Alpha Dog Training - Your Dog Must See You As the Pack Leader

     An alpha dog or pack leader can be male or female. He/she controls any situation in the pack and is usually the strongest and healthiest, using threatening facial expressions or nipping at lower ranking members.
The alpha dog is very confident, with a determined character to have control over everyone, including humans. In your dog's world, there has to be a pack leader. Your dog must see you as that leader.

You must always be in charge and control everything. You make all the decisions in your dog's life such as his exercise routine, when and what he eats and where he sleeps. He must always obey you.

Your dog is an animal and must Never be Allowed to Dominate You or Any Member of Your Family.

A dog that believes he is the alpha dog in your house can develop bad behaviour problems such as mounting your leg, ignoring you when he is called, growling at you or anyone in the family when they try to discipline him, aggressive at feeding time, will not get off the furniture when asked, may bite without any provocation or be aggressive with other dogs. The dog does not see you as his superior so treats you as a lower pack member. There are some situations where an owner can become afraid of their own dog because of this dominant behaviour.

To be the Alpha Dog or Pack Leader:

Your dog's training must be daily and consistent and in the case of a puppy must start the moment you bring him home.

When you give a command to your dog, and you are sure that he has learned that particular command, he must always obey.

When you say "no" to him, you must mean it and use a firm tone when you say it.

Give your dog lots of exercise.

Do not let him pull on the leash when you are out walking.

If a dog is naughty or playing rough, especially with children, the game must end, walk away and leave him alone for a while. You could remove the dog to another room or send him to his bed. He will learn that it is more fun if he plays gently.

Do not confuse your dog by allowing him to play rough one day and reprimanding him for it the next day. Be consistent.

The whole family must always eat before the dog and do not give treats throughout the day. Keep treats for his training.

You could have your dog neutered by your vet. This can sometimes cure dominant behaviour but not in all dogs.

Your family must always walk through a doorway in front of the dog. Your dog must be calm and quiet before going out for a walk.

Do not let your dog lie on the furniture or at least you should control when and for what length of time he can be on it.

The adolescent period for a dog is usually from 6 to 14 months. During this time a young dog will try to challenge the leadership of the pack. You must stay confident and consistent with his training and discipline.

Every dog wants a calm and balanced environment to live in. You must always be the alpha dog or pack leader in your dog's life and provide this balance for him/her.