Our doggos can sometimes display behaviors that suggest they believe they are in charge of the household.
and in this blog post we’re going to be looking at eight signs that your dog thinks that they’re the one in charge.
At the end of the article, we’re going to give you three very simple things you can do right that will make your dog acknowledge that you are the top dog in the household without damaging the bond between the two of you.
1. Kisses
This one is a bit weird. Doggy kisses may be cute, but they’re not always a sign of pure affection.
Dogs lick other dogs as a way of keeping their friends clean, reinforcing social bonds, and sometimes affirming their place in the hierarchy.
If your dog seems to be constantly trying to groom you and has a tendency to get pushy when you try to move away,
and has a particular focus on your head, then that can be a sign that they’re trying to show you who Top Dog
2. Barking
Woof woof barking is one of the main tools that dogs use to communicate with their humans, and most of the time it’s nothing to worry about.
But if your dog’s barks are getting a little too loud and forceful, then that can be a problem.
If it feels like your dog is using loud, demanding barks to try and intimidate you into doing what they want, then that’s a sign that they’re trying to establish dominance over
3. Stealing food
You’re sitting down for a meal when your phone goes off. You look away from your plate to answer the text, and when you look back, where did your sausages go?
Stealing food is a bad habit for a dog to get into. Not only is it blatantly disrespectful to you, but a lot of the stuff that humans eat can actually make our canine companions sick or even poison them.
Wolf packs usually have pretty strict rules about not stealing food from other pack members.
especially if that pack member is higher up on the hierarchy than you are
If your dog thinks that they can steal your snacks with impunity, then that suggests that they don’t think you’re powerful enough to call them out on it.
4. Resource guarding
Have you ever reached for a toy to try and initiate a fun game with your dog only to discover that they’re not letting you get near it?
Maybe they’re blocking you with their body by standing in front of the toy, or maybe they’re growling at you when you get near.
Maybe they’re grabbing it and running away to another room.
When dogs start getting possessive over toys, snacks, or any other random object that they take a fancy to, they’re engaging in a behavior known as resource guarding.
This behavior not only indicates that they don’t see you as the top dog but also suggests that they’re feeling somewhat insecure about their own place in the home and are worried about somebody stealing away the things that they consider valuable.
5. Fighting you on the leash
Dogs often get overexcited when it’s time to go on a walk and will often end up pulling on the leash when they get the urge to go check out an interesting smell or chase off a shifty-looking squirrel.
This is normal. You should be able to get them to stop pulling by calling them back or telling them to heal, and you should be the one who ultimately decides what path you guys take.
If your dog is constantly fighting you on the leash to the extent that it’s becoming difficult to take them out of the house, then that suggests that they think that they have more right to determine today’s walking route than you do.
6. Scent marking
One of the first things that most people teach their puppies is where to go to the bathroom, namely outside.
Once they’ve been trained to do this, most dogs won’t lapse in their training, and if they do, then it’s never a good sign.
If your puppy has started having accidents inside the house, then that could be a sign of a medical problem or an indication that your fur baby is under some kind of stress, so your first port of call should be a vet.
If they seem to be leaving their pee or poop in prominent places, however, and are doing it regularly in the same spots, then that could be a sign that they are scent marking.
Dogs scent-mark their territory to let other dogs know that this is their place and that they are the ones in charge.
Your dog thinks of you as kind of like another dog in their pack, so this can be a sign that they’re trying to send a message to you about whose house this is.
Not yours apparently, even though you’ve never seen Buster contribute to the rent.
7. mounting somebody’s leg
Oh, that’s embarrassing. One of the most awkward moments for any dog owner is when their beloved pup comes into a room while guests are over and starts enthusiastically mounting somebody’s leg.
worse if it’s not even your leg and you have to explain to some poor non-dog owner that he’s just being friendly
almost as bad as when they get on top of somebody else’s pooch at the dog park
You’ll probably be relieved to know that despite popular belief, this move doesn’t actually have anything to do with sex.
They’re not trying to mate with that other dog or your leg; instead, what they’re likely doing is trying to assert dominance.
When they do this to you, then they’re telling you and your mortified guests that they consider themselves to be top dog in this household.
8. Staring at you
Much like humans, dogs use eye contact to communicate strong emotions.
If you catch your pup staring at you softly from across the room, then that can be a sign of affection.
But if their gaze seems unusually fixed and unblinking, then it can actually mean the opposite.
Dogs often engage in intense staring contests to assert dominance, just like second graders, where the first dog to look away loses.
If you notice your dog doing this to you, however, don’t try to escalate the situation by staring back. You’re not a dog, and you’re not going to win this contest by behaving like one.
How do I get to be top dog?
For the sake of household harmony, it’s important that your dog understand which one of you is meant to be in charge.
Dogs who get to see themselves as the dominant member of the pack can potentially become aggressive or even dangerous.
Here’s what to do if you think that your dog is becoming too dominant.
Tip #1
When every attempt to get your dog to do something or not do something feels like a battle, it can be easy to give up.
If your dog keeps insisting on jumping on the couch, how many times do you have to tell them to get off before it becomes not worth the effort?
If they keep begging aggressively for snacks, how long before it becomes easier to just give them what they want?
But giving in to pressure simply teaches your dog to keep applying that pressure whenever they want something.
You may solve the short-term problem by giving in, but long-term you’re only making things worse.
Being consistent about enforcing the rules makes it clear to your dog that they’re not the one who decides what’s allowed.
Tip #2
Like rebellious pre-teens, troubled dogs can get into the habit of seeing all attention as good attention even if the attention they’re getting involves being scolded or punished.
You shouldn’t be punishing your dog anyway, but especially not if they’re already having problems understanding your relationship.
Worst-case scenario, showing your anger might even trigger them into trying to fight for the leadership role.
which could end badly for the both of you
instead when your dog is behaving badly but their behavior isn’t actually endangering their safety, your safety or your property, then you should just ignore it.
Calmly tell them not to do it but otherwise pretend that they’re not there.
Don’t even look at them; they’ll likely get bored.
Tip #3
Not only do you need to avoid reinforcing behavior that you don’t want, but you should also make sure that you’re rewarding your dog for doing things that you do want.
A lot of inexperienced owners think that treating your dog is just for when they properly obey a command, but you should be acknowledging all good behavior.
Your dog comes when called—reward.
Your dog stayed quiet when another dog walked by instead of barking at them—reward.
Your dog went to their crate without being asked—reward.
Rewards, to be clear, shouldn’t always be food.
Food is a good reward for some things, but you can also reward your dog with pets and with praise.
If you found this blog post insightful be sure to share it with those out there that are still not aware of it
