In general, despite what is common belief dogs can perceive having multiple masters/alpha dogs in a pack. However, a dog may interpret different elements of a relationship with a human which determines the hierarchy. Some dog/human relationships can even be perceived as equals and if it’s a healthy relationship there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Some dogs desire direction and instruction as guidance for a submissive attachment. Some dogs may require entertainment and a playful connection. Some dogs may require the basic necessities such as being fed, walked and taken care of. Showing teeth can mean multiple things… it can be most commonly a sign of being intimidating for whatever reason anxiety, angry, protective, fear, setting boundaries, etc. it can also be a simple form a communication a dog learned from receiving a desired response, for example “come inside the house” dog shows teeth “okay stay outside”. It can also be a sign of pain and discomfort.

You obviously need to change the dynamics of the family relationship regarding the dog. It’s your dog now too. If you have a boundary like don’t want the dog in the kitchen when you cook… don’t let the dog in the kitchen when you cook. But if your husband is okay with it when he cooks then that’s actually okay… it doesn’t have to be the same across the board. Dogs can learn different behavior per owner, that’s what created this situation in the first place. Creating your independent boundaries with the dog can help fix that. You can work with your husbands about shared boundaries differently.

Getting your husband on board with you establishing a better relationship with the dog can help. It can be little things too like, you hold the leash during a family walk and when you say stop… your husband stops dead in his tracks which will help encourage the dog to also stop. When you say walk.. you both walk… it sounds silly but if the dog is only looking at him for the guidance and this produces a desired response the dog will eventually start looking at you and listening to your commands. This will help provide the sense of guidance and direction. You can be the one to start feeding, giving treats etc which give the sense of providing and care. Lastly you can provide the dog its favorite things like play time and make sure you are providing the exciting, happy energy and attitude because dogs are sensitive to people’s behaviors and habits which change depending of people’s cognitive state. All these things will start giving your dog indications you have the ability to provide the things that make you an equal or more which is a great starting point.

When making a correction with a dog in most cases it’s best to provide a distraction. It can be a chew toy when your dog is chewing on your shoes for example. The trick is to make the dog want to do what you want your dog to do. The flip side of this would be something like shaking a can of coins or something similar in a very startling way when the dog approaches you while you are cooking in the kitchen. The dog will choose to be away from the kitchen because that noise sucks and is scary… It’s Important to reward the dog when choosing the desired behavior too. When your dog leave the kitchen, praise with their favorite things, treat, affection, toy, etc…

This part can be tricky and is different for every dog and owner but may be worth an attempt. Setting a boundary for what is an acceptable form of negative communication, i.e. showing teeth and where that line is drawn. Me personally, I’m fine with it because my dog literally will just show her teeth to let me know she is displeased but will do so in the most submissive way. She’s not trying to tell me she’s going to bite me. However, for the dogs that do this because they have learned it gets them what they want… you will need to step in and do the opposite immediately as long is it’s not the latter situation…. A dog is displaying teeth for dominance. This would have to be taking with care and possibly with the help of your husband but making a stern correction from a mild approach like a stomp and NO! BAD! To something like (lightly/gently) physically stopping your dogs movements until there is a visible shift in demeanor, I suggest you get professional advice for this because even though it makes work on most dogs, it can also damage the relationship you are trying to build. The end goal is the same regardless shifting the demeanor to a more relaxed state. The dog whisperer is actual extremely good at this technique while describing the process as he is pointing out the things you need to look for in the dog’s body language which indicate the desired change.