How to become the ALPHA

How to become the ALPHA

Dogs have an innate instinct for social structure and order. A dog, by definition, is a pack animal and within this pack there is always a “pecking order”, led by an “alpha” who is literally the top dog. As leader, he or she is able to expect, and get, the best of everything that is on offer. This includes the best quality food, the most comfortable place to sleep, the most sought-after toys, and so on. This top dog is also the first to eat, the first to leave and disperse from the pack, the first to be attended to, and this primacy of rank is implicitly understood by all the other dogs, who in turn respect the top dog’s wishes. If any other dog makes an assertion which puts this primacy into question, they are reminded of the order of things swiftly and harshly.

Your dog sees your family essentially as the pack. Usually, dogs are quick to learn and understand their place at the lower end of the pack; they obey their human masters implicitly. But some dogs have difficulty with this. Those animals who are nature’s leaders may be loath to occupy this lower rung and will make challenges. Some dogs have a tendency to try to climb this hierarchical ladder or at least get closer to the top. Unfortunately this may present a huge problem within a family which does not understand their pet’s natural impulses.

Some families, choosing to treat their pets as other family members instead of subordinates, will unwittingly tempt them to try to lead their human pack. Allowing the dogs to sleep on the bed instead of a basket can be construed as entitlement, as could allowing them to misbehave or not giving them the proper training that the dog of a lower rank would merit. The pre-eminence of the leader is not related to how big it is; even small dogs can have the huge ego of a leader. The paradox here is that very small dogs tend to be pampered as if they are the baby in the family, leading to an even greater feeling of superiority in the canine.

Because top dogs are assured of themselves, intelligent and responsive, they’ll often make good pets. Such animals tend to be caring around children and behave with strangers. In fact, all is well until a point where another family member tries to make the dog do something which the dog sees as humbling. At this point the family pet starts baring its teeth and acts aggressively, and everyone is puzzled by this.

In a state of nature, alpha dogs have no need to accommodate any other creature, and is subject to nobody’s command. All the other dogs will implicitly respect this. If this hierarchy is threatened by any other dog foolish enough to do so then the dominant dog will quickly decisively respond by growling or confronting the other dog with a warning stare. If that fails to work then the top dog will use his teeth to further enforce authority and remind the others of who’s who. While entirely natural in a pack, within a human family such responses are not acceptable and can be unsafe.

Dogs instinctively need to be part of a hierarchy and to know their place in it. This provides security, the promise of continuity and guides their behavior. Most dogs actually don’t want to be dominant because it’s much more convenient when decisions are taken by others. However, when such leadership is lacking then the dog may well fill the power vacuum itself. If a dog has been allowed to do this then you should expect it to behave as a leader and be either benevolent or tyrannical.

When you suspect your dog is alpha then the chances are that he will likely be so. If the animal looks up to some family members but down on others then you are still faced with a dilemma. Because the proper place for a dog is at the bottom of the family hierarchy, and nowhere else.

If you need to reassert the family’s own authority then you need to train your dog that it is a subordinate member, and show it specifically what this means. As a puppy, your dog’s own mother taught it that she had to be obeyed and respected, and in exchange for this he was given security and freedom to grow and to play, to learn and to just be a dog. The chances are that your dog does not want to be a leader, because of the responsibility that brings with it. Instead it wants the freedom and security of its own place in the pecking order so it can simply enjoy things being normal and provided for.

How to Become Your Pack Leader 

You may not know it, but your dog constantly monitors you down to every part of your body language for cues of insecurity, discomfort or weakness. If you exhibit any of these cues then it will confuse the dog and if he’s inclined to dominate he will seek to assume some kind of dominant role over you.

Being top dog is a state of mind. Top dogs are quiet with their dominance and carry it off as natural. Any other dog will instinctively understand this from being a puppy. If you observe professional dog trainers they will stand upright and everything they do and say will assert their natural right to be dominant. Their authority is absolute but it is always fair, because there must be rules. Dogs will readily understand and submissively react to this authority figure.

So it would be a good idea to learn the attributes of this authority figure and apply it, walking straight and tall, with a voice which is confident and steady. Give your dog instructions, not suggestions. He’ll know what the difference is. He also knows that, because you’re the top dog, you’re the one giving the orders and your orders must be obeyed.

This simple change in your style should, when used together with an obedience course, be sufficient to bring things back to normal at home. But if things have already gone beyond that, and if your dog has been allowed to get away with all sorts of things, and displayed all the hallmarks of frustrated dominance that go with it, then it will be necessary to go much further than just play the alpha role.

Your sudden reassertion of authority will likely cause some alarm and even threaten your dog, because he won’t want to abdicate his position of authority. There’s a chance he might react with greater aggression. If he’s that way inclined to begin with, all his instincts will make him want to crush this human revolt which is now presented as such a threat. But you needn’t worry about that, as there’s a workaround.

There is little use in trying to use physical force when attempting to get your point across to your dog in this situation; your alpha dog will be able to assail you with more force and harm than you will ever be able to inflict back, and your dog knows it. Some dog training manuals say that you should use force or various other physical methods in asserting your authority, but experience shows that this will not work and could even be harmful. You do not want violence to enter into the allowed discourse.

Instead, engage your brain! You are a much more intelligent animal than he. You’ll also need to stand your ground. You’re about to learn a highly effective tactic, without the use of violence, which will place your dog firmly at the bottom of the family hierarchy and relieve him of alpha status. For this to work you need to involve the whole family. Each and every family member must realign themselves towards a new attitude and relationship with the dog.

You must not underestimate the importance of doing this properly. Every dog has the potential to turn nasty when the means and the circumstances enables this. You have to suppress any danger of violence in your dog by training which emphasizes that he is a dog and not a human family member. You cannot have your dog calling the shots and potentially injuring someone, or you risk a lawsuit costing millions if someone gets hurt. You could lose everything including your home and even your life if you don’t start using your head!