overbearing schnauzer

Question
Our female schnauzer (6 yrs.) is very "king" of the roost with any other dog.  We have a 10 yr. old Brittany who gets along with any dog, but I can see she is getting very tired of putting up with the overbearing schnauzer.  Is there a way to temper this behavior? thanks barb

Answer
The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat.