I have 4 dogs and 2 rescues (6 all together) For some reason i always end up with dominant dogs but they all are very well behaved for the most part, My dogs do listen to me very well and when walked stay behind or beside me.

My 11 month old pit bull is a dominant neutered male and is extremely well behaved calm dog . BUT he growls and raises his hair up when my husband enters the room sometimes and at my work he does this when some people come in ( not always) His head is low and he retreats i have tried several things to stop this no one wants a pit bull his size grumbling at them and he is a big boy. I have tried doing the incompatible behaviour theory for sometime and he wont stop doing this, i have tried a correction and tell him to go lay down befor he growls but only works if i catch him early, i have tried "go get your ball" he just grumbles with the ball in his mouth etc. his body laguage totally changes to unsure fearful i dont know what to do with him. Some people say he is just talking but i can see it in his eyes i need him to be freindly and stable.

When he is freindly and greets most poeple he can get too excited and nibbles so he goes from one extreme to the other and i dont want him to stop being friendly but giving him his ball works in this situtation he is happy with the ball in his mouth he wont jump or nibble but is happy

How can i get rid of the growling kaiden and always have the happy kaiden? Because i have a pack of dogs i have to keep everyone calm ( little chihuauha starts the excitement first with his barking) For the most part i have it all under controll but Kaiden is starting to display some dominance with other dogs ( in the pack only)and testing me. I keep him on a lead at work and at home unless he is fetching the ball. If i cant watch my dogs they are crated generally during playtime is when i have manage them more closely otherwise they all share beds bones food and toys. With the rescues kaiden is different and he is displaying more dominance with them , more so with the 6 month old deaf dogo argentino. The 6 month old pitty girl he is fine with and allot of other male dogs he is great with just not so great with the dogo ( but he is dominant and I have to keep putting him in his place before Kaiden does)

Why do you think he is dominant? Can you give some examples of his dominant behaviour?

 Quote: Karen Fair

BUT he growls and raises his hair up when my husband enters the room sometimes and at my work he does this when some people come in ( not always) His head is low and he retreats

This doesn't sound dominant to me at all. Most of what you've written about this fellow sounds nervy and insecure. Very few dogs are genuinely dominant; most of them are just badly in need of some leadership. How much obedience training has this dog had? Sometime being asked to work will focus the dog away from whatever is causing the anxiety and subsequent 'growly' behavior. I would not correct this dog for growling. If you do, you could end up with a dog that strikes out instead, or strikes out without a warning growl.

This dog needs some serious structure. He's not sounding like he's entirely comfortable with his life. Even the excited, nippy behavior kind of speaks to me of nervousness.

He is bossy with the pack members ( never humans) he tries to control the pack and keep everybody calm if i am not doing my job. I have to keep him under control and then correct who i need to correct or he will try to help me. He licks and nibble the mouth of the dominant female standard poodle ( she keeps me on my toes ,she makes you be a good pack leader) Kaiden will correct her when she gets too rowdy. The male chihuahua lays with him and cleans Kaiden's ears and eyes

He is very well trained he walks on a leash like he was off lead behind or beside me off lead i can control him with hand signals or voice commands. he will stop any and all behaviour when i tell him to. he will do a sit , down roll over, stay , back , come, give paw, kiss. He ignores other dogs when in public and at my shop even when they want to eat him....

He stays off furniture crated at night or when i cant watch him or on a lead when in the house or at work

he does have nervousness about him around my husband. my husband swears he is not afraid of him but kaiden is not reflecting that to me. When strangers just touch him he melts and gets happy but with my husbands it doesnt work and i dont want to do the wrong think here


My dogs do have structure and leadership but i fail somewhere its something about me that causes this .its my signals to him at these times that may set it in motion everything i do after that will just be a dominoe affect that will create a new behaviour and i need the new behaviour to be positive not another bad one and what would be better would be for me to change or desensitize him from what triggers this in him, prevent the behaviour all together so that eventually it goes away, condition him to behave differently.

So when he is being the kaiden i want all the time i reward him with affection attention , play ball, food. He is a dog that needed very little correction he just knew what to do all the time, he was an awesome follower from day 1 You barely had to correct him early on just a no stops him. He does not need a choke or prong collar he doesnt even need a lead at all (but he is a pit bull so he has to have one in public)
We first noticed this behavior when he met a man at work who was a afraid of him and that i cant prevent but i can desensatize him if this is indeed the trigger

so i guess what i am asking when this happens if i can not prevent it, i need ideas or techniques i can use that wont harm my dog to become unbalanced but to become and stay balanced positive desensitizing type techniques i think would work best for him

 Quote: karen fair

He is bossy with the pack members .... He licks and nibble the mouth of the dominant female standard poodle

Karen, the mouth-licking is submissive, not dominant, behavior.

I would agree 100% with Kristel about not correcting for growling, but instead focusing on some real pack structure and on some confidence-building marker work with this guy.

Tell us how much you know about marker training, which not only makes a dog think (in a very positive way) and builds his confidence (also in a very positive way) but enhances your owner-dog bond and will do the same with this dog. It's also a great frustrated-energy drain.

Especially in a multi-dog household, structure is crucial. If this is something you would like to learn more about (and it sounds like this guy does need it, as Kristel commented), I'd get this immediately, as well as reading the free articles and listening to the free Pod-casts (and let us know if you want links): http://leerburg.com/308.htm

And let's talk about marker work with this guy.


I also want to say that you mention a few good separation and crating steps, but that this is a gigantic red flag: "they all share beds bones food and toys".
Meaning on their own? No, no, no.

IMHO, I don't care how many or how long you have had them or anything else: This is not good -- not in any way. There is nothing beneficial or positive about leaving food or toys with a dog pack, even if it has not erupted into anything so far. It's bad for every one of the dogs. (I know you mentioned crates, so I assume "beds" just means mats around the house.)


And last, you ask about how to de-sensitize him to certain anxious situations, and yes, this can be worked on right away, so let us know if you are familiar with marker training. And please do not allow humans to approach the dog until you say so.

P.S. This is not a dominant male, despite your title. At least, from everything you have written, that would be the last thing I would call him.

 Quote: karen fair

I have 4 dogs and 2 rescues (6 all together) For some reason i always end up with dominant dogs ... My 11 month old pit bull is a dominant neutered male and is extremely well behaved calm dog ..... Kaiden is starting to display some dominance with other dogs ( in the pack only) ....

 Quote: karen fair

He is bossy with the pack members ..... He licks and nibble the mouth of the dominant female standard poodle ....

We probably also need to know what your definition of "dominant" is, because it's not what mine (and maybe many others here) is. We don't have to get into a big terminology debate; just "what does dominant mean to you?"

This dog sounds uneasy to me.

I suspect that "For some reason i always end up with dominant dogs" is perhaps a mistaken perception, to think about.

I am not familiar with marker training.

My dogs always have layed down together on the beds i provide them no one owns them except me as well as the toys( ihave had pack of dogs of 3 or more for 21 years). if i am not present any dog will try to step up and be in charge its the nature of the pack which is why when they are left alone they are separated , "when the cat is away the mice will play" generaly playtime is the only time they need close supervision

If this wasnt possible i would not be a good pack leader. if you keep dogs separated constantly they will never be a pack and have unity. they will all posses thier toys, beds ,cages, food owner, dogs are pack animal and it is natural for them to sleep together play together and share toys

yes kaiden is submissive to the standard poodle in general but he will also correct her and stop her from being too excited. (he also does the licking and nibbling to some people) for example if we are in the back yard and the neighbours come to the fence with their dogs to say hi i grab Kaiden and make him sit i stop the chihuahua from barking they all come down a level, i grab the standard and make her chill out the excitement settles more and it trickles down and everybody starts to calm down and then i can release Kaiden. The way Kaiden acts most people label it as "jealous" behaviour but he is controlling the pack sepparating dogs dominating excitement calming them down putting them in thier place so to speak if i have failed to do so

Now if i can prevent the chihuahua from barking at all the level of excitement is very littel but if loca is getting too crazy Kaiden will grab her you see the chihuahua starts it the poodle intensifies it and kaiden tries to stop them. Dominant dogs live with other dogs just fine when you keep them under control and balanced so if i fail with the pack the poodle or the pitbull is ready to take my position or "help me"they keep me on my toes and have shown me what to allow and what not to during play , its a fine line. kaiden with an omega type female or male he is awesome with but like i said i usually have dominant dogs they dont submit they try to control other dogs when they get too anxious. Kaiden listens and i can just tell him no and go stop the other dog from acting up

This is my only problem area with the pack of dogs when i am not 100% focused like talking to the neighbour and claiming the space between them and my dogs most people wont do as you wish and ignore my dogs when they are excited they give them attention at the wrong time, if iam forwarned and not taken by surprised no problem but in reality you dont always know when people will come over or a dog will be there with the wrong energy

Basically my dogs are not allowed to fight and they dont and they know not to
I never let my guard down if i cant deal with it at the time they get put thier crates but it is only during excitement times and it is normal for dogs to behave like that. They all know thier place and the rules
kaiden is learning its my job not his and to ignore and for the most part he does its all about prevention, difusing the situation before anything starts
My dogs work for thier food place to sleep toys and play time i know when to and not give the attention/ reward, affection, food. I dont nurture anxious, excitement agression anything other than calm submissive.
So when Kaiden acts nervous and grumbles iam having hard time finding what snaps him out of it

He is trying to control and calm down other pack members but he is not an omega dog probably beta and hopefully i am alpha . I had very few omega or submissive type dogs in my pack in my life (most submissive dogs were males)those will get along and be the bottom dog forever in all situations . but give most of them aninch they will take a mile its natural for them to try to move up in the pack order its my job to keep pack order and protect the week and keep everyone in line and calm and not do anything that contradicts pack order
I dont let them "work things out on thier own"

 Quote: Karen Fair

.... yes kaiden is submissive to the standard poodle in general but he will also correct her and stop her from being too excited ..... but he is controlling the pack sepparating dogs dominating excitement calming them down putting them in thier place so to speak if i have failed to do so .... you see the chihuahua starts it the poodle intensifies it and kaiden tries to stop them.

How, exactly?

 Quote: Karen Fair

So when Kaiden acts nervous and grumbles iam having hard time finding what snaps him out of it ....

And this is only when your husband (or the other you fellow you mentioned who he is afraid of) is around?

he will get in between and push away mostly using his body but will use his mouth too to separate other dogs to get all the "attention" or claim the person or break up dogs playing when it is too rough or when they are unstable, anxious, too excited ect He will display "dominant behaviour" towards them humping mounting pinning them down and putting their trought in his mouth he will get more agressive and escilate if they dont comply or i dont intervine and it could be a fight if the dog will not submit to him (this isnt something i allow him to do and he is avoiding this more and more) Its important when a new dog comes into the pack that they are calm and let everyone smell them then Kaiden is much better
The 6 month deaf dogo does not hear warning growls or when he hurts another dog during play and he can get way too rough when playing and kaiden can be really agressive with him than any dog the standard is the other one he will "bite" to get his point across. Usually the poodle doesnt act up i have to be really strict with her but the dogo is hard since he is deaf but we are working out all the kinks and Kaiden does play nice and we stop them when its not , idont like them wrestling

I have probably spoiled Kaiden too much because he was so easy to train and good we have never done an obedience class but i know he could do pretty well in the cgc
In public and on a lead he is perfect he just needs better manners when playing soemtimes and greeting people

The first time he did the growling with my husband he got startled and he had a hoodie on so we worked with him right then and didnt stop until Kaiden was comfortable with him. I dont want to make a mistake and nurture the behavior so he continues it to get attention either but he hasnt stopped so i feel i am doing something wrong. i am back to being strict with him meaning on the leash in the house ect and praising the good behaviour.

with dogs outside the pack he is great with he is always the submissive one male or female its a differnt story with the ones he lives with