In the past two weeks, we have had some new puppies up the park and my dog has gone for them and pinned them down and growled and bit their cheek. What should I do?

I am sorry to say but this is a problem you have created because you have not taken the time to learn pack structure. Don’t feel bad we get emails every day on this issue.

Here is some reading material: an article I wrote on dog parks and why they are a bad idea. We would never consider doing what your doing with your dog. We want our dogs to focus on us and to play with us. All of our training, play and work with our dogs is focused on that one principle. We call it ENGAGEMENT training.

People who are new to dogs think dogs needs to socialize with other dogs – they are wrong. That’s an old wives tail. When a group of dogs start to interact they ALL set a pecking order. Its instinctual. That’s what happened with your small group. You may not recognize it but that group knows exactly who fits in and where in their little pack. When a new puppy comes they need to show the puppy where he fits in. The problem is puppies have been dealing with establishing rank with their own litter. So when they are now introduced to a new group of dogs they try and interact in the same way as they did with their litter and it doesn’t work – so they get jumped (like your dog is doing).

I suggest that you run this dog through our pack structure program - Establishing Pack Structure with the Family Dog.

If you want to learn how to train your dog and how to engage you dog – get the first couple of DVDs I have produced on this:

The Power of Training Dogs with Food
The Power of Playing Tug with Your Dog
Advanced Concepts in Motivation

In the meantime, stop this group play. The only way to ever do something like this is if the dogs only play with the exact same dogs all the time and there is never a new member that is allowed in. New members have to be introduced correctly and that’s beyond the scope of an email.

Regards,
Ed Frawley