How do you recognise a dominant dog?

There's no 'dominant type' you'd spot by fixed signs: dominance depends on the relationship and the moment, it isn't an identity (Bradshaw, Blackwell & Casey 2009). What's often taken for dominance is an under-stimulated dog, or one nobody has set clear rules for. What really matters is meeting their needs and earning their trust.

What should you do with a so-called dominant dog?

Above all, don't subdue them or roll them onto their back: confrontation makes things worse. Set consistent rules, meet their needs and reward their good choices with a marker word ('yes') followed by a treat. If they growl or guard their resources, get support from a professional who uses positive methods.

My dog growls when I tell them off, is that dominance?

No, growling is communication , a warning: it's them telling you they're uncomfortable. Punishing it teaches them to go quiet and bite without warning. Look for the cause instead, offer them an alternative, and if the growling is new, have the vet rule out pain.

Do you have to eat before your dog to be the boss?

No, it's a myth. The order of meals means nothing: in the wild, wolf parents even sometimes let the young eat first. What builds your role as a point of reference is everyday consistency, not who eats first.

My dog climbs on the sofa, is he dominating me?

No, they're just after comfort, like us. If the sofa bothers you, you don't need to 'break a dominance': instead, teach them to get up and down on cue, so that you're the one who decides when it's allowed.

Being a point of reference for your dog

Training & behaviourPart of · Training & behaviour

Being a point of reference for your dog

Q: How do I know if my dog is dominant?

Dominance isn't a fixed trait in dogs: it shifts with the situation, it isn't a personality. The 'signs' pinned on them (climbing on the sofa, sitting on your feet, going through the door first) are comfort, affection or learning, not a bid for power. Look at the context before you slap on a label.

11 min read

What your dog expects from you

The dog is a social animal: he needs someone to show him how the human world works, because that world isn't his own. That point of reference is you. When you give reliable, stable answers, your dog stops asking himself the question and relaxes. A dog who has to decide everything on his own, on the other hand, lives under tension. What binds you together goes even further than people think: a 1998 study showed that your dog develops a genuine attachment to you, much like a child to a parent. You become his secure base.

A dog who seems to be “taking charge” isn't trying to boss you around. Most of the time, he makes decisions because nobody made them for him, or because he's frightened and trying to reassure himself on his own. Your job isn't to dominate him, it's to take those decisions back, calmly.

Start with his needs, not with commands

An awkward behaviour is almost always a symptom, not the underlying problem. Before you work on obedience, look at whether his needs are being met: moving, sniffing, chewing, playing, meeting other dogs. An under-stimulated dog is a pressure cooker. A dog whose needs are met settles easily at home, sleeps properly and asks for less. In practice, aim for at least one proper outing every day where he sniffs and explores at his own pace, on top of the short toilet outings.

What makes a point of reference reliable

Consistency. What's allowed on Monday stays allowed on Tuesday, for everyone in the house: if the sofa, the table or the bed are off limits, they're off limits for everyone and all the time, not just when it suits you. Without that, your dog tests you constantly, because he never knows what to expect.
Calm, clear decisions. You set a limit in a calm tone, always with the same word, without raising your voice. It's clarity that reassures, not volume.
Routines that reassure. Meals and walks at roughly regular times help your dog know what's coming during the day, and that calms him.
Calm under pressure. A tight lead, barking at another dog: if you get worked up, your dog gets even more stressed. Stay steady when he winds up, speak softly: calm invites calm, and he picks up on your state straight away.

Become the one with the solution

Your value doesn't come from your authority, but from your ability to find solutions. The more you give him the right answer every time, the more your dog turns to you instead of deciding on his own. Here's what that looks like in real life: a well-supported puppy, settled on a crowded beach, comes and presses against you the moment he has a doubt, without you asking him anything. He has learnt that you are the solution.

You'll be using the marker word all the time: it's a short little word (“yes!”) that you say at the exact moment your dog does the right thing, followed immediately by a treat.

At a door that winds him up

You wait for him to settle before opening.
Four paws on the floor and eyes on you: you mark with a “yes” and you open.
If he doesn't come back down, take your hand off the handle and wait, without a word: the door only opens when he settles.
He learns that calm opens doors, not excitement.

At the food bowl

Bowl in hand, you simply wait for him to settle: four paws on the floor, or sitting if he already knows that word.
As soon as he calms down: “yes”, and you put the bowl down.
If he jumps or barks, lift the bowl back out of reach and wait, without a word, for him to settle again.
He works out that it's calm that brings the meal, not excitement.

When he has a doubt on a walk

You stay steady, you keep walking without tensing up, you don't pick him up and you don't force him.
He turns towards you and reads your face to know whether he can go forward.
If he freezes, don't pull on the lead: crouch down, encourage him with your voice, give him time, and reward the smallest step towards you.
You become the fixed point he checks in with, with a glance.

When play tips over

The sign it's tipping over: he mouths too hard, becomes frantic, or stops hearing anything you say.
You stop the game dead: you stop animating the toy and put it away out of sight, without a word.
If he jumps to get it back, don't play tug: offer him a swap for a treat or a chew toy, and let him come back down.
You pick it up again later, once he's calm: he learns that play has a beginning and an end, and that you decide them.

Natural following

Natural following is the quietest form of being a point of reference: your dog, all by himself, glancing over regularly to check where you are. It isn't drilling, it's a habit that gets built, and it can be built at any age, not just in puppies. In an enclosed, safe place, a fenced garden for example, never near a road, let him off the lead and make yourself interesting: crouch down, talk to him in a playful voice, change direction, walk a few steps away. Every time he looks at you or comes back to you of his own accord, mark with a “yes” and reward.

Vary your walking spots. If you always do the same route, your dog knows it by heart and stops keeping an eye on you. Novelty pushes him to stay tuned in to you.

The dominance myth

The word “dominance” is used these days to justify just about anything. The truth fits in one sentence: no dog is dominant by nature, and most of the “signs” people pin on him are comfort, affection, or a behaviour he has simply learnt to repeat. The “pack leader” idea comes from watching captive wolves with no family ties, forced to live together: in the wild, a pack is a family, with no permanent power struggle, a mistake the researchers themselves acknowledged as early as 1999.

Beliefs and habits to drop

Believing he's “dominating” you because he gets on the sofa: he's an opportunist looking for comfort, not a rival.
Thinking he sits on your feet or lies down in front of the door to assert his rank: that's affection or a need for security.
Pinning him to the floor or forcing him onto his back, what's known as the “alpha roll”, to “show him who's boss”: it doesn't make you a leader, it breaks his trust and can make him aggressive.
Grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and shaking him, thinking you're imitating a mother wolf: this does nothing to correct anything, it frightens him and can get you bitten.
Eating before him or going through doors first on principle: the order of the meal or of the doorway makes no difference at all, only day-to-day consistency counts.
Shouting, hitting, or punishing him when you get home for something he did a while ago: he doesn't connect the punishment to the past act, he just learns to fear you.

Come home to find something wrecked? Clean it up without a word. Telling him off now serves no purpose: he doesn't make the connection with something he did a while ago, all he takes away is that your return is a bad moment. Damage done in your absence is almost always an unmet need or distress at being left alone, not a provocation. Work on that instead: the guide on exercising and occupying him, and the one on being left alone, will help you get to grips with it.

Have you already rolled your dog onto his back or grabbed him by the scruff, before you knew better? It isn't too late, and you haven't broken everything. From now on, become reliable and predictable, reward his good choices, set your limits without harshness: trust rebuilds quickly as soon as the rules become clear and gentle.

Going further

guideReading your dog's body languageBeing a point of reference starts with reading his signals: this guide teaches you to decode his body language.Read the guide guideUnderstand before you judgeA good point of reference understands before judging: this guide lays the groundwork for seeing your dog more fairly.Read the guide guideTeaching your dog to follow you naturallyTo extend this bond of trust, teach him to follow you naturally, with no lead and no command.Read the guide guidePunishing your dogUnderstand why punishment damages trust, and what really works instead.Read the guide guideExercising and occupying your dogA well-exercised, well-occupied dog follows you more easily: it strengthens your role as his point of reference day to day.Read the guide guideChoosing a dog trainerIf you'd like support, here's how to spot a trainer who shares this kind, positive philosophy.Read the guide

AVSAB — Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of Animals (2008)
AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
Bradshaw, Blackwell & Casey — Dominance in domestic dogs: useful construct or bad habit? (2009)
Mech — Alpha status, dominance, and division of labor in wolf packs (1999)
Topál, Miklósi, Csányi & Dóka — Attachment behaviour in dogs: a new application of Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test (1998)
Duranton & Horowitz — Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgment bias in pet dogs (2019)

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my dog is dominant?

Dominance isn't a trait etched into a dog: it shifts with the situation, it isn't a personality. The “signs” people pin on him (getting on the sofa, sitting on your feet, going through the door first) are comfort, affection or learning, not a power grab. Look at the context before you stick a label on him.

How do I recognise a dominant dog?

There's no “dominant type” you can spot from a fixed set of signs. Dominance depends on the relationship and the moment, it isn't an identity: a 2009 study confirms it. What often looks like dominance is a dog who is under-stimulated, or one nobody has given clear rules to. Take care of his needs first, and trust will follow.

What should I do with a so-called dominant dog?

Whatever you do, don't try to subdue him or force him onto his back (the “alpha roll”): confrontation makes things worse, it settles nothing. Set consistent rules, meet his needs and reward his good choices with a marker word (“yes”) followed by a treat. If he growls or guards his resources, get support from a professional who works with positive methods.

My dog growls when I tell him off, is that dominance?

No, a growl is communication, a warning: he's telling you he's uncomfortable. Punishing it teaches him to keep quiet and to bite with no warning. Look for the cause instead, offer him an alternative, and if the growling is new, have him examined by the vet to rule out pain.

Do I have to eat before my dog to be the boss?

No, it's a myth: the order of meals makes no difference at all. Even among wild wolves, access to food depends mostly on who is already eating, not on anyone's rank. What builds your role as a point of reference is day-to-day consistency, not who eats first.

My dog gets on the sofa, is he dominating me?

No, he's just after comfort, like you on your own sofa. If it bothers you, there's no dominance to correct because there isn't any: teach him a cue for getting up and getting down instead, so that you're the one who decides when it's allowed.

Updated on July 11, 2026Sources

Loading your progress…