Effective ways of showing dominance over a dog?

Question

My 12 week old pup is being very dominant! She growls whenever I take her off the bed or play with her. She is also hyper. The weird thing is when we are playing and she growls she is wagging her tail. Is she playing or showing dominance? What are some effective ways of showing dominance over her.

My dad was saying ''shake her when she growls'' I told him no because it makes her mad. I suggested spray water at her when doiung this or spray air. Is this a good idea?

Also...

WIll she calm down when she gets older? She barks lots, runs around lots, always playing. Very hyper.

Answer 1

I don't know what breed we're talking about, but I'm guessing it's a small one.  Any dog can be trained to behave with positive reinforcement.  No hitting with your hand or other object, other than a newspaper (they hate the sound)...  Leash corrections and a stern "no" will get your point across.  Word to the wise:  Dogs learn to "count'.  Correct them the first time and every time they have behavior you are trying to stop.  "NO growl".... and then praise her when she stops.  A spray bottle of water can work for certain things.  Try to work on one behavior you want to change at a time.  Try it for a week.  The dog should have the idea by then and you can work on the next behavior.   If you're talking about a Jack Russell Terrier, I haven't met one that isn't trying to be dominant and they are hyper, that's just part of their personality.  They think they're 10 feet tall.  LOL.  "No bark" might be the one you want to start with if you live in one of those cities that gives out big fines for barking dogs.  Good luck.

Answer 2

Oooh, don't shake her! If she is wagging her tail and growling, she is probably trying to get you to play. Dominance would be direct eye contact and a slow, steady growl.

Spraying water is a good way to divert her attention away from misbehaving.

She is a puppy, a baby. They like to play and have a lot of energy. It is up to you to help her release all that energy. If she is pooped out, she will be too tired to get into trouble. They need lots of exercise and playtime, not just to stay in the house or sit in the yard unsupervised. Basic obedience classes are also a good way to bond with your dog. Trains both of you! Good luck.

Answer 3

This is totally just something that I have heard but I do not know if it is true. Someone once said that when you are feeding your dog, spit in their food.

Answer 4

Yeah she's just a puppy so showing excessive force is not necessary. she will calm down but make sure that as she gets older you dont let her walk all over you because if you do then the dominance agression thing starts  

Answer 5

This dominance thing is getting old and tired.  Your dog is a puppy, she's just playing.  Shaking her, pinning her down, etc is not necessary.  If you go around shaking her and spraying her with water for typical puppy behavior, you're going to create a problem.  Real pack leaders (the canine version) do not have to resort to physical measures to assert their leadership.  

If you feel she's truly growling at you, end all playing immediately, turn your back on her & ignore her, walk away into another room.    A lot of puppies do sound like their growling when playing, but it's very different from true aggression.

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/article...

Answer 6

I just answered this question on another thread.???

What is this big need to show dominance?

I've had dogs for 40 years.

I respect them. They respect me. I'm in charge but I don't look for ways to show dominance.

She is just being a puppy.

Let her be a puppy.

Does a human mother look for ways to show her baby that she is in charge?

Relax.

Answer 7

She's a terrier mix, right?  Age always calms every dog down, but we're talking when they hit adult hood, not a few weeks from now.

My dog always growls when I push him off the bed, it has never EVER changed, but he's so submissive to me, he urinates around me when being disciplined, or when I come home, when I lean down to put a leash on him, etc. (And I'm the only person he does it too)

Just be constant in training, try following the NILIF policy, "Nothing in Life is Free"  She has to sit before she gets her bowl.  Sit and wait before she's let out the door, do another trick before she gets patted, another trick before she can go up on the couch... Get my drift???

Also, if she climbs on the couch, pick her up, put her down and don't let her back up unless you give a certain word that means it's ok, like "Ok" or "Alright" so she knows she's allowed to hop back up.  Same goes for your bed, and lap.

Answer 8

I agree with many of the other answers here, except to add that you should get your puppy into a training class, and read some books. The more you learn about what your dog's behavior means, the better you can deal with it the right way. A good trainer will help you figure these things out.  

Answer 9

shes just playing growling is a conversion with dog to dog so there not really saying BACK AWAY  or ill bit there really playful but she is dominate

Answer 10

Puppies are hyper, and will be for about another year or two depending on her breed.

If she's growling while wagging her tail, she's just playing. Thats how puppies play with their littermates, so thats how they are going to play with you.

DO NOT shake, hit, slap, kick, or any other verb you can think of to your dog. Your dad doesn't know what he is talking about.