Didnt realise so many people believed in Alpha nonsense.

My dog's unofficial office nickname is Alpha Dog. My dog comes with me some days to my part time job. She's thoroughly trained and has excellent manners. A yutz I used to work with had an utter meltdown (IN THE OFFICE!) that I didn't believe in alpha dogs and being dominant over my dog. One of my officemates witnessed the whole thing and started calling my pup Alpha Dog.

It's especially wonderful when we call her, "Come here, Alpha Dog!" and she comes over with her ears back and tail wagging. She's real tough - a natural born killer... of cookies.

melundie said:

Again, I'm not saying I agree, but it's really hard to completely dispute when I saw how beautifully and harmoniously they all live together.

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I suspect it's a lot like kids. Some kids need a firm hand, some thrive with lots of independence. You don't have to buy the entire hierarchy model of canine social structure to be firm with your dog.