Group sings here! Hambone and I carry it, Lucy chimes in on the chorus. Noodle (my cat) hasn't gotten the rhythm of it yet, but I have hope.

I would, however, caution against singing in public.

Hambone and I used to do it, but then people began to stare...

Now, we howl in the house or in the fields. People still slow down and stare, but they do move on down the road. (Plus, I am that crazy woman who...fill in the blank.)

Never gave it much thought, i guess i just step over them. Love the bat ears on the white dog! lol

Nice!

I think Alyssa and I need technique instructions.

 Quote: scott garrett

I think you guys are focusing too much on my dog and not enough on the actual question I'm asking.

I think we've all answered the question...lol

It depends on you & the dog your talking about.

You used the scenario of your own dog, so people responded using the same scenario, themselves and their dogs.

Dog giving you problems and you are trying to establish you are pack leader, then yes, most of us would make the dog move.

Dog knows his place and doesn't give us any trouble in the dominance category let him sleep. Most dogs will move out of the way anyway if they hear you coming. It doesn't matter how deep of a sleep tucker is in, as soon as he hears me move he wakes up to make sure im not leaving the room.
Im not absolutely positive, but I doubt the alpha wolf is constantly waking up other members of the pack just to make them get out of his way. Im sure they walk around pack members. One of the Jen's (there's too many on here now!!!) has alot of wolf knowledge, maybe she can chime in on that point.
you stated your dog is senior, so if his hearing is going, and he can't hear you coming that might be why he's not moving. Not because he's trying to be stubborn. I doubt the grumble is him saying "hey, watch what your doing and where your going, this is my area". It's probably more of a "hey man, I was sleeping!!!"
Which is what i do when my boyfriend wakes me up when he gets up for work in the morning!!! I grumble more than any dog!


sidenote to the howler's, I can't get Tucker to howl either!!!

hambone has always talked. So, I encouraged him to say "wawhoo" for water, "wrriddff" for ride, "whhoommaa" for Oma's ,etc. Once we got that, he would imitate the syllables if not the sounds I make and I would imitate him. It wasn't long before I would start wooo woooing low and he would woo too. Then it escalated from there. Reward for mimicking equals a howling good time and i get the ablility to understand the woo woo waaa wifff wufffs and chufffs...sometimes I wish I didn't! He does shout at me sometimes! But, I love it when I get him to purr like a cat...

back on topic...

step over or around the dog? Either in my house. I am queen of the food and I have no issues. My daughter, on the other hand, must order Hambone move or he will stand in her way if he is already there.

When it comes to the alpha dog position, if you have to inconvenience yourself for the sake of not being 'mean' to your dog by making him move, then you should make the dog move. If I am out in the kitchen cooking dinner and the dog wants his dinner so he is laying in the middle of the kitchen floor (which is his favorite tactic for making sure I don't forget him), then I definitely make him move and put him on a down away from my work area so he gets fed when I choose to feed him. If he is just laying in the hall and I'm just needing to get by, I just step over him - he isn't doing anything that suggests he feels 'powerful' or 'in control'- he's just sleeping.

I think you have to determine this kind of thing by the intent of the dog's behavior.

Nice reply Wendy,

Really Scot, where did you get the idea that absolute total domination is the way to have a dog in your life?
Dogs are a lot more nuanced than that. Pack dynamics are just that.....dynamic, in flux, flowing, they're not static.
Give the alpha thing a rest, just enjoy being with your dog. Sometimes you walk around, sometimes you walk over, sometimes you say move. Shrug.
But stop with the thinking.....Alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha, thats not the way it works.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

 Quote: connie sutherland

 Quote: steve strom

Hey Scott, I think your focusing too much on something very minor.

Otherwise, I'm with Scott on filing it away in the same circular file with the daily-alpha-roll-for-GP stuff.

This is what I'm talking about.

 Quote: randy allen

Nice reply Wendy,

Really Scott, where did you get the idea that absolute total domination is the way to have a dog in your life? Dogs are a lot more nuanced than that. Pack dynamics are just that.....dynamic, in flux, flowing, they're not static.
Give the alpha thing a rest, just enjoy being with your dog. Sometimes you walk around, sometimes you walk over, sometimes you say move. Shrug.
But stop with the thinking.....Alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha, thats not the way it works.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

Ok, first. How many times do I have to say that I am not concerned about dominance issues with my dog? I'm asking a question about pack and alpha behavior so I can see if this method is outdated.

Where did I get the idea about absolute dominance? From a police dog trainer, in Sacramento, about 10 years ago...his name was Gary and he bred a line of huge rottweilers called vom Saro (IIRC). I also remember reading it some older books and magazine articles. Like I said in the original post, I'm trying to improve my knowledge base since I've already had to over turn quite a bit.

What makes you think I walk around going "...Alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha," all day and I don't enjoy my dogs? I take that a bit offensively and I don't appreciate it in the slightest. Just because you don't question things doesn't mean others don't. You don't know me and I'll thank you to keep that in mind.

I'm done with this topic and I'm sorry I started it. Only two people even understood the question.

Your posts speak for themselves.

No where did I imply you didn't enjoy your dogs, if I did, sorry; continue enjoying your dogs.
Mind if I borrow a phrase?

You don't know me and I'll thank you to keep that in mind.
Randy

 Quote: scott garrett

Ok, first. How many times do I have to say that I am not concerned about dominance issues with my dog? I'm asking a question about pack and alpha behavior so I can see if this method is outdated.

And from the posts here we did answer the question using examples of our own dogs. Is it outdated, NO. Does everyone make their dog move everytime, NO. I think everyone explained that they will sometimes make their dogs move so that answers the "outdated" question as we are answering in real time.

Posting this in your first post is where people are thinking you are having problems with your dog

 Quote: scott garrett

I'm wondering if the grumping is just his social-climber temperament or if I've been an unfair alpha out of misinformation?

saying your dog has a social climber temperment reads to me that he sometimes test his position.

Information from a police dog trainer is not info you should necessarily apply to a pet dog. IMO. The animals they work with are a far far cry from the non-working dogs most of us on here deal with and the training suggestions don't always transfer over well.

Don't get your feather's ruffled because people mis-interpreted what was written in your first post. It's the internet...it's bound to happen.