Signs of Dominance in Puppies

In wolf packs, an alpha wolf leads the pack to food, shelter and safety. Dogs also rely on alphas in their social structure. In their case, the alpha is, or should be, their human owners. Remember that an alpha is a leader, not necessarily a bully. You can establish yourself as your puppy's leader from the moment you bring it home. Dominant dogs can become aggressive, so you should train your puppy early and enforce its rules consistently to prevent it from becoming dominant if at all possible. In most cases, dominance starts to develop in adult dogs, but according to Katharine Hillestad, DVM, it can occur in puppies as young as four months old.

  1. Guarding

    • You will notice this type of dominance if your puppy starts to act possessive of food, toys, furniture or even people. It will hold its head low over an object, tuck its tail and even snarl or growl to warn other pets or people away. To prevent this type of dominance, give your puppy food, treats, bones and toys. Take them away as you please. Reward your puppy with praise if it allows you to take the item back without a fuss. If your puppy does begin to guard objects, don't simply reach your hand down to take the item. Your puppy may snap. Instead, give your puppy another command, such as "down," to establish your leadership and then take the item away.

    Snarling, Snapping and Growling

    • These behaviors are some of the most obvious signs that your puppy may be starting to develop dominance aggression. Look for it to display these aggressive behaviors when you ask it to do something, such as get off the couch, when you come near a bone or its food or when you approach it while it is doing something else. Before making any assumptions, however, take your puppy to the vet to have a physical checkup done. Health problems can also lead puppies and adult dogs to growl, bare their teeth or snap because they want to be left alone when they aren't feeling well. Consider hiring a professional trainer to help you solve this dominance problem if your pup turns out to be perfectly healthy.

    Refusal to Obey

    • Refusing to obey can be a sign of dominance that is much harder to recognize in puppies than adult dogs. Your puppy may not have enough training to obey your commands reliably, so a refusal to listen may actually be the result of your puppy not understanding how to obey. If you know your puppy is familiar with a command, such as sit, however, and it stares at you blankly or snarls and growls when you ask it to obey, it may be displaying dominance. Reassert your leadership by breaking out the training treats and practicing basic commands more with your puppy. Reward your puppy each time it does obey so that it learns that listening to you has a positive outcome.

    "Bossy" Behavior

    • Puppies crave attention, but they can sometimes demand it when you aren't able to give it. Does it nudge you, paw at you and bark for attention for hours on end? Help it get enough exercise and affection by walking with it, playing with it and talking to it daily. Stimulate its mind and give it something to do by providing bones or puzzle toys to chew on. Feed it and check its water dish. If you know that your puppy's needs are being met each day and it continues to boss you around, it may be trying to display dominance. The easiest way to cure your puppy of this habit is to simply ignore it when it behaves this way. If you give in to its demands, you teach it that its behavior won it a prize.