Dogs have a distinct and special relationship with people. While the comprehension of the mentality of “pack” becomes more common, it becomes easier to perceive why dogs act the manner they do. Changing and understanding a dog’s behavior encompasses around understanding the importance of submission and dominance in the dog psyche. It is vital to keep in mind that in a dog’s mind, a certain family is a ‘pack unit’ and every member in that family has a specific position in the pack. In majority of the families, either one or both of the parents are tagged as the pack leaders and the dog as their subordinate.
Now, this may be very apparent or it may not totally matter much depending on the dog. However, once small children are involved, dogs tend to consider them as equal or lower in the hierarchy of their pack compared to them. This is where the problem emerge.
Since dogs consider children as subordinate, they may refuse to do what a child commands. They could also “accidentally” bump into a child to knock him/her down. It may escalate to baring his teeth and biting the moment the child tries to play with the dog, or even growling at the child if the child is near toys or foods. It is important that the parents fully comprehend this hierarchical relationship and get safety measures to stop problems from emerging. Those behaviors mentioned earlier are signs that professional help is needed.
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