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

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

Some dogs pretend to be frightened and anxious so they win lots of easy points from humans. They especially trick kind, unselfish, 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.

Remember – this isn’t personal – your dog instinctively wants to follow a worthy leader. If you’re acting weak then your dog will want to test exactly how weak you are. Having a really weak leader is stressful for any dog – but particularly shy, anxious dogs.

Solution: Ignore all manipulative behaviour and give relaxing signals in dog language. Act sleepy, blink slowly and yawn. Most importantly – don’t let a clever actor of a dog trick you into losing challenges! No matter how nervously your dog behaves, keep winning your points and act like a strong, confident leader.

If you act like a wonderful confident leader who knows how to win more points than your dog in THE GAME – you’ll see shy dogs blossom!

Why does your dog jump up on you?

Why does your dog jump up on you?

Dogs don’t jump up on humans because they’re excited to see us. Dogs deliberately jump up to plant their paws as high as they can so they can leave their smell nice and high. Their scent pads leave a telltale smell on you that other dogs can smell.

Your dog wins at least 10 points every time it puts its paws high up on you. Just jumping around you is also a way of invading your personal space and a way of herding and controlling your movements.

Jumping up is extremely dominant behavior and you should have zero tolerance to it. 

Solution: Fold your arms, raise your chin nice and haughty, and walk bored but confidently straight through your dog. If it squeaks or yelps just keep walking – it knows what to do – get out of the way. Once you win more points in all other parts of your dogs life, it will stop wanting to dominate you so much.

TIP: Dogs especially like to dominate humans as they enter or leave your territory. So keep a careful eye out for your visitors or children. Ask them to ignore the dog and not look at it or touch it.

You can tell if you’re winning THE GAME when your dog stops wanting to jump up on you…good luck!

Is your dog gathering a collection of trophies?

Is your dog gathering a collection of trophies?

Dogs have a motto: ‘If you can keep it, you own it’.

Dogs who win toys, balls and bones from humans parade them around on victory laps, they tails held high like banners. They leave them around their bed or in display areas on the lawn so everyone can admire them.

Each of these trophies are worth points. If a human tries to take a trophy – the dog works out how to get it back – and now its worth even more points!

Solution: Personally, I advise people to dump all trophies. If you really want your dog to have some, don’t touch the trophies with your hand or make a big fuss of them. However any aggressive dog should never own a trophy – these dogs just use them as excuses to nip humans.

Does your dog control your visitors?

Does your dog control your 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, lick them and nudge them for pats.

Each one of these things wins your dog a point – so by the end of the visit your dog can win thousands of extra points. This is why your dog can be so naughty for hours after your visitors go home.

The trouble with this situation is that if your dog wins more points than your visitors then it’s allowed to nip them.

TIP: Children are particularly tempting targets for dogs to throw a constant stream of challenges at.

Solution: Ask your visitors to completely ignore your dog and pretend it doesn’t exist. If your dog is too excited to settle when visitors are around, tie it up in a corner on a mat or put in the laundry till they go home. The more points you win in other parts of your dog’s life will help it act in a more mannerly, respectful way when visitors come over.

Does your dog keep blocking your way?

Does your dog keep 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, wsit or lie in your way. They will walk slowly right in front of you so you’re forced to slow down to their snail pace. Some dogs like to walk slowly in front of you car as you’re driving into your driveway – again so they slow down your pace to obedient speed.

Dominant dogs are also clever at getting you to step over them or around them. They love lying across doorways so you have to step over them or edge around them. Polite humans are great to win these sorts of points from.

Solution: Raise your chin up nice and high and haughty, fold your arms, act very aloof and march straight through your dog as though it doesn’t exist. Ignore any squeaks or yelps. If your dog is having a surge of dominance and won’t stop getting in your way, tie it up on a mat in the corner of the room and ignore it for a while.

Is your dog nudging you for pats?

Is your dog nudging 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.

Solution: Simple. Don’t pat a dog just because it nudges you. I know some people may find this very hard to do! Your dog can sit or wait for a pat – just not nudge you. If you feel like your dog is pestering you for pats – just send it away.

Is your dog standing on your feet?

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 few points each time they get away with it.

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

Solution: Create a bubble of personal space around you, which is should be like a force field. When your dog enters this space, it has to be calm, polite and respectful and not step on your feet – even a corner of your toe!

If your dog won’t stop stepping on your toes – or that of your children – do this: fold your arms, raise your chin and look haughty and start walking up and down on the spot in a bored, tireless way as though you could keep it up for hours. Your dog will learn to step back out of the way!

Ignore all squeaks and squawks if your dog gets under your feet. Some dogs know as soon as they make a distressed sound, you’ll immediately crouch down and lavish them with concerned attention. These dogs play their unsuspecting owners like violins! So don’t be fooled – and don’t let yourself get walked all over like a doormat.