There is a lot of talk about being the alpha in you relationship with your dog and that you have the be the dominant one in order to get the behavior that you desire. I get a lot of people that ask about that and they get really confused about what that really means. Most of us do not desire to be mean and dominant when we get home from work. All we want at that point is relax and have a good time with our dogs, not another work day at home training, right?
At least that is what I hear a lot of times with people that have issues with their dog’s behavior. So take your definition of dominance, when you perceive that energy, does that make you feel lighter? Or heavier? If it makes you feel lighter, it is true for you and it works. If it makes you feel heavy, most likely it is not even your definition, but you bought it from others. So all of these definitions that you have about what dominance is, will you now please destroy and uncreate all of them? Times a godzillion. Right and Wrong, Good and Bad, POC and POD, all 9, shorts, boys and beyonds™.
If you really would like a different point of view about dominance, I would encourage you to run a clearing about that. Like this: What creation am I using to invoke and perpetrate the dominance and no dominance am I choosing? And everything that is, I destroy and uncreate all of that. Times a godzillion. Right and Wrong, Good and Bad, POC and POD, all 9, shorts, boys and beyonds™.
What if being the dominate one looked very differently from what you thought it did? Would you be willing to play with that? Could you be the ‘ master’ of your dog and still be kind, caring and gentle? What kind of force could the demand be for your dog to change his behavior? So if you made it very clear to your dog what it is that you are actually asking for, like walking next to you on a loose leash, and being friendly to anyone you encounter, could you then re-enforce that with being persistent, while being kind, while being demanding all at the same time? What energy, space and consciousness can you and your body be to be the demand your dog responds to with ease? Everything that does not allow that, will you destroy and uncreate it all? Times a godzillion. Right and Wrong, Good and Bad, POC and POD, all 9, shorts, boys and beyonds™.
One thing you may want to look at when working with your dog is also how she ended up with the behavior she is exhibiting. Was that something she has been getting away with over and over again, hence she has been practicing that behavior for a while with a desired consequence from her point of view. Or have you maybe not been clear what it is that you would like instead? If your dog does not understand what you are asking for she will not be able to change her behavior when you tell her ‘NO’. What shall she be doing instead of the ‘NO’? Does she know? Or do you assume she knows?
In truth your dog will not really know what you are asking for if you are showing only dominant behavior (like throwing your dog on it’s side, also called the alpha roll), there has to be a severe reason to do something like that. In nature a behavior that would be responded to with that much dominance would be an attack. Otherwise a lot of the correction animal do on each other is as little as a look, or a certain body posture. So what can you duplicate from that behavior to show your dog what is is you disapprove of, but also show what it is you would like to see instead?
For example, if your dog is barking out the window, you could step between your dog and the window (sometimes you have to move quick and faster than your dog) and use your body (not your voice) to herd your dog away from the window. The moment your dog gives up moving towards the window and barking, you also move away, releasing the pressure you just administered with you movements. That moment your dog gets that you do not like what he just did and by releasing the pressure just in that moment your dog now knows that what you are looking for is him being quiet and relaxed away from the window.
So anywhere you have decided dominance means being mean, forceful, loud and aggressive, will you please destroy and uncreate all of that? Times a godzillion. Right and Wrong, Good and Bad, POC and POD, all 9, shorts, boys and beyonds™. Please play with a different possibility here, and remember, your dog might not know what is is you are truly asking for! So see if you can show her that! What would it take for us to be more aware?