I have read all of the following to come to the conclusion that I chose the most dominant dog out of the litter and yes, according to these characteristics, I consider her a dominant dog. I also had a dog as a puppy before her to compare her to and she was not a dominant dog. But basically all this means is that training her is much more challenging, definitely more challenging than my previous dog AND more challenging because I did not have kids until my previous dog was an old dog.
From:
http://www.showdog-magazine.com/Training/dominance.htm
Dominant dogs are pushy, unresponsive to training and may not have good house and company manners. They will try to have everything their own way. Does this sound like a dog you know? If so, you may want to try to change some things in your relationship with your dog so that you are the clear leader and it is the follower. There are several things you can do to manage a dominant dog. However, first you have to be able to recognize one. Please remember that dominance and aggression are not the same. Only dominant behaviors are addressed here.
Some Behaviors that May Indicate Dominance:
Pushing through doors, inside or outside, before you.
Jumping or reaching for food or treat before it is put down or in reach.
Putting his or her feet on you, standing on or pawing at you.
Barking at you when told to do something or when he or she wants something.
Trying to be physically taller than you.
Getting on furniture before you or before being given permission.
Reluctance to move from a spot you want to sit on, walk through or put something in.
Reluctance to release food or toys.
Staring at you; prolonged eye contact except when you ask for it in a training or working situation.
Reluctance to obey simple, normal commands such as sit, go-out, get-off, etc. May be a refusal or slow compliance.
Marking (urinating or defecating) in house, marking your personal belongings or bed.
Running into you or jumping on you hard during play. This is a display of physical superiority and rights.
Growling or barking at you during play.
Sexual behaviors, such as mounting, with an inappropriate partner. Putting her or his head on or over your head or shoulders.
Holding chews or toys against you while chewing or playing with toy.
Any attempt to shove you out of the way when walking, sitting with, moving past or laying with you.
Mouthing you at any time, any placing of her or his mouth on you whether in protest, during play or during petting.
Eating before you.
Not accepting petting or touching on top of his or her head or body.
Getting playful or cute instead of obeying when told to do things. The dog may obey briefly and immediately resume previous behavior.
Guarding food, toys or locations that they see as theirs.
From:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/dominatebehaviorsdogs.htm
Below are some common behaviors dogs display when they believe they are above humans. Keep in mind that a dog does not have to display all of these behaviors to be in a dominant frame of mind. Sometimes an alpha dog will only display a few of the behaviors and at random times, depending on what the dog decides they feel like doing at any given moment. Smarter dogs tend to challenge the pack order more than dogs of average or below average intelligence.
Stubbornness
Headstrong and willful
Demanding
Pushiness
Begging
Pushing a toy into you or pawing in order to get you to play with them.
Nudging to be pet.
Sitting in high places looking down on everything.
Guarding a human from others approaching. People like to call it 'protecting' but it's actually 'claiming'. Dog owns you.
Barking or whining at humans which many owners consider "talking" (without a command to do so).
Jumping or putting their paws on humans (without a command to do so).
Persistence about being on a particular piece of furniture when you ask them to stay off (dog owns it).
Persistence about going in and out doorways before humans.
Persistence about walking in front of humans while on a lead.
Persistence about getting through the doorway first.
Refusing to walk on a lead. (excluding untrained puppies, dogs with injuries or illnesses)
Nipping at people's heels when they are leaving. (dog did not give permission to leave).
Not listening to known commands.
Dislikes people touching their food.
Standing proud on a human lap.
Persistence about being on top, be it a lap or stepping on your foot.
Persistence about where they sleep, i.e. on your pillow.
Annoyance if disturbed while sleeping.
Likes to sleep on top of their humans.
Licking (giving kisses) in a determined and focused manner.
Caring themselves with a proud gait, head held high.
Not liking to be left alone and getting overly excited upon the humans return. (See Separation Anxiety in Dogs)
From:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/puppytemperamenttest.htm
Within the same litter of any purebred or mixed breed dog will be puppies with different energy levels. Some pups are more shy and timid while others are curious and like to explore and not afraid of very much at all. Some puppies have a higher tolerance for pain and some are very sensitive. The pups that are more sensitive are not the ones you want to choose for small children. Some puppies may get spooked by loud noises while others in the litter are not bothered. Some pups within the same litter are going to be more submissive and easier to train, while others are going to, by nature, be more dominant, needing an owner who knows how to handle this.
It is always a good idea to give a puppy a temperament test before you adopt. Perform the steps below. NOTE: most pups will try to puppy bite your hands-- this common puppy trait is not what you are watching for, you will be looking for signs of annoyance.
1. Roll the puppy on its back and rub it's tummy. How easily does it allow itself to be on its back with its tummy being touched?
2. Gently squeeze its paws. Put the pup on the ground and hold its two front paws, then hold onto its back paws. Restrain the puppy for a minute, but do not hurt the puppy. Does it allow its paws to be touched without getting annoyed or growling?
3. Play with the puppies ears, does the puppy mind if its ears are touched and gently tugged?
4. Hold the pups tail. Does it allow its tail to be tugged?
When performing your test, be careful not to hurt the puppy. Any dog in pain may react. You are simply trying to see how well he tolerates being handled. Rolling the puppy on its back is putting it in a submissive position. A more dominating dog will not tolerate this as well as a puppy who is more on the submissive side.
5. How does the puppy approach humans and the other dogs in the litter? Is he standing high and proud, or is he holding his head low, as if he was a little sad? Dogs with higher dominancy levels will approach standing high and proud, ears perked. While this looks adorable, keep in mind, this is how a dominant dog carries himself. A submissive dog will hold his head low, ears back, and slink himself down, trying to look smaller. Submissive dogs are easier to deal with than dominant dogs. If you do not feel you have a complete understanding of canines and what it takes to be a true pack leader to your dog, you should be picking a submissive puppy. Read up on the subject because all dogs need a pack leader, no matter what their dominancy level is. All dogs need to have their instincts fulfilled to happily coincide with humans.
6. If possible, watch the litter at feeding time. Which pup is the most assertive at getting the food? Which pup tries the least. The pup who gets most of the food or is more pushy about it is the more dominant pup.
7. Place all of the pups up on something such as a chair (one that is at a safe jumping distance). Which pup insists on jumping off first? Which pup is content to stay longer and watch the others? The pup who is willing to sit back and watch will tend to be the more submissive pup, hence an easier pup to handle.
8. Watch the pups play and interact. Which pup is dominating the play?
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