1. Your dog responds to Sounds and Signals, words are for our own convenience, and if you confuse your dog with too much chatter, the commands will be lost, so try to give just commands and praise.
2. Assert your authority by leading from the front i.e. through doors etc.
Always eat first, making sure that you remove the bowl as soon as your dog is finished and try and maintain any positions of height in the house, so do not let your dog jump up or sleep on beds and chairs and if your dog jumps up at you ,turn your back on him/her giving the command ‘off‘.
3. Try to learn to read your dog’s body language. You will soon recognise the signals given by ears, head, tail, eyes etc. this will help you to pre-empt any situation so that an action can be stopped before it gathers any momentum.
4. The hardest thing of all, is try not to make a fuss of your dog when you first return home. Try to wait five minutes, then call them to you and give them all the fuss you want. This means you are giving them attention on your terms not theirs. Your dog should not be able to demand affection or dictate the time of the walk, so must be ignored should this happen, as soon as they settle down you can call them to you, signifying your right to make all decisions.
5. Your dogs instincts tell him not to resort to rough stuff unless absolutely necessary, they can understand dominance or submissiveness purely by simple gesturing, you need to be a kind convincing pack leader, being thoughtful and respectful at all times, violence and shouting will only confuse your dog and lose you all respect as pack leader.