I don't know what works with other dogs and if your dog will kill you in your sleep if you let it out the door before you, but as for Carmen, she is a sweetie pie and adores our family. We dote on her and she dotes on us. She'd follow us over hot coals just for a tummy rub. She doesn't try to boss me just because I feed her first or let her out the door first. Neither of us "dominates" the other--I'm not really even sure what that means. My dog is nice to me and I'm nice to her. If she jumps up on the couch we make room for her. If we don't want her on the couch we tell her to get off (hardly ever) and she does. I guess if you have a problem dog then maybe you need the alpha stuff but my dog likes me.
Didnt realise so many people believed in Alpha nonsense.
So I have moved areas and become part of a face book group for the local dog park.
There are quite a few members who post, asking how do I get my puppy not to be the alpha over the older dogs and blah blah blah she needs to know she is at the bottom.
I REALLY did not realize how many people bought into that BS.
Sigh.
There are quite a few members who post, asking how do I get my puppy not to be the alpha over the older dogs and blah blah blah she needs to know she is at the bottom.
I REALLY did not realize how many people bought into that BS.
Sigh.
1 - 3 of 173 Posts
Carmie would take the bones and run away hoping the other two would chase her, but only if they have shown an interest in the bones first. She loves to play.IF three dogs are in a room and you put three bones in the center of the room and one dog takes control of all three bones, what do you call that?
She does what I say, mostly, b/c she thinks I am the bringer of good things, food, treats, toys, affection. She thinks it rains food when I'm around. She gives me her paw when I ask b/c she has received treats for that in the past. She has been trained and learned to associate good behaviors with rewards and is now accustomed to behave a certain way. It's not submission at all. She associates me and my "commands" as a good thing and a rewarding experience.
I only have one dog. Most domesticated dogs are not asserting dominance for resources. I suppose dominance may be more of a factor when resources are scarce but then pack are smaller or not at all in those dire circumstances.Call it whatever you want, but a dog the regularly controls resources is above the other dogs in hierarchy.
As far as me controling the resuorces, there may be a fine line between my dog doing what I ask b/c she has associated me with great things, like food, or my dog doing what I ask out of fear that she won't get the food or even reverence for the bringer of food. I just don't think dogs are that smart. I think they learn to associate you with great things and think the sun sets on you. Carmen does not think for a minute that she won't get treats if she doesn't obey. But she does think that she might get treats if she does obey so she's now in the habit of giving me her paw when I ask. She sees me come trhough the door and it's all butt wagging happiness for my "resources" not tentative observation of whether I'm going to start passing out treats or not.
1 - 3 of 173 Posts
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