Just FYI, the "alpha roll" you describe is somewhat controversial... I tried it a few times with my dog, and in my experience, it tends to exacerbate the situation. I've had a lot more luck with positive reinforcement. For instance, Thor barks at people on the street a lot. My corrections got stronger and stronger, and he kept on barking. Finally, I started praising him as we approach people, and that's much more effective, for whatever reason.
Your dog is almost certainly "resource guarding". This is a common behavior, and is not necessarily about dominance. I would research some techniques to deal with this specifically. I absolutely believe you should be firm with your dog, but I wouldn't assume his behavior is driven by dominance. If it is driven by insecurity, starting a power struggle will make his behavior worse -- for instance, trying to bite you during an alpha roll. Your dog should NEVER bite you, but this may be a sign that he is panicking. |