Hi! Just had to say hi since I'm also a New Yorker. As for your dog, it sounds like he thinks he's in charge. Have you watched he Dog Whisperer at all? He has some great ideas for people in the same boat as you are. Some of the things I have learned to show my dogs who is "boss" are
1. I go out or come in the door first. If they try to rush in/out before me, I pull them back and make sure I always go out first.
2. I walk them at either a heel or slightly behind me. After awhile, I might let them wander and sniff but the decision when and for how long is mine. The walk is especially important when training who is in charge.
3. When they do things I don't like, I address it and don't think it's cute. Bad behaviors easily start when puppies are cute and then become problems later on. For Instance, just a little while ago, Zoe (the yorkie) was sitting on my lap and I was eating popcorn. I made the mistake of sharing a piece with her and then she started getting snippy with my other dog (a collie) because she was afriad she'd miss out on a piece of popcorn. I told her no, and put her down on the floor and wouldn't let her come back up with me. No one is allowed to be in charge but me.
4. My dogs eat after the family. At least at dinner time. In a pack of dogs, the leader eats first. I've also seen on the dog whisperer, people pretending to eat the dogs food first out of their dish. Since your dog is food aggresive, maybe that is something you could try.
I guess that's all I can think of for now. I would also add that I don't hit or mistreat them. I firmly tell them no and remove them from the situation or ignore them. Good Luck! I'm sure others will have some good advice for you too. |