The concept of the dog "yielding space" is such a great way to teach you how to be assertive rather than aggressive with your dog. Your dog is a social, pack-dwelling animal. Your household is his pack. All pack or herd dwelling animals thrive best within a relatively stable hierarchy of status with some members being more dominant and others assuming a submissive role. Your dog wants to gain as much status within the pack as he possibly can for the very simple reason that status bestows perquisites. Status is not achieved within the pack by aggression, but by submission, with the lower-ranking animal yielding to the higher-ranking animal's ritualistic display of authority. Your dog will be a much better pet, as well as a safer pet, if you will do a number of things to keep him from assuming increasingly higher rungs on the dominance ladder.

Pack-and herd-dwelling animals maintain status in a number of ways. One is to control the use of space by other animals. You’re going to start controlling space by teaching your dog to yield to you on command and by your body position. Teaching this also has the added value of allowing you to walk into your home with both arms loaded with packages. You will not use food treats in the teaching of this exercise. Have your dog standing in front of you on a loose leash. (This is for control only.) You will not use the leash to move your dog's body. Lean into your dog. Leaning your torso toward the dog seems to be recognized by them as a status-related gesture. Say the word " MOVE" and move toward him with tiny shuffling steps. Keep moving in your intended direction. DO NOT step around him, as this will bestow status on him. As soon as he moves, tell him " GOOD" keep moving until he moves out of your way. Do this several times every day.

This same principle, and this identical action, can be used with dogs that jump on people; after all, these dogs are not respecting peoples' space. But use the word "OFF" instead of move.