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[quote=Anonymous]20:49 here.

The issue here is not sleeping or not in the crate, it's the signs of dominance that this puppy is exhibiting. That is not allowed. She cannot learn that there are certain conditions in which she can be aggressive towards you. You HAVE to teach her not do act like this.

"Nonviolent civil disobedience", as I call it, is fine. My dog will let me know when he's done getting his nails dremeled, or when he's tired of getting brushed (he has a heavily shedding double coat, so the brushing has to happen regularly). Instead of acting aggressive, he will gently rise and move away, and if I try to call him or catch him, keep moving away from me, in submissive tail-down, apologetic sort of way. So I let him alone. Respecting boundaries when they're non violent is part of the trust contract. This way when I really need him to comply for something important, he lets me man-handle him - vaccines and teeth-scraping at the vet come to mind.

But the rare times he's been aggressive as a teen, I've doubled down. I cannot let him think he can rule by aggressive displays, ever. That's not how dogs can live with humans, especially vulnerable children. So when he was a teen, I had to yell, swat him on the nose (didn't hurt but it surprised him), and drag him unceremoniously to his crate multiple times. We are past that stage now. You're at the beginning of it, so buckle down: show him you won't tolerate aggression, but that you can sometimes allow non-violent dissent. It takes a lot of observation and communication.
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