Blog: Does Your Dog Sleep In Your Bed?

Our dogs tend to be a huge part of our families, and sometimes the relationships we have with them cross important boundaries.

Here's a list of popular mistakes dog owners make, and details to help you understand why these habits need to be broken.

1. You treat your dog like a human. If you treat your dog like a human your dog will treat you like a dog. Your dog is not your child or relative. Remember, the wolf is still your dog’s second cousin!

2. Your dog sleeps in your bed. Listen people, if I slept with you in your bed I wouldn’t listen to you either. My wife Antonina sleeps in the same bed as me every night – when has she ever listened to me? When you sleep on the same level as a dog, the dog considers you an equal. Equals never take authority from each other. What I learned by living with my grandfather, who conducted Pavlov type research with farm animals, is that in all cases, be it a chicken coop or a pack of foxes, the leader always positions himself higher and will never share his space with those that are subordinate.

3. You treat your dog as an equal. Dogs and democracy don’t mix. There is no such thing as the Bill of Rights in the canine world. If you want your dog to become an acceptable member of the family, he must be last in the social rank.

4. You give things to your dog on a silver platter. Dogs in the wild hunt for food and other resources. When they live in your home, they still require a need to work for their food and possessions in order to be happy. Give your dog physical and mental exercise. Physical exercise can be simply playing a game of fetch. Mental exercise can be practicing proper obedience training for 10-15 minutes each day.These games and exercises will help make your dog dog-tired. Don't forget, a tired dog is a good dog.

5. You’re afraid to say "no” to your dog. You must set limits for your dog and enforce these limits with consequences. There is no “time out” or reasoning with your dog that “what you did wasn’t a good thing”. This type of touchy-feely discipline will always create the opposite effect on your dog.

6. You give your dog constant unconditional affection. Do dogs enjoy human affection? Yes, but not all the time. Many people are shocked to learn that dogs actually desire structure and discipline more than affection. Touch and affection are human needs and desires that we inflict upon our dogs. Dogs look to us for signs of leadership and rules. Always balance love and discipline.

7. You don’t demand respect. Nobody gives you respect out of gratitude. Do you think your dog is any different? Dogs who obey an owner out of gratitude belong to Hollywood movies but nowhere else. Start demanding respect right now.

8. When walking the dog you allow it to walk you. It’s a sign that your dog believes it is in charge of you. It is putting itself in a position of authority and putting you in a subordinate position. You should always lead; the dog walks just a little behind you. Remember, pulling on the leash can lead to damage to the neck and impaired vision.

9. You use human psychology on your dog. You can use some human psychology and philosophy on dogs, but not exclusively. You need to follow the philosophy of the canine mother as well. Human punishments given to dogs will have completely adverse effects.

10. You speak to your dog in English. The only language your dog understands is “Doglish”. Get ready to learn it in my next blog.

-Vladae Roytapel

Vladae Roytapel is the Russian Dog Wizard from SoCal Dog Training in Newport Beach. He has been featured on the David Letterman Show, CNN, Fox and more major news outlets. He can be reached at 949-274-3445 or via email at socaldogtraining@gmail.com. To learn more tips and secrets from the Russian Dog Wizard, visit www.socaldogtraining.com