How to Demand Respect from Your Dog

In this article we share with you how you can get your dog to respect you.

Why it’s necessary for your dog to respect you

Dogs come from wolves, which have always lived in packs. Dogs are the same, so as in every pack, they need a leader. If they lack one, their instinct for survival leads them to live independently, jumping over whoever gets in their way.

Dogs need a leader. It will be someone that indicates who is in charge and the path they must follow. Remember that animals act on instinct, so they will always move by their instinct for survival. This instinct will lead them to dominate anyone, including you, if you don’t make your dog respect you.

What will happen if your dog doesn’t respect you?

Your animal’s behavior will be inadequate and will translate into disobedience, aggression (even with you) and bad behavior.

He will try to get attention. This might be done by destroying things, attacking family members or incessant barking that will disturb neighbors and others nearby.

How to make your dog respect you

At this point and having seen all of this, the question arises: How do you make your dog respect you? As always we will tell you, forget scolding, hitting and yelling, because these will not help you achieve your objective at all.

Positive reinforcement is always the best solution to teach any attitude to your dog, including respect. Therefore, we recommend several steps so that you can get your dog to respect you.

1. Don’t let your dog sleep on furniture in the house like the sofa or the bed. Neither let him in areas crucial to living in a  home such as walkways or the door. If we do this, every time we want to walk by where he is or sit on “his spot” he will believe that he has a right to something, as if we have to ask him permission and that will make him believe that he’s the leader.
2. Don’t allow him to be the one to tell you when or not to play. You should set the schedule and be the one to decide when a game starts and ends. Not even in games do you allow him to bite or push you.
3. Never go to where he is to give him affection and petting, even if he puts his belly up and it makes you smile. Remember that you are the one that commands, and if he wants to be pet, he can come find you or come when you call.

Other useful tips

1. He should always eat after the other members of the family. This will help him to understand that he’s just another person subject to norms that you have established.
2. Additionally, he will not go in front of us upon entering or leaving through the door. We are above him and he should know it.
3. And, he has to obey the rules of the house. He must know where he can and can’t get up, where his bed will be and his food and if he has some other place in the house, the roof or the backyard to do his business or play.
4. Help him be sociable with your friends and neighbors. We shouldn’t allow him to believe that he is the leader of others that are superior to him, as that would make him want to also have that role at home.
5. Teach him basic commands. In order for your dog to respect you it’s important that you show him what you want and in order to do that you must teach him basic commands that he must follow.
6. Exercise. A dog that doesn’t exercise will be nervous and stressed and it will be harder to obtain his respect.
7. If upon arriving home he jumps on you and is too excited, don’t pay attention. He has to understand that before being pet, he must calm down.

Follow these tips, but remember not to stop showing the love and affection he deserves, and you will all have a good living situation based on the respect and love you both feel for each other.