Is your dog a bully? Does a dog rule your home? Are you unable to enjoy peace and quiet in your living room because your dog is demanding attention? Do you find yourself tripping over your dog in the kitchen? Or worse, you have to tiptoe into the kitchen to avoid your dog hearing you and demanding food? You have a dog similar to Skai!

Skai is a pocket bully that lives in West Springfield, VA. Her owners hired me for Dog Training because their dog was ruling their lives. They were unable to sit on the couch next to each other because she would bully her way in between them or bark until they separated. In the kitchen, Skai was getting in the way, which is quite dangerous, and would get upset if they took too long making her food. She likes flexing her muscles, her actual muscles, and the metaphorical muscles as well.

Is Your Dog a Bully Checklist:

  • You avoid going into certain rooms to avoid your dog coming in and demanding something or barking at you
  • Altering your life to avoid upsetting or inconveniencing your dog
  • Having to come up with plans to trick your dog so they don’t demand something of you
  • Feeling like your dog is your boss or your dog annoys you to the point of avoiding things you enjoy

I showed her owners a few non-physical, non-treat based exercises. Skai now realizes she is the follower and her owners are in charge. They are her “parents” or “leaders.” They make the rules and the rules are designed to keep her calm, safe, and them happy and relaxed.

After a few minutes of redefining the relationship with Skai, and getting her to think, we ended up with a very calm and relaxed dog. Here’s the thing. Most dogs aren’t meant to be leaders. In reality, it’s actually quite stressful for them and no one in the home is happy. Both the dog and the owners are stressed out! When you become the leader/protector of your home, you put your dog in a position where all they have to do is relax.

No treats, no prong or shock collars. We just communicated with her in a way she naturally understands which causes her to use her brain. The more thinking a dog does, the better!

So if your dog is a bully to you or others in the home, feel free to contact me.

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