This seems to be a topic that is very misunderstood among dog handlers, trainers as well as the community at large. I recently read an article on line of the AVA’s guidelines on corrections as they relate to dominance. The main topic seems to be the “alpha roll,” which I will address in detail at another time. For right now I can tell you that it is wrong and dangerous. No matter what you see on TV, I don’t advocate that you try it. Its not something your dog will understand, and more than likely he will rebel against it.
When addressing dominance, we first must be able to understand the difference between true dominance, aggression and a dog being a dog. If a dog is just being a dog and we correct him for that in a dominant way, we are being unfair to the dog and our training will go nowhere. Determining if a behavior is aggressive in nature should be determined by a professional. By a professional I mean a professional that is used to dealing with this type of situation. Its not your neighborhood dog trainer. Get referrals and research before you hire someone. A flashy business card or webpage is usually not the credentials you are looking for. See what kind of experience they’ve had in dealing with aggression, get referrals and call.
Most behaviors that people see as “dominant or aggressive” are not that at all. I deal with serious behavioral problem dogs through rescue and at the shelters that I work with. In private, I can tell you that more than 50% of the people that call me with so called aggressive dogs, have dogs that lack structure. Applying dominant level corrections would do little to fix the problem and more than likely would exacerbate the problem.
PLEASE, do your research. Your dog has no one to appeal to except for you. You should be fair to him and take his best interests to your heart. Breaking a dog of bad behavior involves lots of work and time, its worth it, believe me. Yanking a fearful dog around will not fix him. On the other hand, taking a truly aggressive dog and offering him a treat to not kill the cat, will not work either.
Unfortunately everyone thinks they are a dog trainer, and all dog trainers think they can handle aggression. This is false. Behavioral issues must be addressed by someone who is skilled in evaluating the dog fairly and someone who has a competent approach to fixing it.