Do you get embarrassed every time someone comes to your door because your dog starts barking? Fed up that Fido tries to chew your mother-in-law’s ankle every time she comes around? You need to get control of the stimuli in your dog’s life. What’s more, you might have let it think it’s boss.
Typically, a dog will bark when someone comes to your door because he is alerting you, the owner, to the imminent danger that’s approaching. When a dog knows its place within a human pack, it will go silent as soon as you reassure it that the latest visitor is a friend and reassume its place in the sun.

Trouble is, if your dog thinks he’s the alpha of your “pack”, you’re in for a noisy time. Dogs that think they’re boss, don’t listen to their owners. Why should they? They think they’re there to protect you. That’s the whole point of the leader of a pack: the biggest, strongest, bravest dog runs the show. In the wild, survival depends on it.
Because size has nothing to do with attitude: that’s why even the smallest of mutts can, if allowed to run the show, will misbehave.

To ensure that your dog doesn’t think it’s “Top Dog” in your household, you need to implement a new regime in your household:

• Control the food. Make sure you eat something in front of your dog before he dogs. The alpha always eats first in the pack.
• Control the walk: Make sure you walk in front of your dog whenever you’re out. If your dog pulls on the lead or charges on ahead, simply stop and wait until your dog stops and looks at you. As long as you stick to this, the dog will eventually realise that you control the walk. Like all alphas.

If your dog barks at visitors to your house, remove your dog calmly and cooly from the door way. You might want to use a training lead. Isolate him for five minutes or until he is calm. Then repeat this procedure. He’ll soon learn that unless he learns some manners he’ll be isolated.

Whatever you do, don’t yell at a barking dog. He’ll just think you’re barking too and join in even more!

Disclaimer:
If you suspect you have a problem dog, particularly from a breed that is bread for fighting or guarding, consult a specialized dog trainer if you are unsure how to handle your favourite mutt.

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