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Miscellaneous Monday: Establishing The ALPHA Position re: your new puppy
Petville ^

Posted on 08/18/2008 10:03:46 AM PDT by yankeedame

Puppy Lesson: Establish The ALPHA Position

All our dealings with our dog will be from a position of authority, or ALPHA. Being pack animals, dogs see us simply as members of their pack. A pack is a very structured society with a set hierarchy with an absolute leader (ALPHA) on down to a very definite subordinate.

Following are just a few basic rules to follow that allow us to establish our ALPHA over our dog:



TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: advice; canines; doggieping; dogs; puppies; pwn4ge
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1 posted on 08/18/2008 10:03:46 AM PDT by yankeedame
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To: yankeedame

Hmmmmm...kind of reads like the way libs think kids should raised!


2 posted on 08/18/2008 10:08:11 AM PDT by Devilinbaggypants (Life's hard...but it's a lot harder when you're stupid! - John Wayne)
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To: Devilinbaggypants
Hmmmmm...kind of reads like the way libs think kids should raised!

Especially the part about touching them everywhere...

Sheesh!

3 posted on 08/18/2008 10:10:37 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: yankeedame

I can tell you first hand that this bullsh@t is just that!

When a 6 pound Yorkie can growl at your child without a good “pop” on the nose or anywhere else, THAT dog WILL bite the child eventually unless you either kill it or train it otherwise.

This is NOT a humble opinion.


4 posted on 08/18/2008 10:11:08 AM PDT by poobear (“…individual salvation depends on collective salvation." Barack Hussein Obama Wesleyan University)
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To: yankeedame
"DON'T GIVE THE PUP TABLE SCRAPS"

Heck, that's why we have dogs!

5 posted on 08/18/2008 10:12:06 AM PDT by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: yankeedame

I’m really glad you posted this. Two weeks ago I adopted a youngish, totally untrained purebred Rat Terrier from the Shelter. Lovely little dog, but .........oh........ the energy in that creature. She’s learning, but it’s really hard to NOT do the things this article says to NOT do. Fortunately, my two older dogs seem to be teaching her some manners. Even my cats are helping. She loves them all!

Thanks


6 posted on 08/18/2008 10:12:20 AM PDT by EggsAckley ( "the difference between Obama and Osama is just a little b.s.")
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To: yankeedame

I have two Akitas. And yes, they can be aggressive.

Several other things I do:

I always make sure I am the first one through any door.

Every so often I just take something away from them for a minute or so, like a bone or such. I’ll also occasionally just move or take their toys or food. I am the alpha.

You can’t let them get by with anything. Always correct.

I don’t let them get in a position where their heads are higher than mine. Dogs take “king of the hill” literally. (I am convinced that is why so many little dogs are aggressive. It’s just natural to let them on your sofa, your bed. But that position makes them feel alpha.)


7 posted on 08/18/2008 10:13:02 AM PDT by I still care ("Remember... for it is the doom of men that they forget" - Merlin, from Excalibur)
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To: the_devils_advocate_666

Even my 1 year old knows to call the dog when she spills something, because the dog won’t make her wipe it up herself!


8 posted on 08/18/2008 10:13:40 AM PDT by LongElegantLegs (Come then, War! With hearts elated to thy standard we will fly!)
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To: yankeedame

Maybe I’ll give SOME of this a try w/my Pug.


9 posted on 08/18/2008 10:13:56 AM PDT by Joann37
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To: yankeedame

I pop my neighbors dog on the nose every time he licks me on the arm. Every time. Some day he’ll learn.


10 posted on 08/18/2008 10:14:19 AM PDT by Walmartian
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To: yankeedame

My son just bought a mountain cur thats about a year old. He had to drive almost to Ohio to get the dog. That dog is the most timid dog I have ever met. He likes my son but the rest of him just scare him to death. Any tips on helping this poor dog out? Personally I think the previous owner mistreated him,he was rail thin and his coat was in terrible shape.


11 posted on 08/18/2008 10:16:11 AM PDT by linn37 (Hail Me, Obama or be cast into the firey pits of eternal damnation!")
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To: yankeedame
I do this with all my new pups. I play with them on the grass for a while. I let them do whatever they want. Then, when I want them to stop, or even in the middle of play, I grab them, turn them over and clamp my mouth over their throat (not hard, just enough to control). I growl and establish dominance.

Do this three or four times and they will listen to you from then on.

12 posted on 08/18/2008 10:21:22 AM PDT by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote!)
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To: EggsAckley

I’m not sure that gentle training like this will work on a headstrong type like the terrier...For instance, trying to wrest a sock away will turn into twenty minutes of tug-o-war, whereas giving him a firm poke can save the sock and your sanity.


13 posted on 08/18/2008 10:22:08 AM PDT by LongElegantLegs (Come then, War! With hearts elated to thy standard we will fly!)
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To: poobear

Yeah, I completely disagree with no physical punishment. You should have to beat your dog, but in nature, the alpha does indeed use physical methods for behavior teaching.

A pop on the nose does wonders for teaching a young puppy.

One additional thing I would add to many of the steps above: Give and take food one a regular basis when they are young. This will pay off huge when your dog gets something it shouldn’t (something poisonous or maybe your neighbors cat) and you go to take it from him.


14 posted on 08/18/2008 10:22:24 AM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: linn37

5 yrs ago we adopted a full blood Boxer from a shelter. She was skinny as a rail and had obviously been mistreated. We used patience and gentleness to teach her how to be part of our family.
She is the BEST dog we have ever had. It is like she knows that we saved her and appreciates it.
Good luck to your son.


15 posted on 08/18/2008 10:22:30 AM PDT by sheana
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To: yankeedame
Thats a Jack Russell puppy in the picture - good luck! Those are little killers with great PR.

No mention of a cattle prod in the dos and donts.

16 posted on 08/18/2008 10:25:07 AM PDT by corkoman
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To: yankeedame

In reference to another DOG thread going on here, the last and most thing your puppy should know is that you will eat him if he misbehaves.......


17 posted on 08/18/2008 10:25:47 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco
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To: poobear

I think the point is, don’t beat your dog if you find it doing it’s business on the floor. You don’t beat or hit a cowering dog. But sometimes you have to face down an aggressive one. And you have to face it DOWN.

Better than hitting it, is a sharp correction and then hold it down until it succumbs. They hate that worse than a hit. Have your child hold it down and the lesson will be a good one.

Remember, with dogs it’s all “pride” not the pain. The “holding down” follows the lesson through better than screaming or hitting. The problem is, following through like that takes a little work and time.

I haven’t had this problem in years, but my Akitas used to get into vicious fights. One ripped the topped off the others head once.

At times like that, rules about “not hitting” go out the window. You just have to get them apart. But then I made the bigger one lie down and let the other one sniff him. And then I took the little one for stitches. 28 of them.

But I guess I must have handled it right, because they love people, and as far as each other, we haven’t had a fight in years.


18 posted on 08/18/2008 10:26:41 AM PDT by I still care ("Remember... for it is the doom of men that they forget" - Merlin, from Excalibur)
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To: linn37

We rehabbed a very timid foster dog with crating & the umbilical method. Keep him in the crate except for a few hours a day when he’s attached to your belt by a leash, and make him follow you around without paying attention to him.
It allows him to learn to ignore the stimuli around him as he must pay attention to you at all times.
Then the crate gives him time to relax and feel safe in his den.
This should combined with long daily walks, so he doesn’t build up a lot of nervous tension.


19 posted on 08/18/2008 10:27:55 AM PDT by LongElegantLegs (Come then, War! With hearts elated to thy standard we will fly!)
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To: Anitius Severinus Boethius
Straight up!

The food thing does wonders when introducing an adult canine.

20 posted on 08/18/2008 10:28:53 AM PDT by poobear (“…individual salvation depends on collective salvation." Barack Hussein Obama Wesleyan University)
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