The question of how to handle a bossy, dominant dog is common among dog owners who are exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed by their bossy dogs.

Bossy, dominant dogs have a distinct characteristic: they always want to be in charge over every dog they encounter. They love challenging authority, they display brute strength, and they don’t hesitate in showing aggression.

One can say “Oh, but that’s just a dog’s personality!”

Though it can be true, dominant behavior not corrected can lead to more serious challenges including your dog dominating you.

Stopping aggression in dogs is crucial to avoid other problems including your dog hurting another dog, a disorganized home, and having a dog that just doesn’t listen to you.

If you have an aggressive dog, you’re in the right place…

In this blog we’re going to talk about the dog psychology behind aggression, the 8 powerful strategies to stop aggression due to dominance, and the mistakes dog owners make that set their dogs back.

Key Takeaways

• A bossy, aggressive dog has one mission in mind: to let other dogs (and people!) know that they’re the one in charge.


• One of the best ways to handle an aggressive dog is to start establishing YOUR leadership at home. Your dog has to know that you’re the pack leader, and the one in charge.


• The Dog Calming Code™️ program comes with lessons that can help you regain control over your dominant, aggressive dog.

TRAIN BOSSY AND AGGRESSIVE DOGS BETTER WITH THE HELP OF THE DOG CALMING CODE
Table of Contents

1. How to Handle Dominant Dog Behavior: What’s Going on In a Bossy Dog’s Mind?


2. How to Handle Dominant Dog Behavior: Aggressive Dog Signs and What They Mean


3. How to Tell When a Dominant Aggressive Dog is Asserting Their Dominance on You


4. Training a Dominant Dog: 10 Best Strategies to Stop Dominant Dog Aggression


5. Five Mistakes Dog Owners Make That Cause Dog Dominance


6. Learn How to Handle Dominant Dog Behavior with the Dog Calming Code

 




How to Handle Dominant Dog Behavior: What’s Going on In a Bossy Dog’s Mind?

What truly drives your dog's need to assert dominance and display aggression?

Let me give the explanation through a common scenario often encountered by dog owners with aggressive and bossy dogs.

Picture this: when you take your bossy pet to the park, they tend to gravitate towards other dogs, sizing them up.

Dogs typically approach each other with erect ears, engaging in a circling ritual as they assess one another.

Soon enough, you might hear a chorus of barks, each dog unrelenting!

So, why do they behave this way? Especially when there is no food or toy around?

The answer is rather straightforward: they exhibit aggression because they want to know who is in charge.

The bossy aggression happens when your dog perceives themselves as the alpha… the leader of the pack, so to speak.

They have this HUGE need to assert themselves, and if either you or another dog fails to comply with their desires, they resort to aggressive behaviors to assert their dominance.

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How to Handle Dominant Dog Behavior: Aggressive Dog Signs and What They Mean

Signs of aggression in a dominant dog is different from a dog with aggression driven by fear. The aggressive behavior of bossy dogs come from their want to assert authority and put other dogs in their place.

Dog owners, knowing these signs by heart can protect you and your other pets from aggressive outbursts of your bossy dog.

Here are aggressive dog signs that gives you the cue you need to remind your dog “Hey, it’s me who is in control here.”

Barking

Is your bossy dog the king of non-stop barking?

Dogs use barking as a means to assert themselves as the leader of the pack. It’s their way of commanding attention, demanding for resources, or forcing compliance from other dogs or humans.

It's a vocal display of their perceived authority.

Growling

Growling is a sign you can’t simply brush off!

When a bossy dog growls, it's a clear warning that says “You are pushing the boundaries!”

A bossy dog can resort to growling in instances such as:

• Another dog getting into their space


• When they see another dog — or you — as a threat to their authority


• When other dogs are challenging them

The growling can escalate to aggression if the perceived threat persists.

It's a signal that the bossy dog believes they have the right to control the situation and are willing to use force if necessary.

Stance That Says "I'm Ready to Fight"

You’ve probably seen this if you have a bossy dog: the dominant stance, which includes standing tall with their head held high, and a stiff body posture.

Aggressive, dominant dogs use this stance to communicate their readiness to engage in a confrontation if challenged.

It's a serious way of saying "I'm in charge, and I'm prepared to defend my position."

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Bumping Heads

In the dog kingdom, head bumping is a show of dominance.

One dog asserts dominance by positioning its head above the other's, signaling its victory in the hierarchy struggle. The opposing dog resists and attempts to gain the upper position, leading to occasional head collisions.

The more they push back, the more they’re communicating “No, I AM THE BOSS not you.”

Circling Around

When a dog circles another, it’s an act of assessing their opponent.

Circling allows them to size up the competition, anticipate movements, and potentially find an advantage in a confrontation.

A dog who circles around strategizes on how he can completely cement his position as the alpha.

Attacking Forward

When a bossy dog attacks forward, it usually occurs when they feel their authority or dominance is being questioned or threatened.

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How to Tell When a Dominant Aggressive Dog is Asserting Their Dominance on You

Do dogs also exhibit dominance over their owners?

They can and do!

Some of the signs that your dog is showing dominance over you includes them refusing to come when called, persistently climbing onto your bed and couch despite your objections, or displaying aggression towards you.



Recognizing these signs is crucial because they show that you have potentially lost control of your dog.

And when you lose control over a dominant dog, it can be the start of difficult behavior issues.

So, how can you prevent these issues from escalating?

There are four signs that you should 100% watch out for.

Invading Your Space

Picture this: dogs encroached upon your personal space, freely climbing onto your bed without an invitation, perching on your head, or occupying your lap without consent.

It might sound sweet at first (“Yay, my dog wants me!”) but they are actually very subtle ways of dogs taking over the leadership. Even a dog lying on your feet is their way of showing dominance.

And the more your dog invades your space, the more they start to think “I can do this because I'm the one in charge here.”

Growling at You

When dogs growl at you, it's a significant sign.

This is because growling can be a precursor to an attack.

It suggests that your dog perceives you as a threat to their authority and security, prompting them to growl to assert dominance.

Ignoring Your Commands

You call your dog, but there'