Dominant Behaviour

[Kaffy Magee]

My 8 month old dobie boy was and still is a dominant boy. One main thing i wanted to ask about which i think is sweet but know its probably not is when i call my boy over for pats he comes over and stands(or sits) and i rub his head/ears etc and he wraps his left front leg around my leg but not in a humping way, just lightly hooks it around like hes holding on to me. Is this a dominance thing or just a cute little quirk.

He often leans on me which ive read is a dominance thing and today he peed on my leg BUT i think he was trying to pee on the side of his kennel,which he does and my leg was in the way.

These are just little things that im thinking maybe should stop now. Its just little things like that....hes obedient and knows im boss but i just dont want these things to creep up on me. Am i right to be a little concerned?

[Mushaka]

IMO he is trying to be dominant. Its tricky isnt it..I have an old dog who i thought i trained rather well,however i look back now and think maybe she trained ME? Never did she display any of the things your dog is doing,however she does it in a far more subltle way.

[Staranais]

Others will probably disagree, but I think many people have a tendancy to over-diagnose dogs as "dominant".

What I mean by that is, what might be a sign of dominance in a few rare dogs, isn't necessarily a sign of dominance in all dogs. Not all dogs lean on you to be dominant - many just enjoy body contact, same as they did with their littermates when they were young. Not all dogs touching you with their forelimbs are trying to be "dominant" - some are innocently trying to get your attention. Dogs who walk out the door ahead of you aren't necessarily being "dominant" - perhaps you just never taught them that you'd prefer to go through first? Likewise, some dogs pull on walks because they are excited and have been rewarded for pulling in the past - it doesn't necessarily mean that they're planning a takeover of your alpha role.

I think many dogs would be surprised if they learned how many of their innocent gestures we interpret as sinister signs of "dominance".

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, IMO, if you're trying to decide whether your dog is "dominant", I'd personally look at his overall demeanor, rather than just being worried about one or two quirks of behaviour. If you're worried about his behaviour in general, then you might want to crack down on anything that could possibly be a sign of "dominance", such as resting his paws on you or leaning on you, as well as making sure you're using NILIF, Tot, etc. But if he's generally respectful and obedient and attentive to you, I wouldn't necessarily take these small things as signs of doom.

I am more concerned about him peeing on you, if it was deliberate. No dog I know would pee on another dog that it respects. Dogs pee on their territory and on their possessions - not on their leaders.

[Kaffy Magee]

Oops, i forgot about this thread, LOL.

Thank you for replying.

Amhailte, to be honest i tend to agree with you in a way.

I guess im a little more cautious with him because i knew he was the most dominant in the litter and when he came home he just waltzed right in and took over the other dogs. ;) So i thought as he got older he might just try it on me and wasnt sure if the things he is doing will lead up to that.

Anyway thankyou both again for you response.

[TangerineDream]

The hooking the foot around your leg is dominance (have seen a few dominant Dobes - male not female, do this) and so is the peeing on you (don't misunderstand, he knows exactly where you are every second, dogs don't lift their legs without aiming at something) and an 8 month male Dobe is at that age where they are starting to test you out. I'd watch very carefully all of his behaviour and I think I'd re-establish your 'leadership' carefully if necessary. I wouldn't let it continue or you might find it harder to remain pack leader as he matures.

[Sarah L]

I tend to agree with Amhailte, not every behaviour is sinister or dominant. If the male dobe is undesexed then there is also a physical issue to take into account.

Between 8 and 12months in male dogs who are not desexed then there is a greater influx of testosterone and other chemicals happening in the dog at this age. His testosterone will be higher at this point than when he is an adult dog. Its a maturing stage in the dog that can produce, confusion. In other words he can be trying to do all that you have taught him so far but his body and mind are at odds at the moment. This is why male dogs at this age are often accused of trying to assert dominance.

They are more excitable, can't focus as much and can seem to lose what you have taught them. Dobes body's mature faster than their minds. What your dogs seems to be displaying with the leg rap and leaning on you may just be a sign also he needs conformation that he is still doing the right things. Training the dog as you normally would should pull him through this stage. If he still responds well then you know he is not being dominant. I would tend to resist any different tactics for a little while to see how he goes. as the dog needs more confirmation from you than change right now.