# Dominance Behavior



## RuaSpoo

I'm trying to figure out how I can show my 10wk old Standard that I'm the pack leader.

She pulls on the lead, bites at our hands when she jumps to get the toy (can't tell if this is accidental or intentional) when we play tug. Barks at us sometimes.

She walks on top of us and stands. She just shows some of the signs that she is trying to assume the pack leader position. 

Any tips? I'd like to take care of this while she's still at 14 pounds rather than working on dominance issues when she's a big girl.


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## louislinus

Personally I don't subscribe to the dominance training stuff. Out trainer has taught us, and it's worked really well for us, that our dog needs see us as their sole provider and the giver of great things. Therefore, we treat her a lot but he always has to work for it - even if its just a sit. When he was a puppy we wouldn't give him his food until he was in a sit and he can't eat it until we give him the "okay". If he tried to go for it before we said it was okay we immediately pull the food up and start over. 


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## louislinus

In your example of standing on you, I would put him on the floor and as soon as his feet touched the floor I'd treat him. Are you going to a puppy obedience class? 


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## patk

louislinus said:


> Personally I don't subscribe to the dominance training stuff. Out trainer has taught us, and it's worked really well for us, that our dog needs see us as their sole provider and the giver of great things. Therefore, we treat her a lot but he always has to work for it - even if its just a sit. When he was a puppy we wouldn't give him his food until he was in a sit and he can't eat it until we give him the "okay". If he tried to go for it before we said it was okay we immediately pull the food up and start over.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


a quote from patricia mcconnell's blog:
_
The simple definition of ‘dominance,’ as the term is used by the general public is something like: “control or command over others.” However, (and this is a huge “however”) that is NOT the definition as the term is used by people who study animal behavior, the ones who first coined the term to describe a certain kind of social relationship in non-human animals. In ethological terms, “dominance” refers to “priority access to a preferred, limited resource“._


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## RuaSpoo

louislinus said:


> In your example of standing on you, I would put him on the floor and as soon as his feet touched the floor I'd treat him. Are you going to a puppy obedience class?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


She doesn't have all of her shots, so we can't go until she's had her 15wk shots.... We're just trying to do what we can to not screw up until she can have those classes.

There is a woman that does private lessons for $75/hr., but we are planning for a wedding in March that we are paying for, so we couldn't do a bunch of lessons. Maybe one to show us what we need to do to cover our needs then practice on our own until she's old enough?


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## patk

so far the gentlest direct way of saying "no" to behavior issues that i know of is turning one's back. the next step is a time out (a couple of minutes) in a crate that is not in your presence. if your dog nips, usually you yip yip yip like a puppy would. if the dog bites at your hands to get a toy, then yip and turn your back. walk away if you have to. you have to find the method that works with your pup. it's also good to praise and treat for desirable behaviors. dogs learn distinctions, too.


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## Lou

Some people might hate me!! But.... I truly believe in establishing a sense of respect from the puppy to the "parent" right away. Lou was an amazing puppy but at about 16-18 wks old she went through a "testing me" phase where she pushed the boundaries to see what she could get away with. and in MY house it's MY RULES! LOL  and when she was acting crazy not coming when called running back and forth mouthing or trying to get out of her harness, for her own safety I did this. (AND I AM NOT A TRAINER THIS IS PURE INSTINCT AND PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE ONLY) ... At her craziest moment I'd GENTLY grab her and lay her on her side on the grass and hold her down but NEVER NEVER hurt her. I'd hold her grabbing the back of her neck with my fingers (like her dog-momma would) I hold her down for a little bit as I said: "Lou Caaaaaaaalm Doooooown........" Really long and low voice . Like a mantra hehehe. I'd even pet her neck as I held her and she would get a bit scared the first time but she would then sigh real big and release some of that crazy energy, then I'd slowly let her go and give her tons love petting her slowly and talking with a very very sweet and calm voice: "Good girl Lou calm down... Good girl" and smile at her and give her kisses. She was like an angel right after that! Now she is 16 months old if she even thinks of misbehaving I say AH-AH and approach her and she lays on her side/back and wags her tail 
I believe a puppy unconsciously wants you to show them you're the boss, that makes them feel safe, that someone is in control and they are UNDER your care and they feel secure. That's my belief. I also believe in training "tricks" such as sit. stay. leave-it. Come! - every single day!! short sessions. Consistency is vital! 
I am very gentle but FIRM with my babies. I use my tone of voice and facial expression to let them know when I disapprove their behavior and immediately when they stop what they are doing I say "good girl!" or "good boy" so they can understand that they are now making momma happy and they get steak and chicken every time momma is happy with them! And lots of hugs too  example: Lou picks up a piece of paper off the floor, I firmly say "Lou drop it" she comes to me and gives it back with "sorry eyes" (then hugs and treats .. Repeat ... Repeat...)
I have wonderfully well behaved dogs, now wether what I did work or I won the puppy lottery I dont know. But I feel like we are a very happy family 



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## patk

well i'm a believer in the diverse personalities of dogs, so i don't disagree with your methods. you have only to watch what some dogs do to know there is not one absolute answer. that very diversity of personalities does mean (to me) that diverse approaches may be necessary, depending on the dog. 

my bottom line is that we need to do what we can to make our dogs acceptable in human society - which is not the easiest place for a dog, let alone a human! if we can do that without harming our dogs in the process, that's an achievement to celebrate.


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## schnauzerpoodle

How many sets of shots has she had? She doesn't need ALL her shots to go to a puppy class.

She's being a puppy. I would not jump to the conclusion that she's being dominant.

When she pulls on the lead, you should stand still. You don't need to say anything. No yelling, no pulling back. You just stand still. This is to give her the idea that "pulling is not going to take you to where you want to go." If she continues to pull, just go the opposite direction. Message conveyed: "You want to go that way? Nope, I don't want to. We are going the other way." Practice. Practice. Practice. As soon as she stops pulling, praise her and offer her a treat.

Re: Jumping to get the toy. Wear something that you can hide the toy. Play with her and as soon as she jumps to snatch the toy. Hide the toy. Turn around. Ignore her. As soon as her 4 paws are on the floor, praise her and let her play with the toy again. So you are telling her: You jump = toy disappears. You don't jump = toy reappears magically.


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## fjm

She sounds an absolutely normal puppy to me. I don't think pups try to dominate you anymore than a two-year old child does - both do what works. That doesn't mean that you should not establish rules and keep to them, of course, but rather that you should remember that you are dealing with a baby, with a short attention span and developing memory!

I personally think the so-called "Alpha rolls" have done far more harm than good to dogs - forced submission is unnatural in dog etiquette, and risks teaching your pup that you are prepared to bully her, rather than that you are a benevolent leader. Some pups may see it as an acceptable game or mild timeout - others will be stressed and frightened and eventually fight back. The basic principle to remember is that behaviour that is rewarded - with attention will tend to be repeated ("Get off! I've told you before" while shoving and pushing is a wonderful game as far as puppies are concerned!), while behaviour that is not rewarded will tend to disappear. But also remember that you need to be consistent - same reaction every time from everybody - and persevere. 

Yelping like another puppy and stopping the game is the easiest way to stop nipping in play. At first only yelp for hard bites, and then gradually escalat to any teeth on skin - you want the puppy to learn how to inhibit her bite around humans. Biting on the leash is an obvious game for a puppy - I taught mine to walk with me without a leash by first luring then dropping treats every few feet. By the time I put a leash on them they already understood that walking beside me meant Good Stuff for Poodles. In general, remember the two-year old analogy - there is not much glory in winning a fight with a two year old - much better to win their cooperation through distraction and redirection!

Have you seen the puppy training guidance on Dog Star Daily? It is free, but you may need to register.


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## RuaSpoo

Thanks everyone. I know a lot of this is just puppy behavior and she just doesn't know all of "the rules" yet.

So even though she has only up to her 9 week vaccinations, you think I should take her to puppy kindergarten? The dogs there must also be in a vet program getting shots.


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## roulette

I commend you for addressing this at a young age. I don't think it is about "dominance" per se.. more about YOU asserting yourself as a strong "leader". there are several things you can do to establish your role. Rather than list them here (I can't type worth a hooey), you can read this article and it gives some ideas about ways to establish leadership. You can digest it as you wish and make your own decisions as to what will or won't work in your household. Leerburg | The Ground Work to becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader


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## patk

if puppy kindergarten is available, by all means, take advantage of that. one, it will help socialize your dog. second, working with your dog will help it bond with you. most important, a good kindergarten and later good puppy obedience classes will train you! imo, training the owner is just as important as training the dog. just make sure you are not going to one of those old time classes that teach you to jerk your puppy around by the neck or "hang" it when it jumps. i am not a believer that there is only one way to train a dog, but i am a believer that a responsible owner has an obligation to try to find the gentlest way that works for him/her and the dog. and i don't discount the size of the dog (pups grow fast) as a consideration in training. if you're going to end up with, say, a 50-70 pound spoo, the earlier you start, the better.


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## RuaSpoo

roulette said:


> I commend you for addressing this at a young age. I don't think it is about "dominance" per se.. more about YOU asserting yourself as a strong "leader". there are several things you can do to establish your role. Rather than list them here (I can't type worth a hooey), you can read this article and it gives some ideas about ways to establish leadership. You can digest it as you wish and make your own decisions as to what will or won't work in your household. Leerburg | The Ground Work to becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader


Good article!



patk said:


> if puppy kindergarten is available, by all means, take advantage of that. one, it will help socialize your dog. second, working with your dog will help it bond with you. most important, a good kindergarten and later good puppy obedience classes will train you! imo, training the owner is just as important as training the dog. just make sure you are not going to one of those old time classes that teach you to jerk your puppy around by the neck or "hang" it when it jumps. i am not a believer that there is only one way to train a dog, but i am a believer that a responsible owner has an obligation to try to find the gentlest way that works for him/her and the dog. and i don't discount the size of the dog (pups grow fast) as a consideration in training. if you're going to end up with, say, a 50-70 pound spoo, the earlier you start, the better.


We are going to sign her up for the session that begins at the end of the month. I'm not sure what to do as far as the "hanging" when she jumps/nips on me while walking. I've tried telling her to sit, but she's too ramped up. Any tips with that?


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## patk

RuaSpoo said:


> Good article!
> 
> 
> 
> We are going to sign her up for the session that begins at the end of the month. I'm not sure what to do as far as the "hanging" when she jumps/nips on me while walking. I've tried telling her to sit, but she's too ramped up. Any tips with that?


don't say anything; turn your back to her. by doing so you are telling her with body language that she is not going to get the desired outcome and that in fact she is driving you away. if she sits on her own (sometimes dogs do out of puzzlement, frustration, what have you), praise her immediately. she may start jumping again if you do that. once again, immediately turn your back to her. it may take awhile, but most spoos are very bright; you may see it as training her, but she probably sees it as figuring out how to get what she wants out of you!


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## RuaSpoo

patk said:


> don't say anything; turn your back to her. by doing so you are telling her with body language that she is not going to get the desired outcome and that in fact she is driving you away. if she sits on her own (sometimes dogs do out of puzzlement, frustration, what have you), praise her immediately. she may start jumping again if you do that. once again, immediately turn your back to her. it may take awhile, but most spoos are very bright; you may see it as training her, but she probably sees it as figuring out how to get what she wants out of you!


Well, jumps up and bites (and hangs on to) my shorts. What if she doesn't stop even if I turn around, or if she comes around to my front?


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## louislinus

We had that issue too. The yelping like a puppy didn't work so our trainer had us give the pup a timeout in our half bathroom downstairs. The trick was to immediately pick him up, put him in the bathroom and close the door. We let him out about 3 minutes later. We were perfectly consistent with this method and after about 2 days and 10 timeouts he stopped and has never done it again.


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## patk

keep turning away. ignore. if she comes to the front to try and jump, just turn around and go the other way. praise and treat when her four feet are on the ground and she is not barking or biting. the minute any of that starts, turn your back. she's probably tuned in by now to getting a reaction from you via all of those methods, so she will be persistent. you have to change the framework of your interactions with her to show her that's not the way to get what she wants.


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## lily cd re

I think you have already gotten all sorts of good advice here. The key points are: 1) there is no single method that works for all puppies, they are as unique as children (be adaptable and willing to try different strategies); 2) the word dominance is a charged misunderstood word, I too would generally refrain from believing your puppy wants to be the boss (just wants to understand boundaries); and 3) work on helping your pup to understand what the boundaries/rules are now so you don't have to un-train then retrain later.

Whatever methods you choose make sure you are clear about the rules and be consistent.

Finally Ian Dunbar think puppies should be in *puppy class between 7 and 12 weeks of age*. *This is the most important social developmental stage they will experience in their lifetime*. Most people make great dogs or ruin them during those five weeks. This is when they learn hugely important social skills such as bite inhibition. Bite inhibition can only be taught effectively by puppies playing with other puppies, not even really by a puppy that plays with adult dogs. The needle sharp teeth that puppies have are the best tool for teaching another puppy the lesson of: ouch I don't like that, so if I don't want it to happen to me, I better not do it to anybody else. Bite inhibition (or rather lack thereof) is probably one the most common reasons people surrender dogs to shelters. Generally these dogs are not adoptable. 

Consult with your vet and/or look at the information regarding Sirius Puppy Training at Dr. Dunbar's website Dog Star Daily to help you make a decision about when to start puppy class. If you choose to wait until after finishing vaccinations do make sure you work on bite inhibition. Ouch loudly and act upset when you get nipped, even if you think it is an accident.

Finally, that you are looking for ideas about how to do this right says lots about the probability that you will succeed.


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## RuaSpoo

lily cd re said:


> I think you have already gotten all sorts of good advice here. The key points are: 1) there is no single method that works for all puppies, they are as unique as children (be adaptable and willing to try different strategies); 2) the word dominance is a charged misunderstood word, I too would generally refrain from believing your puppy wants to be the boss (just wants to understand boundaries); and 3) work on helping your pup to understand what the boundaries/rules are now so you don't have to un-train then retrain later.
> 
> Whatever methods you choose make sure you are clear about the rules and be consistent.
> 
> Finally Ian Dunbar think puppies should be in *puppy class between 7 and 12 weeks of age*. *This is the most important social developmental stage they will experience in their lifetime*. Most people make great dogs or ruin them during those five weeks. This is when they learn hugely important social skills such as bite inhibition. Bite inhibition can only be taught effectively by puppies playing with other puppies, not even really by a puppy that plays with adult dogs. The needle sharp teeth that puppies have are the best tool for teaching another puppy the lesson of: ouch I don't like that, so if I don't want it to happen to me, I better not do it to anybody else. Bite inhibition (or rather lack thereof) is probably one the most common reasons people surrender dogs to shelters. Generally these dogs are not adoptable.
> 
> Consult with your vet and/or look at the information regarding Sirius Puppy Training at Dr. Dunbar's website Dog Star Daily to help you make a decision about when to start puppy class. If you choose to wait until after finishing vaccinations do make sure you work on bite inhibition. Ouch loudly and act upset when you get nipped, even if you think it is an accident.
> 
> Finally, that you are looking for ideas about how to do this right says lots about the probability that you will succeed.


Our vet advised against puppy kindergarten until she's 15 weeks old, but by the time she starts her puppy kindergarten, she will have 3 rounds of shots. All other puppies in the class have to be in a vet vaccination program as well. I would imagine that after round 3, the likelihood of catching anything is pretty low.

I don't want to run out of the most impressionable weeks, so we are going to start her in the class once it starts (last week of this month).


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## Quossum

I would immediately start Crate Games and It's Yer Choice for this pushy little gal to start fostering her self-control.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ipT5k1gaXhc&desktop_uri=/watch?v=ipT5k1gaXhc

--Q


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## lily cd re

I do understand that your vet's opinion is in line with prevailing views and that you hopefully like and feel you are building a trusting relationship with them and their staff. 

Most vets do advise against puppy class before vaccines are finished. Ian Dunbar thinks they can be safe there before then. After all, think about your vet's office everybody. It is a hotbed of all sorts of animal illnesses, yet we willingly take our pups there to get vaccines and return each year for check ups and booster shots. Also how many unvaccinated dogs walk through the same streets and pet stores you walk through? Do you disinfect your shoes before going home to your pups? These questions are offered as food for thought for all of us, not aimed at the OP (please don't be offended, your questions just offered an opportunity to talk about this important issue).

What Dr. Dunbar suggests is disinfectant floor cleaning in the space where the class will take place and having the people step through a pan with disinfectant as they enter. I know he is actively trying to get more vets to come around to his way of thinking. I hope more vets will see his wisdom. I think we can play a role in helping that to happen. If you are sick and have questions for your doctor or disagree with their opinion you wouldn't hesitate to do research and/or seek another opinion to get the best outcome. We can have these conversations about puppy development and early socialization opportunities with our vets.

Speaking now as an immunologist, the first dose of any vaccine does promote an effective although shorter lived immune response than a booster. The first dose provokes production of a primary response characterized by the antibody type IgM. It only lasts in circulation for weeks to a few months. There is also a slight time delay between the primary immunization and the response to it (generally a few days). When the immune system is subsequently challenged by a booster a secondary response occurs that is characterized by the production of IgG. IgG has a circulating half life measured in months to years. The IgG is also produced virtually instantly by memory cells that form when the IgM is made. For those who don't automatically re-boost everything every year but test titers instead, the titer is measuring how much IgG still circulates to see if the protection is still effective. If the titer is low, a booster will provoke another rapid and intense IgG response.


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## PoodlePaws

My breeder and vet urged me to not even take my puppies outside until a week after their last set of shots. I hated them being inside for 10 weeks until I could bring them out. I guess everyone has different recommendations. Maybe because there was a bad dog flu outbreak going on. 


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## peppersb

Here's a very short description of rewards based training that was the first handout at a obedience class that I went to with Cammie. Lots of helpful advice in just a page or so.
Small Standard Poodles - How Dogs Learn


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## dfwcarguy

A little tip for dogs that are pulling on the leash.

Put them on the leash and be prepared to change direction. Don't just walk a straight line. Walk a few steps forward, turn quick left, then back right and just walk at random. Do circles to the left and then to the right. Walk a square. The dog learns very quick to watch you and the leg closest to them for what direction you are headed next. Kolbi went from pulling on the leash to at my heel within minutes. So each walk on the leash starts either in the backyard or driveway walking random patterns. After a few minutes of that he is focused on "what direction is next" and not "let's go".


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## lily cd re

dwfcarguy, your method for teaching leash attention worked very well for me and I have suggested it to many other people who have had success with it as well. Keep them guessing. I still do "crazy walking" when I want to refresh Lily's beautiful heeling.


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## msminnamouse

You want to start puppy classes as soon as possible. The first few months of a puppy's life are prime time for helping to shape their adult behavior. You just need the first shot, you don't have to wait for the rest in order to enroll. 

Responsible trainers will disinfect the facility and make sure that the other puppies have their first shot as well. They should also make sure that it's not a "free for all" but instead they should provide guidance and step in if they need to. Early puppy socialization classes: Weighing the risks vs. benefits - Veterinary Medicine

You might want to give your vet a copy of the following paper. http://www.apdt.com/petowners/articles/docs/RKAndersonLetter.pdf

Dr. Ian Dunbar is a fount of wisdom on puppies and their development. You can consult his website, Free downloads | Dog Star Daily. Please feel free to look around at the rest of the website as well. You'll find a LOT of helpful information from experts in the field of dog training.

You don't need to worry about being the "pack leader" or dominance. Dogs are very intelligent and know that dogs and humans aren't the same animal. They don't think we're dogs. Also, a lot of research indicates that domestic dogs don't form packs. 

Dominance doesn't cross species. Second, the person who quoted Patricia McConnell is correct. Social dominance, both fluid and contextual, is the priority access to a valued resource. Dominance isn't obtained until the individual is consistently deferred to in regards to access for that specific resource. 

Which means that one dog may be dominant during feeding time as they have priority access and another dog may be dominant during playtime as they have the priority access to toys. But if dominance DID cross species, you're pretty much dominant by default since you buy and give everything the dog has access to. You have the opposable thumbs, the car keys, the money, etc.

The domestic dog doesn't form a fixed dominance hierarchy so it really doesn't pay to ascribe social climbing to them anyways.

It's a good idea to avoid coercion when training your dog. Reasons being:
A. Making learning fun will mean your dog will be more likely to comply as it's rewarding for them.
B. Your dog will view you as a friend, not as a threat, and your relationship will only stand to benefit when you have your dog's trust. Things will come very easily when your dog enjoys being around you and doing what you've asked.
C. When you use coercion, not only does your dog comply just enough to avoid punishment, but a phenomena occurs called response depression. This means that your dog will be subdued and usually only do what they're directly ordered to because nothing is safe, every unordered action carries the risk of a correction. 

They're always waiting for the "other shoe to drop". Even you take coercion far enough, learned helplessness can even occur. This is when your dog learns that their actions can't influence the outcome so they just give up in general. They learn to be helpless. This happens when you pin your puppy. You can't force an emotion, like calmness to occur. (You might find Eileenanddog's two-part blog on this subject interesting: Shut Down Dogs, Part 1 | eileenanddogs)

D. Violence usually begets violence. Dogs are smart and can learn that you use violence to get your way, so what's good for the goose is good for the gander and they can learn that violence is a good way for your dog to get what he/she wants as well. Especially so if your dog learns to become defensive due to you subjecting them to pinning, hand jabbing, etc. While a puppy may not pose much of a threat, an adult dog, especially the size of a standard poodle, can be VERY dangerous if they realize all this and put violence to use. Teeth are sharp, jaws are strong, and a lot of damage can be done.

E. Fear is NOT the same thing as respect. We don't even know that dogs understand the concept of respect. This is called anthropomorphism to ascribe human emotions and concepts to an animal.

So please reconsider, not only for your puppy but for your self as well, how you raise and train your dog. It'll result in lifetime effects.

Your dog pulls on the leash because it's paying off for her. She wants to go and she thinks that pulling gets her there. 

Show her that pulling doesn't work. When she puts tension on the leash, freeze until she stops. Then tell her "good!" and continue when she makes the leash go slack. She'll learn that pulling gets her no where and not pulling will get her the reward of continuing the walk. Be VERY consistent so she can easily understand. When she's excited in new environments and with new situations, she may forget some of her training and you'll have to remind her by freezing until she remembers.

She's trying to engage you in play when she bites at your hands when trying to get her toy. This is how dogs play, they don't have hands so they play with their mouths. You'll need to teach bite inhibition. Shove a toy in her mouth and tell her "good!" when she re-focuses her biting on it instead of on you. This will teach her that toys are for biting on. If continues to go for your hands, walk away into another room. Play stops. Wait a couple of seconds (any longer is pointless) and try again until she stops biting hands. It may take her a while. It's a foreign concept to dogs since play biting is such a natural behavior.

This is the easiest and simplest method. But some puppies are mouthier than others. If you have trouble, let us know. 

Dogs communicate by barking. They can't speak like we can. So if she wants to communicate with you, she'll do so in the only way she knows how. Is she barking excessively? Do you want to know how to teach her to stop when told? Let me know.

She walks on top of you and stands because she likes being with and near her family and likely wants your attention. You can teach her "off" with hand targeting. But best is to prevent it from occurring so that she's not practicing undesirable behavior. If you think that she's going to walk on you, cue a "sit" or "lie down" before it happens. She can't do those things and walk on you at the same time.

Is this making any sense?


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## Poodlebeguiled

msminnamouse said:


> You want to start puppy classes as soon as possible. The first few months of a puppy's life are prime time for helping to shape their adult behavior. You just need the first shot, you don't have to wait for the rest in order to enroll.
> 
> Responsible trainers will disinfect the facility and make sure that the other puppies have their first shot as well. They should also make sure that it's not a "free for all" but instead they should provide guidance and step in if they need to. Early puppy socialization classes: Weighing the risks vs. benefits - Veterinary Medicine
> 
> You might want to give your vet a copy of the following paper. http://www.apdt.com/petowners/articles/docs/RKAndersonLetter.pdf
> 
> Dr. Ian Dunbar is a fount of wisdom on puppies and their development. You can consult his website, Free downloads | Dog Star Daily. Please feel free to look around at the rest of the website as well. You'll find a LOT of helpful information from experts in the field of dog training.
> 
> You don't need to worry about being the "pack leader" or dominance. Dogs are very intelligent and know that dogs and humans aren't the same animal. They don't think we're dogs. Also, a lot of research indicates that domestic dogs don't form packs.
> 
> Dominance doesn't cross species. Second, the person who quoted Patricia McConnell is correct. Social dominance, both fluid and contextual, is the priority access to a valued resource. Dominance isn't obtained until the individual is consistently deferred to in regards to access for that specific resource.
> 
> Which means that one dog may be dominant during feeding time as they have priority access and another dog may be dominant during playtime as they have the priority access to toys. But if dominance DID cross species, you're pretty much dominant by default since you buy and give everything the dog has access to. You have the opposable thumbs, the car keys, the money, etc.
> 
> The domestic dog doesn't form a fixed dominance hierarchy so it really doesn't pay to ascribe social climbing to them anyways.
> 
> It's a good idea to avoid coercion when training your dog. Reasons being:
> A. Making learning fun will mean your dog will be more likely to comply as it's rewarding for them.
> B. Your dog will view you as a friend, not as a threat, and your relationship will only stand to benefit when you have your dog's trust. Things will come very easily when your dog enjoys being around you and doing what you've asked.
> C. When you use coercion, not only does your dog comply just enough to avoid punishment, but a phenomena occurs called response depression. This means that your dog will be subdued and usually only do what they're directly ordered to because nothing is safe, every unordered action carries the risk of a correction.
> 
> They're always waiting for the "other shoe to drop". Even you take coercion far enough, learned helplessness can even occur. This is when your dog learns that their actions can't influence the outcome so they just give up in general. They learn to be helpless. This happens when you pin your puppy. You can't force an emotion, like calmness to occur. (You might find Eileenanddog's two-part blog on this subject interesting: Shut Down Dogs, Part 1 | eileenanddogs)
> 
> D. Violence usually begets violence. Dogs are smart and can learn that you use violence to get your way, so what's good for the goose is good for the gander and they can learn that violence is a good way for your dog to get what he/she wants as well. Especially so if your dog learns to become defensive due to you subjecting them to pinning, hand jabbing, etc. While a puppy may not pose much of a threat, an adult dog, especially the size of a standard poodle, can be VERY dangerous if they realize all this and put violence to use. Teeth are sharp, jaws are strong, and a lot of damage can be done.
> 
> E. Fear is NOT the same thing as respect. We don't even know that dogs understand the concept of respect. This is called anthropomorphism to ascribe human emotions and concepts to an animal.
> 
> So please reconsider, not only for your puppy but for your self as well, how you raise and train your dog. It'll result in lifetime effects.
> 
> Your dog pulls on the leash because it's paying off for her. She wants to go and she thinks that pulling gets her there.
> 
> Show her that pulling doesn't work. When she puts tension on the leash, freeze until she stops. Then tell her "good!" and continue when she makes the leash go slack. She'll learn that pulling gets her no where and not pulling will get her the reward of continuing the walk. Be VERY consistent so she can easily understand. When she's excited in new environments and with new situations, she may forget some of her training and you'll have to remind her by freezing until she remembers.
> 
> She's trying to engage you in play when she bites at your hands when trying to get her toy. This is how dogs play, they don't have hands so they play with their mouths. You'll need to teach bite inhibition. Shove a toy in her mouth and tell her "good!" when she re-focuses her biting on it instead of on you. This will teach her that toys are for biting on. If continues to go for your hands, walk away into another room. Play stops. Wait a couple of seconds (any longer is pointless) and try again until she stops biting hands. It may take her a while. It's a foreign concept to dogs since play biting is such a natural behavior.
> 
> This is the easiest and simplest method. But some puppies are mouthier than others. If you have trouble, let us know.
> 
> Dogs communicate by barking. They can't speak like we can. So if she wants to communicate with you, she'll do so in the only way she knows how. Is she barking excessively? Do you want to know how to teach her to stop when told? Let me know.
> 
> She walks on top of you and stands because she likes being with and near her family and likely wants your attention. You can teach her "off" with hand targeting. But best is to prevent it from occurring so that she's not practicing undesirable behavior. If you think that she's going to walk on you, cue a "sit" or "lie down" before it happens. She can't do those things and walk on you at the same time.
> 
> Is this making any sense?


*This should be a sticky. (Mods?) Excellent post. When advice about training and behavior is needed, come to the well.* :adore::adore::adore:


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