What Is A Dominant Dog?

[aussielover]

Someone told me the other day my puppy was quite dominant.

She is a very confident little puppy, nothing really phases her but I have never really thought her to be dominant (but perhaps she is)

She plays pretty rough but also lets the other pup/dog win sometimes.

So I looked up some info and found this

Some Behaviors that May Indicate Dominance:

Pushing through doors, inside or outside, before you.

Jumping or reaching for food or treat before it is put down or in reach.

Putting his or her feet on you, standing on or pawing at you.

Barking at you when told to do something or when he or she wants something.

Trying to be physically taller than you.

Getting on furniture before you or before being given permission.

Reluctance to move from a spot you want to sit on, walk through or put something in.

Reluctance to release food or toys.

Staring at you; prolonged eye contact except when you ask for it in a training or working situation.

Reluctance to obey simple, normal commands such as sit, go-out, get-off, etc. May be a refusal or slow compliance.

Marking (urinating or defecating) in house, marking your personal belongings or bed.

Running into you or jumping on you hard during play. This is a display of physical superiority and rights.

Growling or barking at you during play.

Sexual behaviors, such as mounting, with an inappropriate partner.- her toy duck

Putting her or his head on or over your head or shoulders. when we are lying down togther she likes to curl up on my head or neck

Holding chews or toys against you while chewing or playing with toy.

Any attempt to shove you out of the way when walking, sitting with, moving past or laying with you.

Mouthing you at any time, any placing of her or his mouth on you whether in protest, during play or during petting.

Eating before you.

Not accepting petting or touching on top of his or her head or body.

She has tried the bolded behaviours a few times, but I do not allow her to do these and she now doesn't really do them, or will only try once with strangers.

Some of these behaviours though, i would think are normal for puppies?

What makes a dog dominant and is it actually a problem?

Edited July 15, 2010 by aussielover

[poodlefan]

Sorry, but there are alternative explanations for many of those behaviours commencing with excitement, youth and lack of training.

"Dominance" isn't necessarily a dirty word or something to be worried about. As you've identified, it tends to be reflected by confidence.

What matters is how you train your dog to behave and how you encourage her to do what pleases you, rather than pleasing herself. Folk looking for top sports dogs will often deliberately choose the more dominant pups in the litter because of that confidence they have.

Some folk tend to explain all dog behaviour in terms of a constant conspiracy by dogs to get the better of us, that's simply untrue.

Did the person who said this have any dog training qualifications or did they just watch a lot of Cesar Milan shows?

Edited July 15, 2010 by poodlefan

[Genabee]

Well based on that, I have a very dominant dog! And I would have never thought so....

I'm not much help to you Aussielover... I have to ask, how much of those behaviors listed is more a reflection of the training (or perhaps lack of it in some cases) that they have had? And don't puppies test the boundaries anyway (like a toddler does)? A lot of puppies just want attention and to be loved, so they will do what they have to, to get that attention. But once they have your attention, they don't necessarily try to dominate you.... do they?

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

HI Aussie lover how old is your pup ? age can often be a big factor in behaviour

Dominant is a bit of an overused word I think and the behavioural meaning gets lost , I see the behaviours that you have highlighted are very common in working dog puppies ,

Dominant behaviour to me is all about access to resources and this is a fluid thing depending on who wants what at that time and how high the desire is for it as to the likely hood of challenge for the resource

most of the things you have highlighted can be easily corrected with NILF ( nothing in life is free ) and TOT training .

Most of what she is doing will correct with training with a few hiccups while she is a teenager and if not desexed this is marked at around the 2nd heat.

None of the behaviours you highlighted would concern me with a young working dog , they just have a few manners to learn is all. are you planning to do agility or herding with her ? she might need a job to do to settle a little if she is a challenge the good thing is once you start with this type of pup they make a fantastic dog .

some of her behaviours particularly the mounting and racing you through doors are more over excitement than any attempt to dominate you , mouthing is often the same when dogs play with dogs they use their mouths and if she is over stimulated easily this may be the cause not any attempt to be the boss but just a firecracker of a personality , good thing is you can channel this into her training

good luck with her PS corvus has a good link for dominance

[aussielover]

The pup that was called dominant is actually Mindy- a labrador guide dog puppy who is 14 weeks old.

She does not do most of those behaviours anymore, but has tried them a few times especially when she was younger.

well she still humps the duck and sleeps on my neck/head if i let her!

Funnily enough my aussie shepherd was quite submissive and never tried any of those behaviours.

I would like to see the link on dominance, so hoping corvus will be able to put it up or PM me please?

Is it true that dogs can think they are more dominant if you let them eat first, sleep on furniture/beds etc?

I have always though this a myth and a little silly....

Yes, it was indicated to me that her being dominant was something I should really worry about and not desirable at all...

PF: yes, i think they were a dog whisperer fan as they suggested I roll her on her back and growl at her when she was being dominating (whatever that means?). I would have thought that this would be quite dangerous, especially in a dog that is actually dominant? I am not as confident as Cesar so would prob not be able to pull that one off!

Edited July 15, 2010 by aussielover

[Jeff Jones]

PF: yes, i think they were a dog whisperer fan as they suggested I roll her on her back and growl at her when she was being dominating (whatever that means?). I would have thought that this would be quite dangerous, especially in a dog that is actually dominant? I am not as confident as Cesar so would prob not be able to pull that one off!

A truly dominant dog would object to being placed on its back and the person attempting to do so would get hurt.

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

HI Aussie lover how old is your pup ? age can often be a big factor in behaviour

Dominant is a bit of an overused word I think and the behavioural meaning gets lost , I see the behaviours that you have highlighted are very common in working dog puppies ,

Dominant behaviour to me is all about access to resources and this is a fluid thing depending on who wants what at that time and how high the desire is for it as to the likely hood of challenge for the resource

most of the things you have highlighted can be easily corrected with NILF ( nothing in life is free ) and TOT training .

Most of what she is doing will correct with training with a few hiccups while she is a teenager and if not desexed this is marked at around the 2nd heat.

None of the behaviours you highlighted would concern me with a young working dog , they just have a few manners to learn is all. are you planning to do agility or herding with her ? she might need a job to do to settle a little if she is a challenge the good thing is once you start with this type of pup they make a fantastic dog .

some of her behaviours particularly the mounting and racing you through doors are more over excitement than any attempt to dominate you , mouthing is often the same when dogs play with dogs they use their mouths and if she is over stimulated easily this may be the cause not any attempt to be the boss but just a firecracker of a personality , good thing is you can channel this into her training

good luck with her PS corvus has a good link for dominance

Ummm 14 week old pup needs to learn some manners Gun dog is a working dog !!! LOL ,

Even if you subscribe to the approach that is taken by these trainers ( have to say I dont )

Why do you need a sledghammer to crack a peanut ? rolling a dog over , scruffing it , all these types of things are last ditch when it comes to correction for adult dogs to puppies , not at all needed for a baby with a vital job to do once she grows up a grumble and a hard look should be quiet effective when you need to correct Its easier just to teach them what you want instead .

As a guide dog puppy placement perhaps you could have a chat with their staff as to what methods they prefer to use, that way she starts as she needs to continue ,

[Aidan]

Your dog could be dominant and do any or none of those things. The people who write those sorts of articles lead the rest of us up the garden path I'm afraid.

It's far better to look at actual behaviours and decide whether any of those are going to be a problem for you. Obviously if your pup isn't paying attention to you unless you have food in your hand (for e.g) that is going to be a problem. But it's not a problem that only dominant dogs have, any dog of any rank could have this problem. I could teach any dog to do this in the same way that I could teach any dog not to do this.

I would recommend you learn more about operant and classical conditioning and revisit social hierarchies when the nuts and bolts of behaviour are second nature to you.

P.S from reading your posts you sound sensible enough to make your own mind up about what you've been told anyway!

Edited July 15, 2010 by Aidan

[dandybrush]

wow reading that i think my dog must be dominant too then lol, he walks through doors first, because i dont make him wait...when i do he waits, he barks during play cause he is having fun (i think)

he stares at me lol when its walk time, i can no longer forget what time of the day it is, He needs his exercise and he knows what time its due lol

I think if your dog does what you want/require of it then it is perfectly trained to your situation, if you think something needs work, then fix it, dont worry about the dominance of the dog (thats my belief anyway)

[aussielover]

Ummm 14 week old pup needs to learn some manners Gun dog is a working dog !!! LOL ,

Even if you subscribe to the approach that is taken by these trainers ( have to say I dont )

Why do you need a sledghammer to crack a peanut ? rolling a dog over , scruffing it , all these types of things are last ditch when it comes to correction for adult dogs to puppies , not at all needed for a baby with a vital job to do once she grows up a grumble and a hard look should be quiet effective when you need to correct Its easier just to teach them what you want instead .

As a guide dog puppy placement perhaps you could have a chat with their staff as to what methods they prefer to use, that way she starts as she needs to continue ,

I know labs/ gundogs are working dogs too, but I wasn't sure if though if you thought i was talking about an aussie pup because of my username and the reference to doing herding (which I think Mindy would be terrible at!).

I don't actually use this method, as I said before I think it would be dangerous. The person who made the comment was not a trainer, but rather, another dog owner like myself. Obviously I would never try this on a dog. I correct my dog with a "no" or simply remove her from the situation. I also reward her when she is doing the right thing, so much so that she gets half her meals in the form of rewards. She is a well behaved puppy, lots of people have commented on the fact she is calm for a young pup. The things bolded above are things that she has tried once or twice, but came to realise that they were not appropriate. As I said before the only things she still does are hump the duck and sleep on my neck, which i don't feel is particularly dominant behaviour. The article actually said though that if your dog had tried any of these, they were signs of dominance!

I personally don't think she is overly dominant, perhaps just very confident and outgoing. I was just surprised to hear that someone else thought she was and then surprised at some of the info regarding dominance available on the net and wanted to get others opinions on this.

What behaviours would lead you to classify a dog as dominant?

[Red Fox]

Pushing through doors, inside or outside, before you.

Jumping or reaching for food or treat before it is put down or in reach.

Putting his or her feet on you, standing on or pawing at you.

Barking at you when told to do something or when he or she wants something.

Trying to be physically taller than you.

Getting on furniture before you or before being given permission.

Reluctance to move from a spot you want to sit on, walk through or put something in.

Reluctance to release food or toys.

Staring at you; prolonged eye contact except when you ask for it in a training or working situation.

Reluctance to obey simple, normal commands such as sit, go-out, get-off, etc. May be a refusal or slow compliance.

Marking (urinating or defecating) in house, marking your personal belongings or bed.

Running into you or jumping on you hard during play. This is a display of physical superiority and rights.

Growling or barking at you during play.

Sexual behaviors, such as mounting, with an inappropriate partner.

Putting her or his head on or over your head or shoulders.

Holding chews or toys against you while chewing or playing with toy.

Any attempt to shove you out of the way when walking, sitting with, moving past or laying with you.

Mouthing you at any time, any placing of her or his mouth on you whether in protest, during play or during petting.

Eating before you.

My dog has shown all of the above behaviours at some point (towards either myself or others) and he is far from dominant

I'm not sure how "Eating before you" is a dominant behaviour either. I would think that depends more on when you choose to feed your dog rather than how dominant they are

[Cookiez]

Gees, reading what you have posted- Codi ticked quite a few things off that list too!

Some I know I have been wanting to work on- but others I didn't really think was "bad"?

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

Gee I wish I could find Covus's linky for you even the trainers name has shot out of my head , it discribes it so well .

When it comes to behaviour its all about what is acceptable to you , what you want your puppy to do , sift everything through your common sense filter and see what you are left with , for the whys of doggie behaviour would suggest that you sign up for behavioural science at uni (lol ).

Essential to remember dogs are social animals

Most of there behaviour is directed towards living in acceptable harmony with their "pack"

Most dogs like to settle things without direct confrontation

Dominant is a concept to me of I want ! but do I want as much as the other pack member wants? and is it worth the conflict / Challenge at THIS point in time , so the challenge can be fluid not always the same

NILF is good because everything the dog might want is provided by you , if you dont give dog doesnt get so the above scenario is a lot less likely to happen , there are some good books around so reading would be in order

be gentle with your baby keep your common sense at the front and grin and ignore the advice you think is questionable , is a lot like raising kids

If you like the way the persons dog behaves it might be worth listing too, always a good guide when looking for a mentor

Oh and I think that my interpretation of the meaning of dominate in the behavioural sense is different to the standard Oxford meaning so in the sense that you are using the word and my understanding of the word in this contex are worlds apart

I think that the real meaning is lost in the hype try looking it as behaviours you will accept and behaviours you dont and train accordingly

Edited July 15, 2010 by Schmoo's boss

[corvus]

Patricia McConnell is the one that wrote some great blog posts about dominance in dogs. She has a PhD in dog behaviour and years of consulting behind her. The first one is here: http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/the-c...ed-as-dominance.

Second: http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/the-d...onships-in-dogs

Third: http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/dogs-...-a-person-to-do

And last: http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/dog-t...-and-the-d-word

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

thanks for the links corvus , for the life of me her name was not coming up at all

[Genabee]

...be gentle with your baby keep your common sense at the front and grin and ignore the advice you think is questionable , is a lot like raising kids

If you like the way the persons dog behaves it might be worth listing too, always a good guide when looking for a mentor

So bloody true!

[corvus]

I think of dominant behaviour as controlling behaviour... with a few caveats.

For example, before my current dogs I had a corgi who was a control freak. I did not consider her dominant because her obsession to control other dogs was clearly born out of fear. It really took off around the time the dog she was living with started trying to kill her. Then the next dog we got was very aggressive and the poor girl just came to feel like for her own safety she needed to control other dogs. Inevitably the constant haranguing would blow up in her face when a dog got fed up with her and she would become submissive in every situation.

One of my current dogs, Erik, has tried or still does pretty much everything on that list you bolded. To me, none of that is really what makes him a dog that I just keep an eye on. When he had been with us for just 3 days, he saw my older, much bigger dog coming towards me and the little mite struck a tall, stiff stance, stared him down and growled at him from deep in his chest. "Whoa" I thought, "He's only just 10 weeks old! Here's some fun and games." At 16 weeks the vet tried to look at his teeth and he growled at her. He was saying "no, I won't have a strange person looking at my teeth." She actually got a little bit worried. He was won over soon enough with some chicken, but she said it was the first time she'd ever felt like a puppy might seriously bite her. I didn't think he would, but we'll never know. He now lets complete strangers look at his teeth and last trip to the vet the "teeth" command held fine. When he was 6 months old he stayed with my parents over Christmas. When he figured out my mother was the one that did all the feeding and letting dogs out and so forth, he tried to threaten her when she got up to leave the room he was in. It was not so serious that she was worried, but I believe he was trying to control ALL the resources by controlling the one that he had identified as the one that controls all the resources. To me, that is some pretty serious dominant behaviour and I'm glad he wasn't serious about following through on it. He was just testing the waters and was easily convinced that it wasn't going to work.

ETA Erik's "dominance" doesn't bother me in the slightest. He is who he is and I love him for it. All he needs to do for us to all live in harmony is stick to the rules. If he wants something, he works for it. If he doesn't want to work I assume he doesn't want any of the neat things I've got to give him. Turns out he pretty much always wants to work. I don't need him to constantly show me that he respects me or some such. He can act like an obnoxious twat if that's what floats his boat, but if he wants anything he will have to get over it and do what he's told. He is remarkably easy to get along with. He is pushy because he wants a lot of stuff, so I just harness that want. No big deal. He's beautiful to work with and training him is a real joy.

Edited July 15, 2010 by corvus

[Staranais]

It's far better to look at actual behaviours and decide whether any of those are going to be a problem for you.

That is very sensible advice, IMO.

I am very skeptical about particular behaviours being used to diagnose that a dog is dominant. There are many reasons that a dog could display any one of the listed behaviours. A dog could be reluctant to release his toy because he is "dominant", or it could be because you haven't taught him that it is worth his while to release it (faulty training), or because he doesn't actually understand what "give" means (faulty training), etc etc...

[Dame Aussie]

I hate it when people put any unfavourable behaviour down to a dog being dominant.

All the behaviours you listed are normal for an untrained puppy IMO!

[jacqui835]

PF: yes, i think they were a dog whisperer fan as they suggested I roll her on her back and growl at her when she was being dominating (whatever that means?). I would have thought that this would be quite dangerous, especially in a dog that is actually dominant? I am not as confident as Cesar so would prob not be able to pull that one off!

A truly dominant dog would object to being placed on its back and the person attempting to do so would get hurt.

If the puppy was just displaying puppy behaviour, ie, not intending to dominate, that's quite a severe and distressing punishment. I have only done that twice to my dog, never growled, just made him submit, and both times were when I was 100% sure he knew he was doing the wrong thing and continuing to do it anyway right in front of me. It has to be done correctly or it's completely ineffective, and potentially damaging. I have seen people trying to do this with their dog at the park, but never stopping the dog from looking at what got it in trouble in the first place, and stopping before the dog has actually submitted. The other thing I see a lot of is people doing this and then hugging their dog until the dog struggles away. You should be the one to walk away when the dog is doing what you want. This is after dog fight type situations as well.

But yes, if the dog honestly thought it was dominant over the human, and was the type of dog to accept that position, you could get hurt for trying such a move. There would be steps to take first, starting with food and resource access etc before I would even start to think about doing something like that.