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Who is really the boss in your home… You, or your dog?
If you’ve got more than one dog, which one is the top dog?
You need to know this.
We learned it the hard way… after one of our dogs got a little bit out of line.
Some experts in the field taught us how to communicate to him in terms of dog packs and hierarchies. It was recommended that we show him that we are the “Alpha dog” — at all times — not him!
If you have more than one dog in the family, it is important to acknowledge (in front of your dogs) the dogs’ own pack hierarchy.
- Alpha – leader of the pack
- Beta – next in charge
- Omega – bottom of the pack
It is also important that you make it clear to all dogs in your household that YOU are the real Alpha dog at all times.
To maintain control over your dog, you need to dominate every aspect of the dog’s life. —Ron Hines, DVM PhD
Simple Ways To Show Your Dog Who’s In Charge
There are 3 rules of thumb:
1. Your dog should never get anything for free.
2. Never let your dog dominate you.
3. Always reward your dog’s positive behaviors and ignore (or deny rewards) for negative behaviors.
Must read: How To Be The Alpha Dog Of Your Pack
How To Prove To Your Dog That You’re The Boss
Do these things any time when you and your dog are interacting together:
When you play tug of war, do not let your dog end up with the ball or rope when you are finished.- When you feed your dog, do not let him eat until you command him to come.
- Before you pet your dog, make him sit at attention first.
- Do not let your dog jump up on you in his excitement to see you. Instead, lightly “knee” him in the chest and make him sit before receiving any praise, a pat on the head, or a treat.
- Do not feed dominant-prone dogs from the table.
- Do not let dominant-prone dogs sleep in your bed.
- Before going outside, make your dog sit near the door first.
- Before putting on his leash, make him sit calmly first.
- Before entering or exiting the car, make him sit calmly first.
Another positive behavior that should be rewarded is “submission”…
Signs Of Submission
These are some of the submissive things your dog will do in the presence of people or other dogs:
- lying their ears back on their head
- licking their lips
- repeatedly sticking out their tongue when approaching
- rolling over and lying on their back
- avoiding eye contact
- tucking the tail between their legs
- being in a playful position: front paws on the ground, rear end up in the air
Signs of Dominance
Any time your dog displays “dominant” behavior toward you, it should be ignored. These things signify that your dog is attempting to be dominant over people or other dogs:
- posturing, “bumping”, rubbing shoulders, or “body blocking”
- standing still and on alert (usually with the tail in the air)
- growling (even softly)
- “humping”
- looking eye-to-eye
- moving in between 2 people, 2 dogs, or another dog and a person
Remember, it is immensely important that you be totally consistent with your behavior and rewards if you want your dog to be consistent with his.
Here’s another way to tell friendly behavior from unfriendly behavior in dogs.
How To Reprimand An Alpha Dog
As I alluded to in an earlier article about our Alpha dog who was overly protective of the Omega dog, there will be times when you must remind your dog who’s boss.
During those times when you must reprimand the Alpha dog, be sure to correct him boldly and forcefully — just as he would correct the Beta dog. There should never be any question as to who is the real leader of the pack in this household.
Our Alpha dog is an 80-pound Black Lab/Golden Retriever mix. He’s a handful, to say the least, and he could certainly pull his weight around here if we let him. Fortunately, due to early training when he was a puppy (and repeated “refresher courses”), we’ve managed to maintain some semblance of control over him. For the most part, we can put a stop to any unwanted behavior with a simple “No!”
However, after we introduced a new puppy into our home (now 3 dogs and counting), Destin became a little more strong-willed at times, and it would take a few repeated “No’s” to regain control of the situation, followed by an immediate “sit” — at which point we were certain that we had his full attention.
How To Get An Alpha Dog To Mind You
Sometimes, it’s necessary to make it clear to the Alpha dog who’s really in charge here: you. However, an Alpha dog may not always be willing to freely give up control of the situation on command.
In fact, a few times with Destin it became necessary to physically pull him off of the new puppy that he was being too rough with. (These are times when he was trying to teach the puppy how to be submissive.)
It’s a natural behavior, but sometimes it just went too far, causing the puppy to whimper and/or belt out a series of loud yelps — out of fear more than anything else.
Quite frequently, the puppy will be vigorously yelping or crying and on close inspection not so much as a scratch will be found. The puppy must figure out its rank with its new dog family. Source
Unfortunately, such whimpers and yelps would only heighten Destin’s anxiety during those times, and his protective nature kicked into high gear. He became quite forceful toward the little puppy whenever the puppy showed fear. As a result, we had to physically pull Destin off the puppy a handful of times.
As I said, Destin is a big dog. But this one trick has always worked like a charm…
Simply grab the Alpha dog by the back of the neck and hold onto that huge chunk of fur and skin while quickly pulling him “up and back” and into a “sit” position. At the same time, hover over the Alpha dog, clearly showing who’s the boss in this situation. Your aim is not to hurt the dog, just to quickly put him in his place.
Helpful Dog Aggression Resources
- Food Aggression: Why Dogs Do It & How To Fix It
- De-Throning The Canine King
- Humane Society’s View Of Dog Aggression
- Dealing With Canine Aggression
- Winning Your Puppy’s Trust, Respect and Confidence
- Is Your Dog Dominant?
- Dealing With The Dominant Dog
- Aggressive Dogs: The Dominance Controversy
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of. I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year! When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 500 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
Try a paw hold instead of advising people to knee their dog in the chest, dogs mostly don’t want their paws held and will soon not jump up on you. Jumping up on people is mostly a re-enforced behavior from when they are puppies when people praise them for this action and tire of it as they get bigger.
You should always play with your dogs paws, teeth, ears, nose, and behind. That way when they go to the vets office they are ready for a vet to touch them in all those places and will remain calm and not get upset or anxious. Using a paw touching as a punishment or deterrent isn’t smart.
Have your dog meet strangers outside of your home they will have less reason to be so protect of their home environment outside of it.
hello
i have a 2 yr old german shepherd/rotty mix. and he seems to be alpha but i don’t no if he is playing or not. he avoids eye contact, lying his ears back on their head wen i approach him, and being in a playful position. those are the signs of submission.
( sings of Dominance) posturing, “bumping”, rubbing shoulders, or “body blocking”, standing still and on alert (sometimes), and moving in between two people, two dogs, or another dog and a person. he only growls at my other dogs not me.
so please help me. thanks
The dog is fearful. He is not dominant. He is acting out of fear only. He’s trying to warn other dogs that he isn’t a calm dog and can go off. A dog willing to play is not submission in the least. Play is play.
When your dog growls at another dog you put yourself in front of the animal and give him a tug on his leash. If the dog continues then use either a sound or a word you like. Dogs don’t know english so using a word is only for you. But you have to remain consistent. I like and prefer high pitched sounds like Bubp bupb bupb. 3 short and simply sounds that say I want you to look at me. You want the dog to focus on you and not the other animals he is focusing on. The dog should look at you since this will be new to him. Then redirect his attention. Tell him a command like sit or look (Look is where you teach your dog with a hand gesture to your eyes and say look). If the dogs attention goes right back to the other dogs, tug the leash, tell him to sit and gently push his behind to the ground. If you always and I do mean ALWAYS correct your dog, the dog will know that to make you happy he has to stop the behavior. Right now, you haven’t told him the behavior is not to your liking.
Think of the dog as a child who doesn’t know your language but is doing something you don’t like. Treat the dog well and with care and calmness and the dog will want to please you.
At home work with the dog each and every day. Teach him the commands you’d like him to follow. Dogs are happier knowing what you want from them and it helps you both create a bond. Each and every time you are going to give a treat make certain you ask at least 3 commands of him before he gets 1 treat. Don’t do the same commands in order… make certain they know each command. Putting a hand signal with the word is very helpful for the dog. And if they can’t hear you and you need them to stop from afar, it can save their life using a hand signal to tell them to stop.
Once you train your dog on commands like Sit, off, down, stop, stay, shake and so forth the dog will already see you as the leader. If you train with affection instead of treats, the dog will work hard to make you happy instead of working hard to get what it wants.
Since the dog is afraid and growing at your other dogs in the house. Do the sound and place your body in front of him. Also take the time to run through the other dogs commands first as to show the 2 year old that the other dogs aren’t a threat. That you are in control and that you will protect them all. Then you’ll have a happy pack that can’t wait for you to lead on a daily basis.
In any moment or situation you should be the boss in your house not your dog. If you let the dog feel that he is the boss then chances are he’ll behave as if he’s the master of the house. Never ever spoil your dog because it’s pretty hard to discipline him and stop him from wrong doing if he’s comfortable enough with the situation. Those big dogs should be disciplined well.
Thanks for the info
Being 5th generation of rehabbing ‘bad’ dogs (long before there was a name for it or something people thought interesting) I would say that nearly everything written is the wrong way to lead your dog/s. Go watch an wild animal pack sometime. The leader (as you call alpha) is not an animal that does much in the way of correction. Dominating your dog will NEVER make you the leader or alpha of your pack. A true leader is calm and leads by example. If there is one acting out, a leader will first give a few looks, which normally stops the other animal in their tracks. Dogs want to be accepted. It is rare an alpha gets up and dominates another dog. Normally if one is out of control the alpha will get up and go over to the dog. The other dog normally submits instantly. And by submitting I don’t mean having to roll over and show their belly or have their tails between their legs. You will often see a wild dog pack led by a tiny little dog. It doesn’t take strength, dominance or brutality to lead a pack of dogs. One just has to be a good leader inside themselves and the dogs fall in place, or any kind of animals that one has. If a dog is so dominated that they are putting their tails between their legs you have gone so far that the dog is borderline abused! The only reason a dog puts its tail between it’s legs is out of fear! And fear isn’t good. Never hurt your dog (with knee to chest) to teach a dog something. The simple solution is for two people to take the time to teach the dog properly. One uses a leash with a tug collar. Not a choke chain! A tug collar can help give a bit of correction but not with pain in any way. I don’t work with treats, so this is what I do. I do this for several days in a row until it feels normal. And then twice a week for another week or two. One holds the leash and the other comes in the door. The person ignores the dog as they enter the house. The person with the leash tells the dog to sit. Showing the dog how to sit if necessary by lightly pushing on the behind. Not with force. After a few minutes the person can acknowledge the dog. If the dog stands up the human stops and turns away from the dog. Ignoring the dog. Once the dog is sitting and settled again. The visitor can again come and try to pet the dog. If the dog stands up again. The visitor walks away and does not look at, pet, or talk to the dog.
Do this a few times and the dog learns attention means sitting nicely. And dogs love and crave attention. You do not need to punish the dog at all. The leash keeps the dog from running around and acting crazy. And you can tug the dog a little bit if necessary. No saying no or any other negative to the dog. The one with the dog remains calm. Don’t pet the dog. Just sit with the dog sitting next to you. You on the couch or chair, dog on the floor. If dog gets up you slightly tug, look at the dog and say calmly Sit. Do not ask the dog, do not dominate your dog by being too forceful. Say it as if the dog will comply easily with a simple command. If the dog does not sit, gently guide the behind back to the ground. Dog will pop back up, state again to sit. Then wait 10 seconds and if dog does not comply, gently push his behind down again. Do not ever repeat commands in a row. Command then action for compliance. Simple. Not over dominance. Make sure you are ready to remain calm throughout. Do not get angry at the dog. Think of the dog as a foreign child who needs you to be calm and demonstrate what you are trying to teach.
Once the dog understands to remain seated for attention the dog will be complying. Though it may forget in the beginning and going back to bad behaviors again. Once you show that you are calm and in charge (NOT dominant) the dog will happily follow you and do as you ask. Even the most dominant dog will happily follow a leader.
Just wanted to say I agree with you 100%. When we got our two Great Pyrenees puppies a year and a half ago my husband followed the kinds of steps this article outlines to make sure they understood we were in charge, since they were each likely to outweigh me when full grown and he didn’t want to me to have any problems handling them when I was alone with them. I followed the calm, steady, “I’m obviously in charge so why would I need to intimidate you – that’s just the way things are in this house” route and now both dogs do exactly what I say (though they can be slow about doing so, since stubbornness is a breed trait) while he can’t figure out why they don’t listen to him at all. They love him, but the difference between their behavior when he’s home with them and when I’m home with them is shocking. They very blatantly do not respect him as an authority figure in any way. He’s just another pack member.
Absolutely. Great job, by the way. A true leader just leads and no need to yell at others or push others around. And the same holds true regardless of animal or human.
Stubborn dogs are often mistaken for stupid so I applaud you on knowing the difference. Working with them and not just getting frustrated and walking away like so many do. Stubborn dogs are harder and more people should look carefully into a breed before getting them because they like the looks. Because, as you learned, if you know the breed and understand them, it goes so much easier. Well.. maybe easier isn’t the right word? ha. But it does go smoother and calmer. You know what you were getting into and you adjusted for it and that is fantastic!
Stubborn dogs just need you to out stubborn them a bit and then they eventually fall more into line. And of course they like to push boundaries as often as possible so keeping your ground is important. I like stubborn breeds because they keep you on your toes and always are interesting… but definitely not for everyone. ha
And your husband has learned a hard rule. Being tough and acting in charge in any way other than calm and expectant makes a dog not interested in minding or following. There can be two leaders in a home, but both have to follow the right path. Both have to believe in themselves. Both have to set down rules in a calm but assertive fashion and both have to always follow through.
So many bad articles and so many bad ‘trainers’ out there that all fell into that rut of thinking you have to push to get what you want.
What does it mean to hover over the alpha dog? Thanks.
Hi there, basically it just means to stand in an imposing way over the dog – tall and big – almost hunched over the dog, rather than submissively standing next to the dog. The bigger you seem (during these types of training & behavior sessions), the more likely the dog will see you as the authority in this situation and respect you… listen to you.