Having a mutually respectful relationship is something that is earned by your dog. When you first get a new puppy they do not know to respect you right away. You always want your dog to know their boundaries but you don’t want your dog to be afraid of you. This is your family pet and you are both very lucky to have each other. Showing appreciation will get you everywhere with your pet. Just think of how you like to be treated and the effects of abusing a child has on their life. It is the same thing for a dog. We all want to be treated with respect and know exactly where our boundaries lie.
I wrote a guest post on what dominance really is and why it is not the proper training technique:
If you have had an interest in dogs for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard the comment that dogs are a pack animal, and you need to be the alpha, or leader, in your dog’s pack or it won’t respect and obey you.
This “dominance theory” method of training is popular with followers of some well known dog trainers who are often featured in the media. They use techniques such as the “alpha roll”, where a dog is rolled over onto its back in a submissive position, to establish their position as pack leader.
Check out the article in full for all the details on this topic.
