Dogs aren’t really stubborn. But they often don’t clearly know what’s wanted. Make it clear by quickly establishing alpha (dominant leader) status. Be willing to exercise the patience and modest, firm force to get the desired behavior. This can be particularly challenging when training a ‘come’.

Dogs naturally want to explore the environment. They sniff everything, turn things over, dig and snatch small objects. As with any training session, minimize the distractions by arranging to be as alone and far from other voices as possible. A backyard with a clear area or a large room with few small objects on the floor is best.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Training: Understanding The Alpha Dog Training Method

One of the things most pet owners are reluctant to do is to properly dominate their dogs. They want to treat their dogs like equals, as though they are part of the family. But the truth about dogs is that they do not want to be equals. They want to know their place.

As pack animals, each dog has a pecking order – a dominance hierarchy where each dog fits somewhere down the line of “who is the boss.” One dog is the leader of all the dogs (often referred to as “alpha”), another is second in command, and so on, much like a military system. Because this order is part of a dog’s natural behavior, dogs expect this system of governance even as pets. A failed system, where a dog does not know its place (whether it is supposed to be the dominant or submissive member of the group) makes dog’s nervous and uncomfortable.

Read the rest of this entry »