Is it possible to join a pack if I don't live in the house? My dog plays nicely with the younger dog but not with the older. Any suggestions and recommendations are appreciated.

Good Morning,

I love your site. It is both comprehensive and straight forward. That said, please don't post me on Dumb and Dumber.

I have a Maltese x Japanese Chin who is 8 months. I have worked very hard to be the pack leader from day one. As he is not a working breed (and his only job is to make me happy by obeying and following my rules), I do not expect the things as one would expect of a large working breed. He is "spoiled" in that he comes to work with me everyday, is walked twice daily, and we spend 20 minutes each evening snuggling (while I check every inch of him for ticks). He is a clever dog, and after extensive research before purchasing (I have ruined dogs in the past), I was able to housebreak him and teach basic commands.
And I can correct bad behavior with a low "hmm-hmm" hum or a louder "eh-eh" for greater offenses.

I have a few questions.

First, he is not overly aggressive. And he has "friends" with whom he plays fairly often. I watch their play time carefully and it is unclear who is the leader. They jump, wrestle, share the water bowl, and toys, and have yet to growl. When treats are given, they do not interfere with each other (not even the crumbs that fall from each others mouths). Are there any subtle signs I should watch for with either dog, that may hint that a change in perception of each other may be brewing?

**Note: His friends are neutered or spayed, and the few dogs that he interacts with that are "unfriendly," once corrected by them, he walks away and will simply ignore the dog.**

Second, I am not satisfied with his level of response with the command "come." My office, where we are at least 8 hours, 7 days a week, is a sprawling shopping area with restaurants and several large grassy areas and of course no cars. And recently, he has taken to running off (directly to the store where his buddy Titus "works.") And also pulling at the leash. When he runs to the pet store, how should I correct this? I usually give him a little pop, take a few steps away and say "come" which he responds to, and then make him walk with me back to our office.

As far as pulling on the leash, regardless of how close I hold it, he pulls (as of the last month). Should I begin to fix this by examining any pitfalls I may be exhibiting as pack leader? Am I not being a strong enough leader at home or is the correction of the issue on the leash fixable with the leash?

Lastly, I have a friend with whom I now spend quite a bit of time with. He has two large (by comparison) dogs. He refers to them as his friends. They are very friendly dogs and he does correct and discipline them and I have yet to see or hear growling towards him but I am not convinced that he is in charge. While I feel as safe as I can feel around a dog that I do not own, I am worried about having my dog around his older dog. The younger dog and mine play very nicely together, but the older one is a jerk. In this situation where I am not a member of the household, is it worth my time to attempt to introduce the dogs?

Should I become an accepted member of the pack who outranks both dogs first? Is it even possible to join this pack if I do not live in the house? If so, in what order should I watch/read and implement your videos/ebooks? I would find any advise helpful.

Thank you,
Amber