A Top Dog

Dogs descended from wolves, and deep within the psyche of your dog lies instincts they have retained from their wild ancestors. In order to live with and communicate with your dog you need to understand why you must maintain Alpha position in the "pack."

Your dog depends on you for its survival. It has learned that it must cooperate with you through thousand of years of evolution and adaptation in human society. The first domestication by man was the wolf. About twelve thousand years ago we discovered that having a wolf as a "pet" was a great asset. They could hunt alongside us and they could guard us as we sleep.

As the years went by, the wolf began to mutate into different breeds. Scientists are unsure exactly how the first breeds developed. There are several different theories that include natural mutations, climate, and environment. The breeds became more numerous and more specialized. That is how we ended up with groups such as herding, hunting, shepherding, guarding, and of course, companion and lap dogs.

Of all the animals that we have domesticated, only the dog has willingly allowed itself to accept the authority of man without constraint. But as I said, it still retains the instinct to test its position. Yes, even sweet little Lady, the Maltese lying at your feet, has the genes and instincts of the wolf.

Wolves live by rules and have a social structure. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined. The leader of the pack eats first, and then the rest of the pack can eat. When your dog growls at you when he is eating, he is saying "I am the leader, and you must wait."

I will give you some "rules to live by" that may be of help to you.

• Never tolerate growling. This is a threat and it means your dog sees you as a subordinate meant to be dominated by him. Tell him No! Let him know it is not acceptable to EVER growl at you or your children. Make it clear that your children are the offspring of his Alpha leader (you) and that they are to be treated as Alpha "pups."
  
• Do not let your dog walk through the door first. If your dog always goes ahead of you, you need to get your leash and open the door. When he rushes ahead you pull him back and tell him "No. Wait. " You walk in and then give him permission to come in. This will be easier and faster if you have someone help you.
  
• Do not let your dog sleep in the same bed as you. This is a definite Alpha position. If you just can't be without your dog in the bed, at the very least you need to make sure he sleeps at the foot of the bed. A doggie bed on the floor beside you is your best bet for maintaining Alpha position.
  
• Socialize, socialize, socialize. I cannot stress enough the importance of introducing your dog to different places and people. Obedience classes are also mandatory.
  
• Do not let your dog ride in your lap in the car. Make him sit in his own seat or on the floor.
  
• Do not baby your baby too much. He needs to learn to be a dog.
  
• Do not overprotect him. He needs to explore and learn to be independent. You do not want to raise a flighty, paranoid dog. When he acts afraid of something that he should not be afraid of, do not pick him up and ooh and ahh over him. Simply tell him it is okay, and show him the object, person, etc. so he will learn not to be afraid of things. If you feed his imaginary fears, he will become a snappy and untrustworthy dog. He may develop fear aggression. An example of fear aggression could be a dog that sits in its owner's lap and growls at people or other animals.
  
• Do not pet him and say "It's okay." You are really telling him this is the type of behavior you expect of him, and he will continue to do it because there is a reward attached to it. Tell him no and put him down off your lap. While some owners think it is sweet that their little lap dog is "protecting them," it is not. When a child reaches to pet the dog or hug Grandma it could bite them if it is allowed to get away with this antisocial behavior. This is a dog that has taken on Alpha position and you are a subordinate. I have seen so many children chastised when they get bitten, when it's the owner that is responsible. You will often hear people say "Now, you know Granny's dog doesn't like you to go near her. She is jealous, and protective. We have told you over and over not to do that." What a shame. And it could all be avoided if we would just take the time to learn canine behavior. As much as we would like to believe that they think like us, they do not.
  
• If you have a problem with your dog growling at you or another family member, you may want to try having the person your dog growls at the most be the only one to feed him. You want to make him sit to reinforce your position as the leader. He is learning that he depends on you and he must obey in order to eat. And if he growls after you set down the food, tell him no and take the food away. Tell him to sit again. This is how you will reinforce the "no growling rule.'' You must never tolerate growling because this will usually lead to biting. Not always, but it can. So you need to nip it in the bud as soon as possible. I want to make it clear we are not talking about puppy play growling. Only growling that is geared towards aggression growling. Puppies need to be able to be puppies.
  

One last thing... spend time with your dog. Play with him. Train him, and love him. Just as a child looks to his parents for guidance and boundaries, so does your dog. Sometimes we have to use tough love, but in the long run, you and your dog will be happier if you maintain the Alpha role.