control. When a dog is leading a walk, he cannot relax because he is responsible for leading the pack, according to the Dog Breed Info Center, an online resource for dog care and training. So when you walk your dog, make sure that he is following you, and when you stop, be sure to make him heel beside you.
Make your dog follow you into your home. Your dog needs to not only follow you during walks, but he also needs to follow you into the home -- and when you are going up and down stairs. Your dog̵7;s innate ability lets him know that if you lead, you are the boss. So when you are traveling in and out of the house with your dog, you need to lead and he needs to follow. When you are training him on stairs, place him at the top of the stairs and tell him to "stay." Then, after you travel down the stairs, you should command him to "come." Eventually, he will learn that he should follow you down the stairs.
Remain calm and assertive when you are around your dog. When you are training your dog that you are the boss, he is learning to play a submissive role. However, if your dog can sense that you are frustrated or anxious, it will cause your dog to become anxious. The objective is provide your dog with the exact same calm and assertive leadership that he would receive if he were in a pack, according to the Dog Channel, an online resource for dog owners.
Reward your dog when he does something right. If you praise your dog when he does something right, it will motivate him to continue the behavior, so be sure to praise and reward your dog when he behaves correctly.