I have a 9 month old Jack Russell puppy. He is really very sweet and fun, but definitely has his share of naughty moments, particularly when he runs upstairs to our second floor. For some reason he takes a very dominant stance in the hallway and tries to act tough with anyone coming up the steps. He will bark and starts to nip at feet and ankles. He'll even untie our shoes. In general, he starts to get a little too aggressive and fiesty there.

My guess is that it has something to do with his position being above us when he beats us up the steps, but it's really frustrating trying to figure out how to get him to stop behaving this way. We'll tell him to sit as we're coming upstairs and then we'll pet him to try to distract him, but as soon as we're done petting him he starts right up with the same behaviors anyway. Any advice on how to handle this?

Thanks!

I'm sure you are right about the stance on the stairs, with your faces at his level for a moment, which means threat in the wild. You just have to show him you are alpha. For starters, don't let him get there first. And distraction is not enough when a dog is old enough to be aggressive. Put him on a leash going upstairs, and hold him next to you at the step not in front of your forward foot, and say 'heel' and 'sit' if he attacks your feet. Keep on the leash until he quiets down. Do this for a week or however long it takes.