The 25 Secret Ways Dogs Become Our Boss 2

The 25 Secret Ways Dogs Become Our Boss! 2

By  Martin  McKenna

The 25 secret challenges continued...

13. Is  your  dog  an  escape  artist?

Dogs  who  can  leave  their  territory  whenever  they  want  so  they  can  roam  freely  around  the  neighbourhood  feel  extremely  important. The  harder  it  is  to  escape  out  of  your  yard, the  more  points  they  win.

         

14. Is  your  dog  using  aggression  to  grab  control  of  a  situation?

 

Dogs  use aggression  to  get  their  own  way  and  prove  they’re  in  control – not  you. This  can  win  your  dog  big, big  points – especially  out  in  public. Think  50  to  100  points  if  there’s  growling. 200  to  500  points  if  they  start  a  big  dog  fight.

      

15. Is  your  dog  pretending  to  be  scared  so  you  become  a  willing  servant?

 

Some  dogs  pretend  to  be  frightened  and  anxious  so  they  can  win  points  from  humans. They  especially  trick  kind, gentle  people  into  running  around  after  them  like  servants. Think  about  it. All  they  have  to  do  is  shiver  a  bit, cower  anxiously, dart  away  in  fear  or  lower  their  head  nervously  and  every  human  within  reach  bends  over  backwards  to  please  them.

16. Does  your  dog  control  narrow  thoroughfares  around  your  home?

Pushy  dogs  love  controlling  narrow  thoroughfares  around  your  house  like  doorways, stairways, verandahs, doorways, gateways  and  hallways. They  win  points  for  getting  through  them  first  or  blocking  your  way.

17. Does  your  dog  control  the  food?

 

Dogs  who  have  food  left  around  for  them  all  the  time  feel  far  too  important. Food  is  the  most  valuable  tool  a  human  has  to  become  the  Boss – so  make  sure  you  don’t  give  it  away  for  free. Always  ask  your  dog  to  sit  for  its  food, so  you  win  some  powerful  points.

Warning: Every  time  you  feed  a  dog  when  it  begs, it  wins  a  point.

 

18. Does  your  dog  control  the  visitors?

Pushy  dogs  always  want  to  dominate  visitors. They  bark  at  them, herd  them, jump  up  on  them, lean  on  them, tread  on  their  toes, block  their  way, lean  on  them, lick  them  and  nudge  them  for  pats. Each  one  of  these  things  wins  them  a  point.

The  trouble  is, if  they  win  more  points  than  the  visitor, then  they’re  allowed  to  nip  them.

TIP: Children  are  tempting  targets  for  pushy  dogs  to  dominate.

19. Do  you  always greet  your  dog  before  anyone  else?

Who  gets  greeted  first  in  your  household? Your  dog, partner  or  children? If  your  dog  gets  greeted  first  they  win  a  point.

TIP: Dogs  love  being  the  first  to  greet  you  in  the  morning  or  when  you  come  home.

20. Can  you  smell  your  dog  more  than  anyone  else  in  the  house?

Dogs  who  urinate  or  poo  around  your  house  and  pathways  are  being  extremely  dominant. Think  of  the  invisible  smell  as  a  sticky  substance  that  glues  to  everything. They’re  trying  to  grab  control  of  the  territory  by  making  their  scent  the  most  powerful  and  noticeable  one.

     

21. Has  your  dog  grabbed  ownership  of  the  entrance  to  your  property  using  smell?

Every  time  your  dog  scent  marks  or  poo’s  around  the  entrance  or  boundary  of  your  property, it  wins  valuable  points. This  is  because  the  most  dominant  smell  at  the  entrance  tells  dogs  who  the  most  dominant  personality  on  your  property  is.

22. Does  your  dog  win  tug-of-war  games?

 

Dogs  who  play  tug-of-war  games  and  wrestling  games  with  humans  are  bringing  their  most  dangerous  killing  instincts  close  to  the  surface. They  get  an  excited  high  from  testing  their  strength  against  a  human – and  it  certainly  isn’t  the  sort  of  emotions  we  want  to  encourage  in  a  dog. Dogs  who  win  these  games  score  20  to  50  points  a  game. If  they  nip  someone  even  playfully  they  can  win  100  points.

TIP: Human  teenagers  are  most  at  risk  of  getting  badly  bitten, even  attacked  by  dogs  when  they  play  these  games. Dogs  can  smell  their  human  pushy, teenage  hormones  and  gets  very  over-excited  and  competitive.

23. Does  your  dog  win  trophies  of  balls  and  toys?

 

Dogs  who  win  toys, balls  and  bones  from  humans  parade  them  around  on  victory  laps, their  tails  held  high  like  banners. They  leave  these  trophies  scattered  around  the  backyard  and  bed  area  on  proud  display. Each  of  these  trophies  are  worth  points. If  a  human  comes  along  and  touches  a  trophy, the  dog  races  in  and  wins  final  possession. Now  it’s  won  even  more  points!

However, no  aggressive  dogs  should  be  allowed  to  have  toys. They  soon  turn  these  objects  into  excuses  to  nip  humans.

 24. Does  your  dog  have  too  much  freedom  inside  your  house?

 

Dogs  can  feel  far  too  important  if  they  can  wander  freely  through  your  house. The  most  important  places  they  can  roam  through  are  the  kitchen, main  bedroom  and  living  room. The  power  spots  are  the  main  bed  and  the  couch  in  front  of  the  TV, and  your  favourite  chair  out  on  the  verandah. They  win  a  point  each  time  they  wander  into  forbidden  rooms. They  win  10  points  for  getting  up  on  power  spots. They  earn  triple  points  if  they  race  through  the  house  noisily! 

25. Does  your  dog  use  affection  to  invade  your  personal  space?

 

    Grabbing  a  human’s  personal  space  isn’t  affectionate, it’s  dominating.

    Over-friendly  licking, scratching  and  leaning  all  over  you  are  simple ways  dogs  score  points  against  humans. One  point  per  friendly  action  like  an  excited  lick. 10  points  per  playful  nip.

Now  you  understand  the  secret  game  dogs  play, it’s  up  to  you  to  win  more  points  than  your  dog!

Dog: “Hey! Hee! Hee! Look  at  my  score! I’ve  won  more  points  than  you  today, human! Yippee! Now  I  get  to  be  your  Boss!”

   If  you  win  these  25  secret  challenges  every  day, your  dog  will  admire  and  respect  you. I  can’t  tell  you  how  relieved  dogs  feel  when  their  humans  understand  how  to  play  the  game. Dogs  find  humans  who  don’t  try  to  win  these  challenges  very  confusing  and  weak-willed. It  immediately  makes  them  want  to  score  more  points  until  they  become  your  Boss.

Beware! No  cheating  on  your  point  score!

   If  you’re  thinking  of  trying  to  cheat  your  dog  over  points, forget  it! Dogs  always  keep  perfect  point  scores  inside  their  minds. They’re  truly  obsessed  with  this  game  and  are  always  aware  of  everyone  else’s  point  score! They  even  watch  other  dogs  with  their  humans  and  note  their  point  score  too. Believe  me, your  dog  notices  everything! 

Do  you  have  a  teenage  dog?

   Teenage  dogs  will  throw  lots  of  these  25  secret  challenges  at  you  during  a  hormone  surge. It’s  up  to  you  to  calmly  win  more  points  than  your  energetic  teenager.

TIP: Keep  teenage  dogs  exhausted  with  plenty  of  exercise  so  they  have  less  energy  to  throw  into  challenges. If  they  hassle  you  non-stop, tie  them  up  in  a  corner  of  the  room  on  a  mat. Or  put  your  dog  in  a  pen  or  on  a  dog  run  to  give  yourself  a  break. Also  give  them  lots  of   raw  bones  to  chew. This  distracts  them  from  throwing  non-stop  challenges  at  you  during  a  hormone  surge.

 Is  there  emotional  upheaval  going  on  in  your  household?

   Dogs  get  very  confused  and  stressed  by  tense  human  emotions. As  soon  as  they  feel  stress  levels  rising, they  start  throwing  the  secret  25  challenges  at  everyone. Try  to  keep  a  harmonious  home  life  for  your  dog’s  sake. It  will  be  up  to  you  to  keep  the  dog  calm  and  win  more  points  than  it  no  matter  what  emotional  drama  is  going  on  at  home.

Warning: If  your  household  stays  stressed, your  dog  won’t  trust  you  to  be  in  charge  and  will  score  enough  points  to  be  the  Boss.

Have  you  got  a  rescue  dog?

   Rescue  dogs  are  stressed  and  confused  when  they  come  to  a  new  home. They  always  want  to  know  who  the  Boss  is. From  the  moment  you  pick  them  up  from  the  shelter, they’ll  throw  lots  of  these  25  secret  challenges  at  you. Try  to  win  as  many  points  as  you  can  so  you  can  reassure  your  new  dog  you’re  a  worthy  leader  they  can  trust.

Do  I  still  win  points  against  anxious, fearful  dogs?

   Yes! Scared, anxious  dogs  are  especially  glad  to  be  around  humans  who  win  these  25  secret  challenges. They  find  it  very  reassuring  to  have  a  human  in  charge  winning  these  challenges. The  last  thing  they  need  is  to  win  a  high  point  score  and  have  the  added  burden  of  being  the  Boss. These  dogs  freak  out  even  more  when  they’re  forced  to  be  Boss.

TIP: Fearful  dogs  are  helped  if  you  act  calm  and  sleepy  and  yawn  a  lot. They’ll  also  feel  calmer  if  there’s  a  very  strong  daily  routine  based  around  two  walks. These  things  will  help  stop  your  nervous  dog  trying  to  score  non-stop  points.

When  visitors  come  over:

   Visitors  accidentally  hand  dogs  lots  of  free  points  because  they  want  to  be  friendly  or  it’s  fun  playing  with  a  new  dog. However, winning  too  many  points  can  make  any  dog  feel  suddenly  ambitious! In  fact,   your  dog  may  start  wanting   your  Boss  position  after  the  visitor  leaves. This  is  why  your  dog  may  be  naughtier  than  usual  after  you’ve  had  visitors. The  easiest  way  to  avoid  this  problem  is  to  tie  up  pushy  dogs  when  visitors  come  over. Think  about  it. If  a  visitor  helps  your  dog  notch  up  a  thousand  points  in  an  afternoon – look  how  many  points  you’ll  have  to  beat! 

Is  everyone  in  your  household  playing  the  game?

   Keep  an  eye  out  for  any  human  in  your  household  who  lets  a  dog  win  lots  of  the  25  secret  challenges. For  the  best  results  you  need  all  the  humans  scoring  more  points  than  the  dog. Just  one  person  handing  out  free, endless  points  can  quickly  create  a  megalomaniac  dog  who  has  thousands  of  extra  points  on  the  scoreboard!

Dogs  are  happier  when  you  start  winning  these  25  secret  challenges  every  day!

   This  is  because  you  keep  proving  again  and  again  what  a  great  Boss  you  are. Dogs  adore  and  are  fascinated  by  great  leaders! I  cannot  emphasise  this  enough. You’ll  know  the  moment  your  dog  respects  you  because  it’ll  simply  stop  challenging  you. That’s  the  exciting  moment  when  you  know  your  dog  really  trusts  you!

 

So  there  you  go…you  now  understand  the  25  secret  ways  dogs  become  your  Boss.

If  you  found  these  sheets  helpful, here’s  three  great  books  I’ve  written  to  help  you  learn  more  about  dogs…

 Buy now as a paperback from ABC Books Australia here!

 Buy now as an e-book from Amazon here!

“What’s Your Dog Telling You?” is an absolute must for all dog owners. If you have a sensitive, shy, or anxious dog it’s essential! It was a bestseller in its first year. It covers so much – dog language signals, behavior problem solutions and how dogs think in different situations. 

 Buy now as an e-book at Amazon here!

My  other  book, “What’s  Your  Dog  Teaching  You?”  is  a  fascinating  book  too. This  shares  60  life  lessons  of  how  dogs  can  teach  humans  to  lead  a  happier, more  inspiring  life. I  believe  dogs  are  some  of  the  most  influential  teachers  we’ll  ever  have  in  our  life. They’ve  certainly  transformed  my  life  completely. What’s  your  dog  trying  to  teach  you?

Many people tell me they buy my books as great gifts for other dog lovers. You may also like to share these free sheets with other friends who have dogs. I believe in sharing free information around as much as possible!

Pre-order now as a paperback from Amazon here!

Now I'm really excited - my memoir about my time living with a pack of street dogs in Garryowen, Ireland as a boy is being published in New York. The book's called, 'The Boy Who Talked To Dogs,' (SkyHorse). This is the story of how I really started translating what dogs are saying - a great book - I'm very proud of it!

Extract from Amazon:

When Martin McKenna was growing up in Garryowen, Ireland, in the 1970s, he felt the whole world knew him as just “that stupid boy.” Badly misunderstood by his family and teachers, Martin escaped from endless bullying by running away from home and eventually adopting—or being adopted by—six street dogs. Camping out in barns, escaping from farmers, and learning to fend for himself by caring for his new friends, Martin discovered a different kind of language, strict laws of behavior, and strange customs that defined the world of dogs. More importantly, his canine companions helped him understand the vital importance of family, courage, and self-respect—and that he wasn’t stupid after all. Their lessons helped Martin make a name for himself as the “Dog Man” in Australia, where he now lives and dispenses his hard-earned wisdom to dog owners who are sometimes baffled by what their four-legged friends are trying to tell them.

An emotional and poignant story seasoned with plenty of Frank McCourt–style humor, The Boy Who Talked to Dogs is an inspiration to anyone who’s ever been told he or she won’t amount to anything. It’s also a unique, fascinating look into canine behavior. In these pages, Martin shows how modern life has conditioned dogs to act around humans, in some ways helpful, but in other ways unnatural to their true instincts, and how he has benefited enormously from learning to “talk dog.”

You  can  also find Martin McKenna on  Facebook  here! 

Or you can find him on Youtube here!