Yes, this is my dog on my mom’s couch on a blanket…because I know you were wondering.

Dogs are whole different species. We look at their cute faces and we melt. We just give in and let them have their way. What I want to explain we can help our dogs succeed and earn privilege. I do let my dog on the furniture sometimes. That is a privilege. She gets off when I tell her to and she does not challenge me or get bratty when I have her up on the couch. Entitlement is when a dog starts “owning” the thing that is supposed to be a reward. They start challenging or showing bratty behavior. More often than not entitlement is the case. The thing is that in many cases the owners either have a feeling of guilt or for one reason or another they cannot say “no” to those puppy dog eyes even though the teeth are snapping at the same time. Your dog is not entitled to “rewards”. If it is supposed to be a privilege then treat it is as such. Sometimes “no” is the best gift you can give your dog. This is deeper than a dog jumping on your bed…it could be anything that your dog feels entitled to. This effects your dog’s state of mind. If you have a dog who is entitled then there is some work to be done to adjust what’s going on in their head…and you need to be the one to lead the way with a new mindset. The submissive dog is the one who gets a reward not the bully…That being said privilege doesn’t have to be given to any dog. That’s why it’s privilege. 🙂