- "My dog just tried to bite me! All I did was tell
him to move over so I could sit on the couch next to him."
- "My dog got into the trash can and when I scolded her,
she growled at me. What's wrong with her? I thought she loved me!"
- "Our dog is very affectionate most of the time but
when we try to make him do something he doesn't want to do,
he snaps at us."
What do these three dogs have in common? Are they nasty
or downright vicious? No - they're "alpha". They've taken
over the leadership of the families that love them. Instead
of taking orders from their people, these dogs are giving
orders! Your dog can love you very much and still try to
dominate you or other members of your family.
Dogs are social creatures and believers in social order. A
dog's social system is a "pack" with a well-defined pecking
order. The leader of the pack is the alpha, supreme boss,
Top Dog. He (or she) gets the best of everything - the best
food, the best place to sleep, the best toy, etc. The leader
also gets to be first in everything - he gets to eat first,
to leave first and to get attention first. All the other
dogs in the pack respect the alpha dog's wishes. Any dog
that challenges the alpha's authority gets a swift physical
reminder of just where his place in the pack really is.
Your family is your dog's "pack". Many dogs fit easily
into the lower levels of their human pack's pecking order
and don't make waves. They do what they're told and don't
challenge authority. Other dogs don't fit in quite as well.
Some of them are natural born leaders and are always
challenging their human alpha's. Other dogs are social
climbers - they're always looking for ways to get a little
closer to the top of the family ladder. These natural leaders
and the social climbers can become problems to an unsuspecting
family that's not aware of the dog's natural pack instincts.
Some families encourage their dogs to take over the "pack"
without realizing it. They treat their dogs as equals,
not as subordinates. They give them special privileges like
being allowed to sleep on the bed or couch. They don't
train their dogs and let them get away with disobeying
commands. In a real dog pack, no one but the alpha dog
would get this kind of treatment. Alpha doesn't have
anything to do with size. The tiniest Chihuahua can be a
canine Hitler. In fact, the smaller the dog, the more
people tend to baby them and cater to them - making the
dog feel even more dominant and in control of his humans.
Alpha dogs often seem to make good pets. They're
confident, smarter than average, and affectionate.
They can be wonderful with children and good with
strangers. Everything seems to be great with the
relationship - until someone crosses him or makes him
do something he doesn't want to do. Then, suddenly,
this wonderful dog growls or tries to bite someone
and no one understands why.
In a real dog pack, the alpha dog doesn't have to
answer to anyone. No one gives him orders or tells
him what to do. The other dogs in the pack respect
his position. If another dog is foolish enough to
challenge the alpha by trying to take his bone or
his favorite sleeping place, the alpha dog will
quickly put him in his place with a hard stare or
a growl. If this doesn't work, the alpha dog will
enforce his leadership with his teeth. This is all
natural, instinctive behavior - in a dog's world.
In a human family, though, this behavior is
unacceptable and dangerous.
Dogs need and want leaders. They have an instinctive
need to fit into a pack. They want the security of
knowing their place and what's expected of them.
Most of them don't want to be alpha - they want
someone else to give the orders and make the decisions.
If his humans don't provide that leadership, the dog
will take over the role himself. If you've allowed
your dog to become alpha, you're at his mercy and
as a leader, he may be either a benevolent king
or a tyrant!
If you think your dog is alpha in your household,
he probably is. If your dog respects only one or
two members of the family but dominates the others, you
still have a problem. The dog's place should be at
the -bottom- of your human family's pack order, not
at the top or somewhere in between.
In order to reclaim your family's rightful place
as leaders of the pack, your dog needs some lessons
in how to be a subordinate, not an equal. You're going
to show him what it means to be a dog again. Your
dog's mother showed him very early in life that SHE
was alpha and that he had to respect her. As a
puppy, he was given a secure place in his litter's
pack and because of that security, he was free to
concentrate on growing, learning, playing, loving and
just being a dog. Your dog doesn't really want the
responsibility of being alpha, having to make the
decisions and defend his position at the top. He
wants a leader to follow and worship so he can have
the freedom of just being a dog again.
How to become leader
of your pack
Your dog watches you constantly and reads your body
language. He knows if you're insecure, uncomfortable
in a leadership role or won't enforce a command. This
behavior confuses him, makes HIM insecure and if he's a
natural leader or has a social-climbing personality,
it'll encourage him to assume the alpha position and
tell YOU what to do.
"Alpha" is an attitude. It involves quiet confidence,
dignity, intelligence, an air of authority. A dog can
sense this attitude almost immediately - it's how his
mother acted towards him. Watch a professional trainer
or a good obedience instructor. They stand tall and
use their voices and eyes to project the idea that
they're capable of getting what they want. They're
gentle but firm, loving but tough, all at the same time.
Most dogs are immediately submissive towards this type
of personality because they recognize and respect alpha
when they see it.
Practice being alpha. Stand up straight with your
shoulders back. Walk tall. Practice using a new tone
of voice, one that's deep and firm. Don't ask your
dog to do something - tell him. There's a difference.
He knows the difference, too! Remember that, as alpha,
you're entitled to make the rules and give the orders.
Your dog understands that instinctively.
With most dogs, just this change in your attitude and
an obedience training course will be enough to turn
things around. With a dog that's already taken over
the household and has enforced his position by growling
or biting and has been allowed to get away with it,
you'll need to do more than just decide to be alpha.
The dog is going to need an attitude adjustment as well.
Natural leaders and social climbers aren't going to want
to give up their alpha position. Your sudden change
in behavior is going to shock and threaten them. Your
dog might act even more aggressively than before. An
alpha dog will instinctively respond to challenges to
his authority. It's his nature to want to put down
revolutionary uprisings by the peasants! Don't worry,
there's a way around it.
An alpha dog already knows that he can beat you in a
physical fight so returning his aggression with violence
of your own won't work. Until you've successfully
established your position as alpha, corrections like hitting,
shaking, or using the "rollover" techniques described
in some books will not work and can be downright
dangerous to you. An alpha dog will respond to these
methods with violence and you could be seriously hurt.
What you need to do is use your brain!
You're smarter than he is and you can out think him.
You'll also need to be stubborner than he is. What I'm
about to describe here is an effective, non-violent
method of removing your dog from alpha status and
putting him back at the bottom of the family totem
pole where he belongs and where he needs to be. In
order for this method to work, your whole family has
to be involved. It requires an attitude adjustment
from everyone and a new way of working with your dog.
This is serious business. A dog that bites or threatens
people is a dangerous dog, no matter how much you love
him. If treating your dog like a dog and not an equal
seems harsh to you, keep in mind that our society no
longer tolerates dangerous dogs. Lawsuits from dog
bites are now settling for millions of dollars - you
could lose your home and everything else you own if your
dog injures someone. You or your children could be
permanently disfigured. And your dog could lose his
life. That's the bottom line.
Canine Boot Camp for
Alpha Attitude Adjustment
From this day forward, you're going to teach your dog
that he is a dog, not a miniature human being in a furry
suit. His mother taught him how to be a dog once and
how to take orders. Along the way, through lack of training
or misunderstood intentions, he's forgotten. With your help,
he's going to remember what he is and how he fits into
the world. Before long, he's even going to like it!
Dogs were bred to look to humans for food, companionship
and guidance. An alpha dog doesn't ask for what he wants,
he demands it. He lets you know in no uncertain terms
that he wants his dinner, that he wants to go out, that he
wants to play and be petted and that he wants these things
right now. You're going to teach him that from now on,
he has to earn what he gets. No more free rides. This
is going to be a shock to his system at first but you'll be
surprised how quickly he'll catch on and that he'll
actually become eager to please you.
If your dog doesn't already know the simple command SIT,
teach it to him. Reward him with praise and a tidbit.
Don't go overboard with the praise. A simple "Good boy!"
in a happy voice is enough. Now, every time your dog wants
something - his dinner, a trip outside, a walk, some
attention, anything - tell him (remember don't ask him,
tell him) to SIT first. When he does, praise him with a
"Good Boy!", then tell him OKAY and give him whatever it
is he wants as a reward. If he refuses to SIT, walk away
and ignore him. No SIT, no reward. If you don't think
he understands the command, work on his training some
more. If he just doesn't want to obey, ignore him -
don't give him what he wants or reward him in any fashion.
Make him sit before giving him his dinner, make him sit
at the door before going outside, make him sit in front
of you to be petted, make him sit before giving him his
toy. If you normally leave food out for him all the time,
stop. Go to a twice daily feeding and you decide what
time of day he'll be fed. Make him sit for his dinner.
If he won't obey the command - no dinner. Walk away and
ignore him. Bring the food out later and tell him again
to SIT. If he understands the command, don't tell him
more than once. He heard you the first time. Give
commands from a standing position and use a deep, firm
tone of voice.
If the dog respects certain members of the family but
not others, let the others be the ones to feed him and
bring the good things to his life for now. Show them
how to make him obey the SIT command and how to walk
away and ignore him if he won't do as he's told. It's
important that your whole family follows this program.
Dogs are like kids - if they can't have their way with
Mom, they'll go ask Dad. In your dog's case, if he
finds a member of the family that he can dominate,
he'll continue to do so. You want your dog to learn
that he has to respect and obey everyone. Remember -
his place is at the bottom of the totem pole.
Bouncing him from the top spot helps but if he thinks
he's anywhere in the middle, you're still going to
have problems.
Think - you know your dog and know what he's likely
to do under most circumstances. Stay a step ahead
of him and anticipate his behavior so you can avoid
or correct it. If he gets into the trash and growls
when scolded, make the trash can inaccessible. If he
likes to bolt out the door ahead of you, put a leash
on him. Make him sit and wait while you open the door
and give him permission - OKAY! - to go out. If your
alpha dog doesn't like to come when he's called (and
he probably doesn't!), don't let him outside off
leash. Without a leash, you have no control over him
and he knows it.
Petting and attention:
Alpha dogs are used to being fussed over. In a real
dog pack, subordinate dogs are forever touching,
licking and grooming the alpha dog. It's a show of
respect and submission. For now, until his attitude
has shown improvement, cut down on the amount of
cuddling your dog gets. When he wants attention,
make him SIT first, give him a few kind words and pats,
then stop. Go back to whatever it was you were doing
and ignore him. If he pesters you, tell him NO! in a
firm voice and ignore him some more. Pet him when
you want to, not just because he wants you to.
Also, for the time being, don't get down on the
floor or on your knees to pet your dog. That, too,
is a show of submission. Give praise, petting and
rewards from a position that's higher than the dog.
Games:
If you or anyone in your family wrestles,
rough-houses or plays tug of war with your dog,
stop! These games encourage dogs to dominate people
physically and to use their teeth. In a dog pack
or in a litter, these games are more than just
playing - they help to establish pack order based on
physical strength. Your dog is already probably
stronger and quicker than you are. Rough, physical
games prove that to him. He doesn't need to be reminded
of it!
Find new games for him to play. Hide & seek, fetch
or frisbee catching are more appropriate. Make sure
you're the one who starts and ends the game, not the
dog. Stop playing before the dog gets bored and is
inclined to try to keep the ball or frisbee.
Where does your dog sleep?
Not in your bedroom and especially not on your bed!
Your bedroom is a special place - it's your "den".
An alpha dog thinks he has a right to sleep in your
den because he considers himself your equal. In fact,
he may have already taken over your bed, refusing to
get off when told or growling and snapping when
anyone asks him to make room for the humans. Until
your dog's alpha problems are fully under control,
the bedroom should be off-limits! The same goes
for sleeping on furniture. If you can't keep him
off the couch without a fight, deny him access to
the room until his behavior and training has improved.
Crate-training:
Dog crates have 1,000 uses and working with an alpha
dog is one of them. It's a great place for your dog
to sleep at night, to eat in and just to stay in
when he needs to chill out and be reminded that he's
a dog. The crate is your dog's "den". Start crate
training by feeding him his dinner in his crate.
Close the door and let him stay there for an hour
afterwards. If he throws a tantrum, ignore him.
Don't let your dog out of his crate until he's quiet
and settled. At bedtime, show him an irresistable
goodie, tell him to SIT and when he does, throw the
goodie into the crate. When he dives in for the
treat, tell him what a good boy he is and close the door.
Graduating from Boot Camp: What's next?
Just like in the army, boot camp is really just an
introduction to a new career and new way of doing
things. A tour through boot camp isn't going to solve
your alpha dog's problems forever. It's a way to get
basic respect from a dog who's been bullying you without
having to resort to physical force.
How long should boot camp last? That depends on the
dog. Some will show an improvement right away,
others may take much longer. For really tough cookies,
natural leaders that need constant reminders of their
place in the pack, Alpha Dog Boot Camp will become
a way of life. Social climbers may need periodic
trips through boot camp if you get lax and accidentally
let them climb back up a notch or two in the family
pack order.
How do you know if you're making a difference? If
boot camp has been successful, your dog should start
looking to you for directions and permission. He'll
show an eagerness to please. Watch how your dog
approaches and greets you. Does he come to you
"standing tall", with his head and ears held high
and erect? It may look impressive and proud but
it means he's still alpha and you still have
problems! A dog who accepts humans as superiors will
approach you with his head slightly lowered and his
ears back or off to the sides. He'll "shrink"
his whole body a little in a show of submission. Watch
how he greets all the members of the family. If he
displays this submissive posture to some of them,
but not others, those are the ones who still need to
work on their own alpha posture and methods. They
should take him back through another tour of boot
camp with support from the rest of the family.
Obedience Training:
Once your dog has begun to accept this new way of
life and his new position in the family, you
should take him through an obedience course with
a qualified trainer. All dogs need to be trained
and alpha dogs need training most of all! You
don't have to wait until he's through with boot
camp to start this training but it's important
that he respects at least one member of the family
and is willing to take direction from them.
Obedience class teaches you to train your dog.
It teaches you how to be alpha, how to enforce
commands and rules, how to get respect and to keep
it. All family members who are old enough to
understand and control the dog should participate
in the class.
Obedience training is a lifelong process. One
obedience course does not a trained dog make!
Obedience commands need to be practiced and incorporated
into your daily life. In a dog pack, the alpha
animal uses occasional reminders to reinforce
his authority. Certain commands, like DOWN/STAY,
are especially effective, nonviolent reminders
of a dog's place in the family pack order and
who's really in charge here.
A well-trained obedient dog is a happy dog and
a joy to live with. Dogs want to please and need
a job to do. Training gives them the opportunity
to do both. A well-trained dog has more freedom.
He can go more places and do more things with
you because he knows how to behave. A
well-trained dog that's secure in his place
within the family pack is comfortable and confident.
He knows what's expected of him. He knows his
limits and who his leaders are. He's free from
the responsibility of running the household and
making decisions. He's free to be your loving
companion and not your boss. He's free to be
a dog - what he was born to be and what he always
wanted to be in the first place!
When You Need Professional Help
If your dog has already injured you or someone
else or if you are afraid of your dog, you
should consult with a qualified professional dog
trainer or behaviorist before starting Canine
Boot Camp. Your dog should also have an exam by
your vet to make sure there are no physical
causes for his behavior.
To find a qualified trainer or behaviorist near
you, contact your veterinarian or the
American Kennel Club
for a list of obedience training clubs in your
area.
Written by Vicki Rodenberg De Gruy, Chairman of the Chow Chow
Club Inc.'s Welfare Committee.
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