Can you take your dog for a walk without being dragged down the street? If not, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
When someone comes to the door, who greets them first? If you answer your dog, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
If you give your dog a command, does he or she do it? If not, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
If you give your dog a command and he/she obeys, does your dog remain in that command until you release them? If not, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
When you go out the door with your dog, who goes first? If your dog goes first, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
If you play tug with your dog, who wins? If your dog wins and keeps the toy, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
Does your dog jump on you? If so, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
When your dog comes to you to get petted (physically putting himself in a position to get petted), do you pet him. If you do, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
Does your dog eat when it wants to? Does he/she get fed before you do? If so, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
Does your dog sleep with you or gets on the furniture without permission? If so, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
Does your dog mark his/her territory in your home? If so, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack.
Has your dog ever growled at you? If so, you are probably not the leader of your dog pack. Note: If so, you need professional help or someone may get hurt.
Notice the word ?probably? above.
Any one of those items by themselves (and countless other examples where your dog seems to be in a controlling position) does not necessarily mean you aren?t the leader.
A combination of them does increase the likelihood that your dog thinks he or she is the leader ? regardless of what you think.
Your dog should not lead your pack. You should.
In some situations, nothing will happen except you will have a spoiled dog. In other situations, it can lead to someone getting hurt or bit. Just because you have a spoiled dog now does not mean it cannot get worse.
As long as your dog is not aggressive at this moment, I can help start providing little suggestions to improve your life with your dog.
There is one caveat.
Do not start taking control unless you mean to see it through. If you lack the will power and fail, you will be doing nothing but confirming to the dog that he/she is the leader ? just like in the dog pack or wolf pack in the wild.
We can?t treat dogs like humans. They do not understand this. We have to communicate with them on their level.
