I have a 5-month-old dominant Malamute that I have been training with a prong collar. Local trainers say I should Alpha Roll my pup. Can you give me your opinion?

Question

I have been on your web site a lot and have learned a great deal. I know that you are in the protection dog biz and my pup is really not considered for his breed a protector I have a 5 month old Siberian Husky Male (Alpha of the Alpha's) What I want to know is in your experience do a lot of people mistake this breeds behavior for aggression? I am working him on a prong collar and have made some great steps forward. I have him in a formal obedience class and well those trainers need help but it is good for socializing. Right now he accepts my Alpha status but being the kind of dog he is he will still challenge my position. We are getting him fixed which I know doesn't solve everything but I feel it is important. I just want a straight answer to the question is it a must to force this dog into submission? I read your article about dominance and it made more sense than anything I have read so far. I am still being told that to get this pup where I need him I must force him (Alpha Roll ) into submission. I feel that forcing an already dominant dog can bring out aggression issues and if I keep working with him eventually by being consistent with my training methods he will respect my role as the pack leader. I also have a small child 2 1/2 I never leave the dog any dog for that matter alone with my child all interaction is done supervised and with the pup on a leash. He has never once made any aggressive move toward my son he is always tail wagging and happy to be around him. Because my pup is still in that alligator puppy mode these trainers are trying to convince me that he could become a biter. Well that may be true but I have used some pretty high level correction with the prong collar and he is backing off. Now a firm NO does the trick. I still feel that its important to let him be a pup and not have him shut down on me by over drilling him. He will be taught to pull this winter I already have him in a training harness and he is pulling bricks so I don't want to break his spirit I just want a better handle on the dominance. Thank you for your time I do tend to ramble.

Ann Marinette, WI

Accepted Answer

You are talking to some drop dead stupid people. It amazes me that there are so many IDIOTS out there in the dog business.

No 5 month old pup has dominance issues. I have been in this business for 40 years and have not seen one yet. You and the people you deal with are misreading this dog.
Dominance does not come out until a dog starts to mature – the earliest is 10 to 12 months for some nasty dogs but usually around 2 years.
Alpha rolls are the dumbest pig-ass most stupid idea there is. Read my web site about these. I will not retype it.
Obedience training is the place to start to establish yourself as a pack leader. Not rolling a puppy on his back because he is not properly motivated to do what you ask.
You say you read my articles on dominance. Then follow the advice. Learn how to make a dog want to work for you. Learn how to use his drives, either prey drive or food drive to learn exercises. Jerking a 5 month old dog around on a prong collar is not the way to train a puppy.
Your stupid trainers do not recognize or understand prey drive – the biting – you need to re-channel that drive into a positive training tool. Get my tape on DRIVE FOCUS AND GRIP.
Use a dog crate.