CAN MY DOG BECOME AN ALPHA DOG ?

We all believe, or want to believe, that our pup is an alpha dog and that he will rule the dog park at play time.

The truth is that ... it’s a complicated.

Before thinking about having a dog that might/could become an alpha dog, YOU need to become one.  It is important to comprehend what is exactly an alpha dog so your relationship with our K-9 can be fair and respectful.   

A dog is not, and cannot be, an alpha dog only because we say so or because he is the biggest one at the dog park. A dog is a pack animal.

In the wild, dogs (and wolves, for that matter) move in pack, hunt in pack and sleep in pack. And you will never, ever, see two alpha dogs in a pack. Never. If you translate this behaviour of the wild into your own relationship with your dog, it means that your family represent the pack and that there will be only one pack leader in your household. And I don’t mean that the dog should be the pack leader.

Becoming a pack leader is relatively easy (in theory). Simply follow these easy steps:

1. Dogs are dogs. They are not children. They do not eat at the table, they do not decide when or where they eat. Treat your dog as a dog. YOU decide when they will eat and where they will eat. They should have a dedicated place where they will be feed. If you have a Labrador and you go for a walk in the fall, you don’t need to buy a winter jacket for him (not for a lab anyway). Really, you do not. 
2. Exercise. The best way to have your dog in a state where he will listen to you is when he is tired. Walk, run, bike, swim. Choose the activity and let him use his energy. It is also a good way for you to stay fit and healthy.
3. Training. Last time you went to your pet store, you might have chuckled when you saw those dog-owners try to imitate the instructor and have their dog sit, stay or down. Don’t laugh too loud, because these people are smart. A pack leader will tell his pack when, where and how to move. In order to give an order and to have it respected, the pack needs to first learn them and there is only one way for that to happen. Training, training and more training. Take a look at bird-dogs. They are so in tune with their master, that they can anticipate their next order. That is the kind of relationship with your dog you want to thrive for. 
4. Love and respect. Yes, love and respect have their own place in a pack. A pack leader does not ask somebody, or a member of his pack, to do something that he can’t do himself. It’s the way a pack leader will be respected by his pack. The same way, in a K-9/human relationship, the pack leader, you, will command respect because you are more knowledgeable and you respect and love your dog. Don’t forget, respect what and who he is.
5. Have your dog fixed/spayed. This is common sense. A male dog that is not fixed will have more testosterone and might defy you any chance he have. His instincts will make him go after a female in heat, will make him mark his territory and it will make it harder to train. Don’t worry thought, after being fixed, he will not change. He will still be himself and, in the long run, it will prevent prostate cancer and a lot of other fatal disease. In the same order, a female that is not spayed will also be harder to train. And there will be periods during the year where she will be answer only to her instincts and not to you. And let’s not forget the diminution of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and such diseases.

Once you have reached the pack-leader position in your household, then you will realize the fact that : not every dog is a pack leader (meaning that your dog might not be a pack leader) and, you know what, it’s just okay.