Something every dog owner should read!!

[Karen]

Ever heard of that saying..."let sleeping dogs lie"? Why would I bother a dog just to get by. My late dog, Blue, was a huge mutt. Anywhere he laid was pretty much 'in the way'. It would have been cruel to make him get up constantly.

Some of the points you have made hold some truth but I don't believe that these are all....needed.

It is funny, when I was growing up, my maternal grandfather, Bummy, would have dinner at our house once or twice a week. Our Saint Bernard, Freckles, loved sleeping in the doorway that separated the kitchen from the rest of the house. We all just stepped over her. But Bummy was elderly and literally could not pick his feet up very far. He was still quite strong and powerful physically, but walked with a cane, and was not capable of stepping over 185 pounds of sleeping dog. As soon as he got up from his chair in the kitchen, she would seemingly wake from a sound sleep, move out of the way long enough for him to pass safely through the doorway, then go right back and settle back to sleep, letting the rest of us step over.

Dogs are smarter than people often give them credit for being.

[dab_20]

Some of this I do believe is good advice for people having trouble with their dogs. New dog owners who get a dominant dog often have problems. Implementing some of these rules will stop many of the dominant behaviors.

If a dog is pulling you down the street, it is important to make them walk by your side at first. Once they have understood that pulling will not be tolerated, I do believe they should be allowed to walk ahead, without pulling.

And a dog should only be allowed on the furniture if they listen to you when you tell them to get off.

Many dogs will not have dominance issues their whole lives, and others will be constantly testing you. I think it's just a matter of what works best for the owner and their dog to have a peaceful relationship.