A Munchkins To Love Article:

Who's the Boss?

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Who is the boss in your household?  You?  Your spouse?  The adults?  The kids?  The animals?????

Now be truthful, which one did you say?  It's only you and the computer, you can be honest.  Who Really has control of the house? 

Okay, so who shouldbe in control of the house?  Actually, it's the Humans in the house.  Every person should be a boss where the animals are concerned.  Every
Single Person.  All the way to the newest baby in the family.      

I know it's cute to have a four-legged tyrant--sometimes.  But it's not really best for the rest of the inhabitants and it's not best for the dog either.  For dogs, some
one needs to be the boss--the pack leader(s).  And if you won't step up to the job, they will.  And understanding a little bit of dog psychology lets you know that
most dogs are not born to be pack leaders.  In fact, most are born to be followers within the pack.  Check out my favorite dog behavioralist to get a better
understanding....Cindy's Favorite Dog Behavioralist  

If you think in terms of dogs living in packs--as they did and do live in the wild--you will see that one or two dogs are the leaders and the rest follow along.  
Someone has to be Boss.  For the safety, health, and wellbeing of every human living in your house and every human that will cross your threshold or enter your
yard, that boss needs to be You.  (And by "You" I mean every human)  We all want well-mannered dogs.  Friendly dogs.  Obedient dogs.  Happy dogs.  

So, how do we attain these lofty goals?  It's not really that hard, but it will take a lifetime of commitment.  It will take persistence and consistency.  You must be On
the job 24/7.  You must decide what goals you want to achieve.  What kind of dog do you want?  Do you want a maniac that will bark at every twig that moves?  
Jump on every person that enters the house?  Drags you down the street when trying to walk?  Bullies the kids into playing with them?  Of course, your answer
would be No when put this way.  But many people have exactly that type of dog.  Many people will even think it's cute.  And with small dogs, it is kind of cute to
see this tiny little ball of fur showing all of that excitement when you come home.  Who wouldn't want such adoration and devotion?  And as long as you can stop it
when you want, there's nothing wrong with that.  But there must be control of the behavior.  You need to be able to stop any given behavior on your demand, not
when the dog wants to do it.

When dealing with a puppy's behavior, you need to ask yourself one simple question:  Would I want this behavior when the puppy grows up?  If your answer is no,
then you need to start adjusting the puppy's behavior right now.  Not when we reach the 6 month birthday, but now.  And every day from now.  You need to set a
lifestyle with your puppy.  One in which you call the shots.

The first thing to do when puppy comes home is to take them to potty.  Where ever you have decided potty is.  Once that is accomplished, you want some quiet
time to allow the household to calm down (especially when there are already animals at home).  No matter how much fun, or how exciting it is, it's best for
everyone to keep things calm.  You need to decide now what demeanor your household will have and follow through.  However, in order for you to be in control,
you need need to be able to restore that demeanor at your choosing.

You are not damaging a dog's psyche to require obedience and good manners.  And punishment need not exist in order to get that obedience and good manners.  
You only need to correct.  You do not need to punish.  You should not punish.  You use an action or a sound to get the dog's attention so you can let them know a
behavior is not acceptable.  Followed by a firm, low, No. Or by removing them from the area or stopping the behavior.  By doing this, you are showing them who
is the boss.  Dogs actually feel better when they know their place in the family (the pack).  You are stating your position in the family.  It's a state of mind and not a
matter of training--although training is important.  And by doing so, you are showing them their place in the family.  Everyone will be much happier when that
happens.

So, once again, Who is the boss in your household?