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Most canines which have undergone proper training when they were puppies will grow into loving, trusting, and obedient pets that form strong attachments with their human superiors. It is in their nature to be really loyal and they will follow their masters to the end of the earth and back,so how do you tell if your dog respects you?
I see this with my dog Claude, who seems to respect me and respects the just decisions I make. He shows some signs that he looks at me as the alpha and because of this, he is a gentle and a very well behaved dog who can blend to almost all social situation.
However, not all dogs understand their position in the hierarchical order and will test the limits of who the pack leader is. This can cause a series of problems for you, your immediate family, and other dog owners.
The bottom line is, if your mutt doesn’t respect you and adhere to the rules, issues will soon build up. This can include aggressive behaviors, destructive attitudes, and causing problems in public areas.
So, how do you know if your dog respects you as the alpha leader, so you do not have any problems down the line?
How do you know if or not your dog respects you?
Do you think you have got what it takes to command the respect of your dog as the alpha leader? look at closely at these signs to see whether your dog sees you as the alpha of your pack or as one of his minions.
1. Your Dog Does Not Pull On The Leash When You Walk Him
Is your dog pulling you while walking, or are you walking your dog?
If your dog is always taking the lead when you are out on walks, it means he thinks of himself as the alpha After all, a pack leader always puts himself ahead as the protector and head of the pack.
You can tell if your dog respects you by how he walks when on a leash. If he is by your side,waiting for your command and not pulling, then you totally command his respect.
2. Your Dog Brings You His Toys And Prey To Get Your Approval
In days past, your dog’s ancestors would have to belong in a wild pack with a hierarchy. There is a proven theory that they bring you things like toys, and sometimes animals that are dead, to pretend bringing prey caught,home to the leader of the pack and the rest of the pack.
What better way to show their loyalty,respect and submission to you than a precious gift of “food”,even if it is a toy they always want to play with.
3. Your Dog Does Not Walk Away When You Talk To Him
A dog could not really show you any much more disrespect than walking away when you are talking to him. It is the height of rudeness and is a huge sign that your dog has no respect for you and any slight authority you think you have.
4. Your Dog Listens T When You Give Him A Certain Commands
Alpha leaders should take charge in commanding the respect of a room, with their mutts paying attention closely to what they are saying. You can tell if your dog respects you if he actually listens to you and holds on to every last word this can also be in effect with a quick lick of your arm.
Dogs that do not listen to their owners show a lack of respect and a sign that they do not quite think of you being on the same level of power that you might have.
5. Your Dog Does Not Sit In Your Seat When You Stand
You know your dog respects you when he does not jump up in your seat when you try to stand up. If you notice the opposite behavior, it can mean several things, but one is how your dog sees his position in your hierarchy.
You know your puppy has respect for you if he does not jump into your seat when you leave the room.
The alpha dog is the one that takes charge of the pack. As you would expect he gets the best of everything. That means the best of food, the of best drinks, the best of company and yes, you guessed right, the best seat in the house a throne you can say.
If he is in your seat when you come back to the room, you might have a power toggle on your hands
6. Your Dog Allows You Choose Your Seat
The psychology behind the seating arrangements can be looked into further by what your dog does when you are both presented with a seat. Does your dog go for the best spot before your do, or gives you the respect of taking the best seat in the house first?
Dogs that respect their owners will step out of the way to let you sit down first. There is nothing wrong with a little snuggle, but at the moment you target for a seat, your dog should move out of the way to let the alpha leader claim his rightful position.
7. Your Mutt Gets Close To You To Seek Protection
When you get to sit down, your dog will give you respect by wanting to sit close to you for the protection that you give as the pack head.
Dogs look to their humans as parents for love and security.
8. Your Dog Does Not Come Sit On Top Of You
There is a perfect line between your dog respecting you by staying close to you, versus a complete form of disrespect when sitting on top of you. Cuddles are okay,but dogs will try to show their authority in the hierarchy by overpowering your space.
A sign of an alpha dog is that it would never let another pack member sit on them, so do not let yours think he is alpha dog.
9. Your Dog Escorts You Everywhere
Dogs go along their owners because they want to feel attached to your side. As a pack animal, your dog wants to feel closer to the leader of the pack.
You know your dog gives you all the respect as the pack leader if he always wants you to take the lead and for him to follow along without doubt.
10. Your Dog Lets You Pass Through Doors First
Another sign your dog sees you as the head is how they react when around doors. You can tell if your dog respects you if they let you go out first, but why is this?
It again hacks back to their ancestral based instincts whereby a junior pack member looks to the leader as the overall protector therefore, the alpha pack leader always enters doors (or caves) firstly.
11. Your Dog Does Not Urinate Inside The House
Dogs your urinate in the house very often,they do that to show their dominance, making threats to his authority to show who is in charge.
Accepted, it can also be a sign of anxiety and sickness,so you should get your dog checked by a vet doctor if you are not sure if it is a lack of respect.
12. Your Dog Lets You Greet The Newcomers First
Another sign that your dog takes you as the head is by letting you get to the door and answering the door first. If your dog is running ahead of you to greet new comers first, it means he believes he is of higher ranking in the order than you are.
Alphas are the ones to greet the new comers first. If your dog really respects you, then he will be the last in your pack to get attention from any visitor.
This makes more sense when you think about how pack members mentality should work;the alpha is the one to greet others first, making sure it is safe for the rest of the pack to get an introduction.
13. You Dog Does Not Wake You Up
Pack leaders get to lay in bed and wake when they feel like. They do not get woken up by junior pack members.
There is no chance of this particular one waking you up.
If your dog continuously wakes you up, and it is not because they need a urinate, you need to start setting particular boundaries. When your dog is bored, he should not wake you up but instead he should wait until you are ready to start the day.
14. Your Dog Is Fed On A Time Schedule
Another way you can get your dog’s respect and make sure you are seen as the alpha,it is for you to determine when it is time to feed. When he eats is your decision to make and preferred to be at a scheduled time.
Dogs that make use of food dispensers decide when and how much they eat. This height of control strips away your position as the alpha leader in the house.
Your dog will respect you more when you are in charge of when he feeds.
15. Your Dog Is Willing To Wait Until You Have Eaten Before Having To Eat
Similarly, if your dog is hopping at you and pleading to be fed while you eat, it is a complete lack of respect. As the alpha leader, your mutts should be calm and wait until you have eaten before they get any food.
This is basic level of chain command behavioral characteristics.
If your dog and is calm and sits to be fed until you done, it is a sure way of determining if they respect you.
16. Your Dog Does Not Steal Your Food
Taking things to a new level of disrespect are those dogs that are bold enough to take away your food from your hand or plate, even when your back is not turned.
The alpha pack leader’s food is too important, so for a dog to steal yours it tells you all you need to know about your position in the hierarchical order.
17. Your Dog Does Not Get Treats For Doing Absolutely Nothing
Continuing with the food theme, your dog will never give you respect you if you give him with treats for no reason. All this does is to make your dog think you are here to serve him, with no respect coming into the equation.
Only give your dog a treat if it is deserved.
Your dog will respect you a whole lot more if you make him work for his treats on an action versus reward basis at all times. As the alpha leader, you should control the source of food.
18. Your Dog Is Calm And Joyful Around You
A dog that gives respects you will always be really submissive around you, in terms of their body language that means they are relaxed, no struggles, and wagging of tail.
19. Your Dog Allows You Groom Them
In fact, when they will be so calm that they will allow you groom them. I believe that if a dog trusts you so much to let you groom them in those places that are hard to reach, it is a sign that your dog gives you respect.
It could mean that they are submissive to you, which is the top sign of trust and respect.
20. Your Dog Cuts Off Eye Contact With You First
If you have a dog that looks you straight in the eye and refuses to blink first or look away first, you possibly could have a problem. It is a sign that your dog believes he is the one in charge, as prolonged eye contact is seen to be a threat in dog worlds.
You know if your dog sees you as the head if he breaks off the eye contact first and looks away before you do. By doing so, he is showing he respects you as the alpha leader.
21. Your Dog Does Not Bite Your Ankle When You Leave The Room
There are few reasons why dogs bite at heels and ankles, which includes a herd instinct that is wired into their DNA.
However, some might do it an all aggressive motion because they do not want you to leave them in the room. In fact, if your dog is really showing high superiority he might actually think you need to take his permission to get up and leave, which likely can not be a sign of respect.
Conclusion
Showing your dog who is boss does not mean too harsh or unfair discipline. To get a dog to give you respect it requires patience and understanding. Over time, they will even grow to think of you as their parents it canmost likely happen.
You will need look closely after them. That means providing them with food, shelter, love, and play… while setting the rules in a firm but not so scary manner.