Little Dog Syndrome.

A common behavioural issue observed in small to medium-sized dogs is “little dog syndrome.” This behaviour often arises from humanizing the dog or inadequately addressing its fears. As a result, these dogs may develop further behavioural problems, including difficulty managing situations independently, leading to increased fear, anxiety, and potentially even aggression.
A great article by Cesar Millan offers valuable insights into how raising your dog in a calm, assertive manner, with you as the pack leader, can lead to a well-balanced and happy companion. We felt it was important to share this helpful resource with everyone!

‘One of the most important things I want to get across is that dogs are dogs — not humans!‘ – Cesar Millan.

• Find a canine solution. Often, the solution we would use for a human is totally wrong for solving a dog’s issues. For example, when a human sees a scared or nervous dog, s/he will first offer comfort and consolation. This would never happen in the animal world and can make the problem worse instead of better, because it reinforces unstable behaviour.
• Speak the animal language. When dogs come into our homes, they meet emotional energy for the first time. We shower them with affection and babble at them in high-pitched baby-talk, so they see us as excited energy. This is why many dogs don’t listen to their human caretakers. Their mothers never acted this way; where did that calm-assertive leadership go?
• Treat your dog like a dog. We often develop a different agenda for our dogs. We want to make puppies our babies. From day one, many humans forget to fulfil and understand their dog’s needs and instead project their own needs and desires on the animal.
• Be the pack leader! In the absence of a clear leader, a dog, even a submissive one, will seek to fill what they see as the vacant leadership role. The dog will ignore the owner, act out, and can lead to serious behaviour issues.

  Projecting the wrong energy to our dogs can leave them confused and disoriented. But their confusion and disorientation manifest in bad behaviour such as tearing up the couch or incessant barking. If we don’t fulfil them as a species, our dogs won’t live a balanced, cantered life.

Understanding and projecting a pack leader’s calm-assertive energy will create a positive and lasting connection with your dog.

This article was found at;
http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/humanizing-your-dog