The 25 Secret Ways Dogs Become Our Boss 1

The 25 Secret Ways Dogs Become Our Boss! 1

By  Martin  McKenna

 

   Here  are  25  secret  ways  dogs  decide  who  should  be  the  Boss. If  you  get  in  the  habit  of  winning  these  challenges  every  day, you’ll  find  your  dog  becoming  calmer  and  better  behaved. However, if  you  keep  losing  these  challenges, your  dog  will  automatically  take  over  and  become  your  Boss.

   You  can  read  more  about  how  dogs  think  in  my  best-selling  book, “What’s  Your  Dog  Telling  You?”

  

   Which  of  these  25  challenges  are  you  losing  to  your  dog  at  the  moment?

1. Is  your  dog  pestering  you  for  pats?

 

If  you  pat  a  dog  when  it  nudges  you, it  instantly  wins  a  point. Problem  is, if  your  dog  scores  more  points  than  you, it  gets  to  be  your  Boss.

TIP: Dogs  especially  love  dominating  kids  and  visitors  this  way.

2. Is  your  dog  waiting  for  you  to  step

     towards  it?

 

   If  a  dog  stands  still  and  waits  for  you, it’s  deliberately  trying  to  tempt  you  into  stepping  towards  it. However, this  is  dominant  behavior.

   Every  step  you  take  towards  your  dog  wins  it  one  point.

   Think  about  when  you  clip  the  leash  on. How  many  Submissive  Steps  do  you  take  towards  your  dog? Two? Three? Maybe  even  just  half  a  step? How  about  when  you  go  to  greet  your  dog  in  the  morning  and  walk  over  and  pat  it? How  many  steps  did  you  take? Four? Five? Ten?

Warning: Dogs  are  incredibly  clever  at  tricking  humans  into  taking  Submissive  Steps  towards  them – so  don’t  let  yourself  be  tricked!   

3. Is  your  dog  barging  you?

Dogs  aren’t  as  clumsy  as  you  think. They  deliberately  barge  humans  aside  to  win  points. They’re  proving  they  can  move  you  out  of  the  way  by  force.

4. Are  you  patting  your  dog  in  submissive  places?

 

The  reason  dogs  love  being  stroked  under  the  chin  and  on  their  chest  is  because  it  makes  humans  more  submissive  to  them. They  win  a  point  each  time  you  do  it.

TIP: Watch  how  clever  some  dogs  are  at  maneuvering  your  hand  below  their  chin, so  don’t  let  them  trick  you! Avoid  that  chin  and  chest  area!

5. Is  your  dog  grabbing  the  most  powerful  resting  spots  in  the  house?

 

Dogs  want  to  own  the  best  resting  spots  inside  the  house. Your  bed  or  armchair  are  favourites – but  the  top  spot  is  your  lap  because  now  your  dog  owns  you. This  is  worth  10  points. They  also  like  being  carried  high  in  your  arms.

 I  know  some  people  want  their  dog  to  keep  on  sleeping  on  the  bed or  on  their  lap – but  at  least  now  you  know  how  it’s  winning  extra points. Just  be  aware  that  those  extra  points  may  make  your  dog misbehave  at  other  times  of  the  day, like  on  the  walk.

However, you  shouldn’t  ever  allow  a  dog  up  on  your  bed  or  lap  if  it  shows  aggression, otherwise  it  will  have  the  right  to  nip  people.

Warning: Some  little  dogs  can  become  megalomaniac  emperors  if  they  get  to  sit  on  your  lap  too  often, so  be  careful!

6. Is  your  dog  blocking  your  way?

Little  and  big  dogs  will  deliberately  block  your  way  to  prove  they’re  in  charge  of  you. Each  time  they  do  this  they  win  5  points. They  will  stand, walk, sit  or  lie  in  your  way. They’re  trying  to  get  you  to  walk  around  them  or  step  over  them. They’re  also  hoping  you’ll  take  a  few  steps  back  from  them.

Warning: Naturally  polite  people  often  let  their  dog  dominate  them  in  this  way.

7. Is  your  dog  clever  at  getting  you  to  stare  at  it?

Dogs  aren’t  as  silly  as  you  think. Crazy, lunatic  behavior  is  an  ingenious  way  of  grabbing  everyone’s  attention. Every  second  you  stare  at  a  dog, you’re  helping  it  win  half  a  point. Dogs  can  quickly  notch  up  lots  of  points  by  tricking  you  into  watching  them!

TIP: Watch  out  if  your  dog  tricks  a  crowd  of  visitors  into  staring  at  it. A  crowd  of  humans  can  earn  an  ambitious  dog  hundreds  of  points  very  quickly!

Warning: If  you  own  a  gorgeous  looking  dog, then  you’ll  have  to  stop  falling  into  the  habit  of  staring  in  admiration  at  it. Otherwise, you’ll  accidently  hand  your  dog  lots  of  points. Be  aware  that  if   other people  stare  at  your  dog  a  lot  out  in  public, your  dog  is  also  scoring  lots  of  points.

8. Is  your  dog  jumping  up  on  you?

Dogs  don’t  jump  up  on  humans  because  they’re  excited  to  see  them. They’re  deliberately  trying  to  dominate  them  by  planting  their  scent-mark  as  high  up  on  your  body  as  possible. They  win  10  points  if  they  jump  up  on  someone.

TIP: Dogs  especially  like  to  dominate  people  as  they  enter  the  territory. So  keep  an  eye  out  for  your  ambitious  dog  trying  to  jump  up  on  visitors  or  when  you  come  home.

9. Is  your  dog  invading  your  eardrums  with  noise?

Dogs  can  use  noisy  barking  to  dominate  humans. Every  bark  they  make  is  worth  half  a  point. Now  you  can  understand  why  some  dogs  race  around  yapping  their  head  off – they’re  trying  to  score  as  many  bark  points  as  they  can. Even  when  you  tell  them  to  be  quiet  and  they  make  a  soft  bark – that  soft  sound  is  worth  a  fraction  of  a  point. 

Develop  zero  tolerance  to  barking  on  your  property, especially  inside  your  house. Make  it  a  bark-free  zone.

Now  your  dog  can  bark  down  at  the  local  park  which  is  neutral  territory. Its  barks  can  escape  up  into  the  open  sky  and  aren’t  so  invasive. This  means  those  barks  aren’t  worth  many  points  at  all.  

10. Is  your  dog  standing  on  your  feet?

 

Dogs  aren’t  as  clumsy  as  you  think. When  they  stand  on  your  feet, it’s  a  deliberate  way  of  dominating  you. They  score  a  point  each  time  they  get  away  with  it. 

Warning: Dogs  pretend  to  be  over-excited  if  you’re  going  for  a  walk. This  gives  them  a  chance  to  “accidently”  tread  on  your  feet. It’s  a  clever  way  for  dogs  to  score  points  before  they  even  walk  out  the  door!

11. Is  your  dog  ignoring  you?

If  your  dog  is  suspiciously  deaf  when  you  call  it, then  it’s  trying  to  prove  again  and  again  that  it’s  your  Boss. It  wins  a  point  each  time  it  ignores  you. Aloof, snobby  behavior  also  wins  a  point.

12. Is  your  dog  pulling  on  the  leash?

When  your  dog  drags  you  along  on  the  leash, it  isn’t  being  stupid. It’s  deliberately  trying  to  dominate  you  out  in  public. Every  moment  it  can  pull  on  the  leash – whether  you’re  standing  still  or  walking – it  wins  another  point.

      

Continue reading the 25 secret ways dogs become our boss in Part 2 here!
 

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!