Leads-alpha

Question

Hi Mark,

My wife and I have two 6 month old huskys (Leah and Viper). They are in general very good for us, but of course they have their moments. My question Mark is in relation to a previous questioned posted regarding the type of leads to use to prevent pulling. You advised to try out three types. Leah and Viper are in general very good for me when I walk them (Leah does creep ahead now and again but I just turn around and walk the other way and they usually get the message fairly quick and stay either behind me or beside me), they do challenge my wife a lot more and can be very stubborn for her (they recently pulled her into a hedge!). Anyway, my question is, if I was to get a stud collar and a 6ft lead, will the fact that they have freedom to go 6ft in front of you affect your standing as alpha, I mean will they be leading you? Also, when walking should they always be behind you or if they are just a little in front, does it matter?  

One other thing is that recently when they are in the house, if we are sitting on the couch, Leah (shes the boss of the two) will sit beside us on the floor and she recently doesn't let viper come beside us, the poor fellow will lie down in the corner 6ft away. We've had world war 3 a couple of times!! I want to cut this out though, and make it clear to Leah that its my space - not hers and I make the rules not her. Any advice as I don't want to handle this incorrectly.

Thanks Mark.

Ciaran (Ireland).

Answer
Ciaran,

It's a normal problem that one person has no problem with the dogs, and the other gets walked over.  This usually has to do with the way the dogs are viewed by the humans.  In your case, my guess is that you have been more involved in the training, feeding and general care for the dogs, and your wife has been there, watching and supporting you, but not leading the dogs as much herself.  They respect you and your leadership, but see no reason to trust and respect your wife as much because she hasn't established the same boundaries.  This often happens as well because the partner isn't the one issuing the corrections, and if the partner is, they often aren't strong enough to leave the impression needed.  My best advice there is to try to help train your wife to: 1) Increase the level of any corrections given to the dogs; 2) Partcipate in more things to establish leadership - feeding the dogs, providing treats, ending playtimes, etc.  Usually, if you focus on letting her do things, the dogs will adjust their view rather quickly, and permit you and her both to be the leaders, instead of just you.

As for walking in front, behind, or to the side, I'm surprised this doesn't come up more in discussions about leadership and establishing order in the pack.  However it may seem, the establishment of the leader is not in who walks first.  Instead, it is in who decides where we go.  In this way, it doesn't matter if the dog is running in the 6-foot circle all around you - as long as it knows it has to stay within 6' of you.  That is the key and what helps establish the leadership.  There are some minor little tricks about thresholds that dogs actually understand about who enters first, but to be honest, in 95% of the cases, it really doesn't matter to the dog.  If you have a very dominant dog, it then can become necessary to make sure you enter doorways first, the dog moves for you to walk by (you don't step over), etc.  However, if the dog is ok with his place in the pack and isn't challenging you at every chance, then allowing the dog to enter a doorway first, or walking over or around a dog instead of forcing it to move are simply more like little treats for the dog.

As for Leah bossing Viper around and protecting you two, that's a tough one.  Here's what you can and cannot do around it:

1) You cannot decide what the order in the pack is - you can only decide your place.  If Leah decides she is over Viper, you must accept that.  To do differently will only encourage Viper to challenge Leah, and Leah to hold her position more strongly (and ferociously).

2) You cannot punish Leah for defending her chosen position.  She decides to lay close to you, she is entitled to that spot as long as you allow her there.  However, if you allow anyone there, you must allow her, as she is next in line.

3) You CAN, however, inform Leah that there is a line that she cannot cross when it comes to defending her position from Viper.  Generally, I let my dogs growl and snap at each other as warnings - even the occasional paw on the back and bite at the neck is ok.  They get along most of the time, so I know that these things are reminders to each other of their position - not serious acts of violence.  However, every once in a while, they cross the line and attack.  At that point, it is my job as alpha to protect the pack as a whole.  I find the aggressor, swiftly remove the two dogs and isolate the trouble maker.  I usually do that by tossing that dog outside for a "cooling off" period.  At that point, I tend to the submissive dog, make sure everything there is ok.  Usually over a rub down and a quick reassurance that things are fine, and then ignore that dog as well.  The reason I do this is to make sure the dog realizes that her position is no different in the pack, but I simply, as a the leader, must make sure everyone is safe and cared for.  I don't want her to think I will intervene any time she challenges for position - instead, I only intervene if I feel there is danger in that challenge.  After five or ten minutes, the other dog comes back in, and the incident is often forgotten.

Dogs generally respond to their owners quite well, and the less you worry about certain things, the less the dogs seem to react to it all as well.  One other suggestion that I would have about Leah and Viper that you can do is leave your spot on the couch to go over and pet Viper or provide treats.  By doing this, you are including Viper in the "pack" and also encouraging the dog that there is no need to challenge Leah to come over for attention, but instead, you will to Viper to offer it.  Further establishment of the alpha role.

Hope that helps some.  If I missed anything, let me know and feel free to write back if anything else pops up.

-- Marcus