Expert: Jannie Balliett - 11/28/2009

Question
My roommate's 5 month old female boxer puppy keeps standing over or sitting on my two dogs. My dogs are 4(male# and 5#female)years old. The male is part hound and weighs around 70 pounds and the female is part dachshund 35 pounds. I notice that she will do this more to the male and he seems to tolerate it but concerns me because sometimes she will sit on their neck while they are laying down. I tell her to move or make him get up since he will just lay there. I don't know if this is normal behavior for a boxer or if she is trying to dominate or is jealous? I spend a lot of time with all three of the dogs and pretty much have raised the boxer since she was eight weeks old and I care for her every night and on the week ends while my roommate is at work. The roommate has never owned a dog until now and seems to ignore it a lot other then buying it toys, but no true bonding so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Thanks for your help in advance.  

Answer
Standing over another dog is a dominating stance- however, I have never heard of sitting on another dog.

The standing is their way to show the other dog that they are the dominate and they expect the dog to be submissive to them.

In order to modify her behavior, you must- and roommate must too, remover her from the other dog and verbally reprimand her in a stern and assertive voice- but no yelling or shouting.

Buy a whistle and blow it three times then remove her, reprimand her, and continue this each and every time.

You must become the alpha in that pack and teach her you are the alpha, not her.

Do not allow this dominate behavior.