Act like the alpha of the back and show him who is boss. Look him/her in the eye: When you give a command, look straight at your pet. Make sure he can see that you mean business and that it is not a command to be disobeyed. Always hold eye contact with your pet, no matter how big or small he or she is.
First, stop your dog in the act of whatever he's doing, then give him a different, pet parent-approved option. For example, if you walk into a room and notice him chewing your shoes or hairbrush, swiftly tell him "No!" and take the item out of his mouth. Once your dog is calm, present him with an actual chew toy.
If you're wondering how to train a dog with a specific behavior, one of the most effective methods is to give them treats, praise, or affection. Most importantly, the best reward to give them is the one that they want the most. If they are food motivated, treats might work better than praise.
There are also a couple of smaller things you can do to show your dominance and act like an Alpha. Something as simple as not walking around your dog is enough. If your dog is blocking the hallway, make them get up and move. Simple shuffle your feet or make some noise to let them know you're trying to get through.
The safest and most effective way to treat an aggression problem is to implement behavior modification under the guidance of a qualified professional. Modifying a dog's behavior involves rewarding her for good behavior—so you'll likely be more successful if your dog enjoys praise, treats and toys.
The fights may start out as snarling and growling over space or other resources. If left unchecked, serious fighting can ensue resulting in injury or even death. Fighting occurs because the dogs have not established a stable dominance hierarchy. Dogs have no sense of equality, so one must always be the leader.
Dominant dog body language
When your dog is feeling confident and dominant, he or she will have a strong, positive body position. There will also be signs of alertness: rigid muscles and tail; raised fur; an attempt to make direct eye contact; and a closed mouth, sometimes accompanied by a soft growl.
As you lead the dog off the couch or bed, firmly command “OFF”, and praise the moment his feet lands on the floor. Lead him to his bed or crate, “SIT”. , and “STAY”. Praise when he stays. The purpose of the tether is to allow you to have control over the dog until you can establish control with your voice.
Give them affection and attention on your terms – Call them to you when you have the time and desire to interact with them. Teaching your dog that you 'own your space' is essential to training your dog to respect you. Give them as much love and affection as you like, just on your terms, not theirs.
The act of holding a dog down forcibly as a correction is generally called the "dominance down." It is inappropriate, ethologically absurd, and completely counterproductive when interacting with dogs. In a nutshell — don't do it. Ever.
Straight off the bat you should be correcting your dog's growling and/or snapping with a firm “no” at the onset of the behavior. When he stops growling, reward him with a “good boy”, or in the beginning, a treat if it's handy at the exact moment of training so that he knows what he is being rewarded for.
The first thing to remember if a dog charges you is to remain calm. Do not scream, and do not try to hit, kick or show aggression to the dog. If you are walking or running, stop and either turn sideways or slowly back away.
Growling is your dog's way of begging you to stop what you're doing and move away. It's not a challenge to your hierarchical status in your home. Dog body language exists to help them stay alive by avoiding confrontation with other creatures because confrontation is risky!
Dogs choose their favorite people based on positive interactions and socialization they have shared in the past. Like humans, dogs are especially impressionable as their brains develop, so puppies up to 6 months old are in their key socialization period.
A Matter of Seeking Attention/Engagement
If your puppy is normally calm in your presence and starts acting hyper when your husband comes home, he or she may misbehave as a way to get some attention.
When done correctly and when combined with proactive training, ignoring unwanted behavior can work. However, the time it takes depends on your dog's reinforcement history and their own personal enjoyment of the behavior. For some dogs, they get through an extinction burst quickly, while others can take quite a while.
Start by making sure your dog can follow a command with no distractions. Then, work on the command with people in the environment talking, eating, engaging with each other. Then, work on the command out in the yard and start with minimal distractions and work up to more significant distractions.