How to be Your Dog's Best Alpha
- Lee Pickett, V.M.D.
Do you have the kind of relationship with your dog that you want? Does he come when called; not jump up onto you or the furniture unless invited; walk quietly on the leash without pulling? If not, he may be confused about who is in charge: he may think that he is alpha. One of you has to be the alpha member of your "pack" family. To establish harmony, you need to let your dog know in kind and respectful ways that you hold that leadership position. Once you do that, you and your dog will enjoy the following benefits:
Safety. It's safer for your dog to cross the street when you say it's okay than for you to cross the street when he says it's okay.
Good health. If he had the power to decline routine care such as nail trims and ear cleaning, he might end up with painful nail breaks and ear infections. But if he learns to tolerate these procedures, he'll have no trouble with physical exams, vaccinations and other veterinary care. And he'll be a dream - not a nightmare - to groom.
A loving relationship. Which dogs crave above all else. In addition to your dog's love and devotion, you'll receive the admiration of friends whose dogs don't listen to them, and you won't have to put up with such nuisance behaviors as chewing on shoes and pillows.
How do you tell your dog, in language he can understand, that you are alpha?
The leader leads! You (and all the other humans living in the "pack" family, including the children) should always be first in line when entering the house. Precede the dog when you go through doors, down hallways and up/down steps. Have him sit and wait for your okay before he leaves the house and gets into or out of the car. Eat before you feed the dog, and if you have more than one dog, place your dogs' food bowls on the floor in order of their dominance.
There are no free lunches! Have him sit or lie down before he gets a treat or a meal.
Remember your body language. Dogs are most sensitive to communication via eye contact, body language and tone of voice. So to assert your alpha position, keep your body higher than your dog's, and pat your dog on top of his head, not under the chin. Since the alpha leader can ask for (and should receive) eye contact at will, try this eye contact exercise daily: stand before your dog, touch the corner of your eye and say, "Look." When your dog looks at your eyes, even if only for a brief moment, praise him! Smile and make your eye contact soft and loving. In time, you'll only have to say "Look" to have his full attention for as long as you want it. Note: the very dominant dog will resist looking into your eyes when you ask for eye contact, but will demand eye contact from you when he wants it.
Being alpha means you win. So don't play tug-of-war games, because when you relinquish the toy, he learns that he's stronger and therefore must be the leader. Besides, tug-of-war games make retrievers bite down harder on objects they should be carrying with a soft grip. Play games you'll "win," like Round Robin Recalls (he gets praised when he runs to the first person who calls, then again when he runs to the second person who calls him, and again when he runs back to the first person), retrieving games and tricks.
Obedience training helps every behavior problem. Practice obedience exercises at home daily and with a group weekly. Every time you tell your dog what you'd like and he does it (and is praised!), especially when there's a group around him to provide distractions, he is reminded that you are the boss, the one whose praise he wants most, the alpha.
Read books that stress positive, motivational methods. Such as: Leader of the Pack, by Nancy Baer and Steve Duno; What All Good Dogs Should Know, by Jack Volhard and Melissa Bartlett; and books by The Monks of New Skete, Carol Lea Benjamin and Brian Kilcommons.
Seek professional help if you're stuck. If you want to progress more quickly, or if your dog bites or is otherwise aggressive, look for a behaviorist, a veterinarian/behaviorist or a dog trainer with specific training and experience in behavior problems.
Safety. It's safer for your dog to cross the street when you say it's okay than for you to cross the street when he says it's okay.
Good health. If he had the power to decline routine care such as nail trims and ear cleaning, he might end up with painful nail breaks and ear infections. But if he learns to tolerate these procedures, he'll have no trouble with physical exams, vaccinations and other veterinary care. And he'll be a dream - not a nightmare - to groom.
A loving relationship. Which dogs crave above all else. In addition to your dog's love and devotion, you'll receive the admiration of friends whose dogs don't listen to them, and you won't have to put up with such nuisance behaviors as chewing on shoes and pillows.
How do you tell your dog, in language he can understand, that you are alpha?
The leader leads! You (and all the other humans living in the "pack" family, including the children) should always be first in line when entering the house. Precede the dog when you go through doors, down hallways and up/down steps. Have him sit and wait for your okay before he leaves the house and gets into or out of the car. Eat before you feed the dog, and if you have more than one dog, place your dogs' food bowls on the floor in order of their dominance.
There are no free lunches! Have him sit or lie down before he gets a treat or a meal.
Remember your body language. Dogs are most sensitive to communication via eye contact, body language and tone of voice. So to assert your alpha position, keep your body higher than your dog's, and pat your dog on top of his head, not under the chin. Since the alpha leader can ask for (and should receive) eye contact at will, try this eye contact exercise daily: stand before your dog, touch the corner of your eye and say, "Look." When your dog looks at your eyes, even if only for a brief moment, praise him! Smile and make your eye contact soft and loving. In time, you'll only have to say "Look" to have his full attention for as long as you want it. Note: the very dominant dog will resist looking into your eyes when you ask for eye contact, but will demand eye contact from you when he wants it.
Being alpha means you win. So don't play tug-of-war games, because when you relinquish the toy, he learns that he's stronger and therefore must be the leader. Besides, tug-of-war games make retrievers bite down harder on objects they should be carrying with a soft grip. Play games you'll "win," like Round Robin Recalls (he gets praised when he runs to the first person who calls, then again when he runs to the second person who calls him, and again when he runs back to the first person), retrieving games and tricks.
Obedience training helps every behavior problem. Practice obedience exercises at home daily and with a group weekly. Every time you tell your dog what you'd like and he does it (and is praised!), especially when there's a group around him to provide distractions, he is reminded that you are the boss, the one whose praise he wants most, the alpha.
Read books that stress positive, motivational methods. Such as: Leader of the Pack, by Nancy Baer and Steve Duno; What All Good Dogs Should Know, by Jack Volhard and Melissa Bartlett; and books by The Monks of New Skete, Carol Lea Benjamin and Brian Kilcommons.
Seek professional help if you're stuck. If you want to progress more quickly, or if your dog bites or is otherwise aggressive, look for a behaviorist, a veterinarian/behaviorist or a dog trainer with specific training and experience in behavior problems.