Who’s ‘THE BOSS’ in your house?

Unwittingly some loving owners allow their Frenchie to rule the house and themselves. They allow him to be ‘Top Dog’. On most occasions their Frenchie is adorable and loving, but when the time comes for example to cut his nails, or put him to bed where you want him to sleep, he turns into a bad tempered or aggressive hooligan!

Dominance is the cause of a large proportion, of these types of dog behavior problems, by following the rules set out below you will help reverse and eradicate many of the bad behaviors that appeared as a result of your Frenchie getting above himself in your household. It is designed to reduce his rank within the hierarchy of the human pack.

Consistency is one of the most important things to bear in mind if you have decided you want to modify the behavior of your Frenchie, it must be an all or nothing effort. Everybody in the household must he committed to the rules of the program. There is no point in half-measures as these will prove counter productive It is extremely important that everybody be consistent with permission and denials- For instance: if you don't want your Frenchie to occupy furniture intended for humans, or play with household objects such as shoes, but someone else in the family or household allows this behavior, two things may happen:

1. It will undermine your authority; and you will lose all the progress you have made so far. Thus, any future attempt to assert your authority may result in nasty confrontation, as your Frenchie has learned that it has ways of overcoming human authority.

2. It will confuse your Frenchie. A confused dog is not only unhappy; but can also become aggressive. Do not make the mistake of thinking that if others give into the flog and allow him to have his way; he is going to love them more and you less. A dog is happier when he knows his rightful place in the pack, and when he can easily recognize who the pack leader is. In the case of the domestic dog, the pack leader is EVERY human in the household. This message must be clear and unequivocal.

Here are the basic ground rules to help you ensure that your  Frenchie remains within your control at all times, respects your authority and is happy and well balanced.

>>> When any member of the household comes home, they must walk past the dog, avoiding eye contact or touch, and greet other humans first. Then they can say a quick hello to the dog. If your Frenchie has gone off to sulk, ignore it.

>>> Do not let the dog precede you through any doorway or narrow space. This is a privilege reserved for the pack leader.

>>> Teach your Frenchie to leave a room on command, even if it only for a few minutes before letting him back

>>> If your Frenchie lies in a doorway at the top of the stairs or anywhere where he is blocking peoples path, do not step over him. Tell him to move: if he doesn't do this quickly give him a gentle shove with your foot if necessary. In the dog pack, no lower ranking member would ever dare make the leader move. When the dog sees you move round him or step gingerly over him, he feels he has been elevated in rank.

>>> Do not respond to your Frenchie when he tries to get attention from you, e.g. coming up and lifting your arm with his nose. If he does try, keep sending him away. Every so often, unexpectedly call the dog to you, make a fuss of him, and send him away again.

>>> Do not approach your Frenchie to give cuddles, especially when he lying down, always call him to you.

>>> Prepare the dogs food in front of him, then leave his feeding until after you have eaten. (If feeding in the middle of the day a coffee and biscuits counts as a symbolic leaders share.) When you do offer the dog his food, make him work for it. Give a command such as sit. He does not get his food until he sits.

>>> If he doesn't eat all his food within 10 minutes take it away and do not offer any more until the next allocated mealtime.

>>> Keep control of all toys, ball, etc. Do not allow them to lie scattered around the home or garden. You initiate all play when the dog is not expecting it. After the game, which you bring to an end, take possession of all playthings and put them away out of the dogs reach or sight until next time.

>>> Give your Frenchie a daily grooming. Keep sessions short to begin with, and if you tike reward the dog with a treat. Gradually build up the time spent grooming, and get others to share in the exercise, this gets the dog used to anyone handling and brushing it.

>>> Last but not least, do not let your Frenchie sleep on your bed. If you allow this, in the dog’s eyes you have elevated him to a position at least equal to yours in rank and possibly higher. If you find him on your bed, order him off immediately on a very loud and authoritative voice. Give no reward for obeying you not even verbal praise, but stop your pretend anger as soon as the dog is off the bed. Then he will see how to switch off/avoid your annoyance by behaving well.

If everybody follows these basic rules, many of your Frenchie’s behavioral problems will resolve themselves; remember that how your French Bulldog has been allowed to interpret his place in the human pack is probably what has initiated the problem in the first place.

(From FBCE information leaflet)