Secrets to Dog Training Weekly Newsletter

The case of the Aggro Alpha: How to regain control

I have read the ‘Secrets to Becoming the Alpha Dog’ booklet and we have all started doing these small things at home with the dogs. Aside from that, I don't know where to start or what to do. I don't want to get rid of my dogs, but if I can't get Einstein calmed down and no longer growling at any of us, I can't have him at home. I have tried to work with him a little but he will growl at me (then roll over on his back which really confuses me) and I'm afraid to correct him as I'm not sure how much of his growling is just that or if he will act on it.

I feel completely overwhelmed as to how to even begin. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Kingdom of Pets replied:

I understand how tricky this situation can be but don’t fear, there are a number of things we can do to set things right:

Working with an aggressive dog

Doing alpha training with a dog that is already showing major signs of aggression can be difficult especially when the dog is large and strong and you are not confident handling it. There are two main things you can do to improve this sort of situation:

Purchase a head collar to assist in alpha training.

A head collar such as a Halti or Gentle Leader is an excellent tool for handling and training aggressive dogs. Introduce it to your dog following the instructions that come with it, at a time when your dog is happy and relaxed. Use lots of treats and praise. Once the head collar is on attach a long lead, and you will then have an excellent way to quickly and calmly move your dog, which is vital for alpha training. Now when you ask your dog to get off the couch or out of a doorway and he just growls, you can quickly and quietly move him using the lead and head collar as the head collar will guide him and does not allow him to pull against you or exert his strength in protest.

You can also use it to enforce time out. For example if you and your dog are in the lounge and your dog growls as your daughter enters you can quietly and calmly get up and move the dog to time-out outside or in another room for 3 minutes. Time-out is an effective training method for aggressive dogs as it allows you to show you calm clear leadership by showing that you control the attention the dog receives from the pack and if the dog misbehaves you will take this precious resource away.

Finally the head collar gives you the ability and confidence to walk a powerful dog while keeping its behavior under control. This will mean you can walk your dog regularly and this is important because exercise helps to reduce aggression issues.

Once your dog is fully accepting of you as alpha dog you can phase out the head collar all together or reserve it for walks only.

Work with your dog daily.

Set aside some time every day to work with each dog separately and build a separate bond with each. Dogs that are better bonded and do regular obedience are easier to handle and work with because following commands reinforces your alpha status and also provides a mental challenge for your dog, which reduces boredom and energy. Even if you can only spare ten minutes per dog run through some commands with them every day.

Organizing a dog pack in chaos:

Just as it is important for your dog to know where it stands in the pack order in relation to humans it is also important that each dog in a multi-dog household knows where it stands in the pack in relation to the other dogs. You can use the basic principles of alpha dog training to sort this out too.

In a wild dog pack the dominant pack member controls:

• access to food
• access to favored or important areas
• any interactions with lower pack members
• access to favoured items such as toys

You want the order of your pack to be; you, other people, (other pets such as cats), and then your dogs in order of calmness, age and/or size. The exact order of the dogs shouldn’t matter too much as long as you pick one and stick to it. In general, however, calm and confident older dogs are naturally more dominant. Aggressive dogs should be placed lowest in the pack.

In order to show each dog its position in the pack you and your whole family can take advantage of the keys points of dominance in the following ways.

1) All dogs must eat after all people at every meal and should never get treats from the table. When it is time to feed the dogs ask them all to sit and give the dominant dog its bowl first and then a little while after give the next most dominant dog it’s bowl and so on.

2) They should never walk through doors before you. A good way to practice this is to walk around the house and make them sit at each doorway and wait. Similarly the most dominant dog should always be taken in or out of the car or house first and then the next most dominant etc.

3) If you intend to allow access to areas such as beds or couches first access should go to the most dominant dog. If you have an aggressive dog (which will therefore be lowest in the pack) do not allow it access to such places.

4) When you arrive home completely ignore the dogs for 15 minutes. Don't look at them, talk to them or pat them. After this go to them one at a time in order of dominance and give them some quiet attention only as long as they are relaxed and calm.

5) Give first access to prized items such as toys to the more dominant dog and then later to the others in dominance order.

This may seem unfair or like favoritism but remember the dog pack is not the same as the human family and non-pack leaders are familiar with such controlled access by their dominant pack mates.

Other things that may help reduce inter-dog problems

If your dogs are not de-sexed you should consider de-sexing them. De-sexed dogs have reduced sex hormones which reduces their interest in dominant and aggressive behaviors. On top of this de-sexing your pet greatly reduces their chance of getting a number of common cancers. If you are considering de-sexing discuss the pros and cons with your local vet.

You can use a DAP dispenser in your house to help reduce the stress of all dogs. DAP is a dog appeasing pheromone which mimics the one that mother dogs give off to calm puppies. By calming the dogs DAP will help reduce the incidence of aggressive behaviors.

Taking on all this training is a big challenge but you will find it gets easier every day and that you are able enjoy rather than reluctantly endure time with your dogs!

All the best,

Daniel Stevens and the Secrets to Dog Training Team
"Secrets to Dog Training - STOP Dog Behavior Problems!"
http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/

P.S. Forward this Newsletter to a friend

If you have a friend you think may be interested in training their dog or solving a particular dog behavior problem, please feel free to forward them this Newsletter.

P.P.S. Remember – you have full access to our Members’ Forum

Because you are a Member of ‘Secrets to Dog Training’ you have full access to our Members’ Forum. If you have a dog behavior question or a related problem, you are most welcome to bring it to the Forum. Post a detailed description for our trainers and fellow Members to read. Within 1-4 working days you will see recommendations on how to solve it once and for all.

If you haven’t already registered for the Forum, you can do this from the Members’ Area: http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/members/ or you can go straight there by clicking here – http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dog/forum/

Previous Newsletters

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14