I just read Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan (aka The Dog Whisperer), which is a book teaching dog owners how to handle issues with their dogs. Dogs have a lot of energy and were made to roam many miles per day looking for food, so it is important to walk your dog at least 30 minutes a day, if not longer. Also it is important for people to assert themselves as pack leaders. This means the dog should walk next to you, not in front, and that you must go through a door first before your dog does. Dogs communicate with energy, so they sense your emotions and feed off of that. The pack leader should project a calm, assertive energy.

Ruby has been acting up lately and my coworker lent me the book when I was telling her about Ruby's obsessive behaviors. I have been taking Ruby on walks, and on those days, she does behave more calmly and less obsessively. Another behavior I am trying to curb is when she jumps on visitors entering the house. This weekend, she had to sit calmly before the visitor could pass through the front door. It may take a while to resolve the power struggle between the two of us, but I think that inherently she is a submissive dog and will be happier if I assert myself as the pack leader.

Update: Just got back from taking Ruby for a walk and this is the first time I used a short leash and forced her to walk beside me. She has a harness so she doesn't injure her neck from pulling. She pulled the entire time. This may be quite a power struggle.