I'll go out on a limb and say based on your description,(and it's limited info) if one would be so bold to say you have a dominance issue, it would be mild at best. Now on the other hand, if there is more to the story........... Not so far as I go. Like I said, I have very very little trouble with him anymore. There were some issues when he was younger, like we could not get him to down for us. He was enrolled in obedience when he was 6 months old, and he wouldn't stay down for either me or the dog trainer. I remedied that the day he tried to go after one of the neighborhood kids. I corrected him so hard into a down, that he's never tried to fight the down again.

There was one incidence with my husband at about the same age (6 months), where the dog picked up the remote control off of the night stand. My husband took it from him, the dog didn't like that, tried to take it back, and when my husband wouldn't let him have it, he grabbed him by the wrist. He didn't leave a tooth mark on my husband, but he did bite him so hard that even the doctor thought my husband's wrist was broken. I wasn't home at the time.

My husband only ever had any problem with the dog when I was not around. He'd be in one room with the dog who would be acting up, and when I'd come in, the dog would immediately stop what he was doing and go lay down like he'd been behaving all along.

He's personally never tried any such thing with me....probably cause he knows I'd kill him if he did. The only time he'd ever try to challenge my husband, is when I wasn't around. I do know that the dog runs in his crate and lays down if he knows that I'm mad or in a bad mood. I don't know what to think, but he's at that age where I will be on my guard.

Oh, one thing that he does do with me sometimes when I'm working him is he will jump on me when he gets tired of heeling. If he's been corrected a few times for not heeling quite right, and he doesn't want to do it anymore, he'll start jumping up on me while he's walking along.

And just a little more info, when he was in obedience class, even the trainer knew he had issues with my husband. She kept telling my husband that he NEEDED to work with the dog because the dog didn't respect him, and he just wouldn't do it.

if one would be so bold to say you have a dominance issue, Was I called Bold??? That would be a first. After reading the rest of Melissa's posts I stick by my original post.

Yes, Melissa a dog can be weak nerved and dominant. However, it creates confusion in the dog. He doesn't have the make up to be leader yet is pushed to be there. Causes anxiety. He has to act out somehow. Once he has been removed from leadership(so to speak) his confidence will emerge.

So, once a dog has been "successful" with dominant behaviour and/or has achieved alpha status (be it the dog's perception or true reality) will that dog always be dominant? I mean, will that dog that is no longer alpha try that much harder "next time" to become alpha?

How much dominant behaviour/alpha status perception is genetic vs enviromentally facilitated?

I think I might be confusing dominance and rank.....??

If a dog was alpha and lost it, yes they will always have in the back of their mind can I be alpha again. Will they challenge you again? Hard to say. Depends more on the dog, and handler. If the handler is doing everything they can to make sure they remain on top it is less likely.

I have several dominant dogs. However, the way I condict myself with them, they know not to challenge as there is no future in it. Now I do have a bitch, who doesn't quite seem to get it, so every 6 mos we have a little 'discussion' as a reminder.

Todd wrote:"If a dog was alpha and lost it, yes they will always have in the back of their mind can I be alpha again."

Or, have they always had it in their mind that they need to be alpha? Only they happen to run into another guy that IS alpha. The fact that they need to be alpha never changes, but the actions of a good owner/handler prevent that.

If those dogs were to be sold to another handler it would start all over again, 99 times out of 100.

If the owner/handler started to slip. . .you may also see renewed rank behaviors. Depends on the dog of course, just like every other situation in training.

Thanks for the info.

I have to admit that I'm a little surprised to hear you say that Shadow has some dominance issues. I mean, I've always known it was there towards my husband, but I figured that, because of his behavior towards me, I probably didn't have anything to worry about.

Melissa,

There are 2 terms that have a bit of a different expression. Donimance and Rank. If the dog is dominant it may never direct that at you. If the dog is rank it will. Every rank dog I have seen are dominant, not every dominant dog is Rank. The dog will probably always demonstrate dominant behavior every chance he gets. That will be directed at other people and other dogs he comes in contact with. You will have to deal with that, and control what he is allowed to do. He may challange your authority over those behaviors. That doesn't mean that he will attempt to direct that dominance at you.

If he is both rank and dominant you need to maintain tighter control in the dominance directed out, because the dog may use those challanges to test your mettle reguarding challanges directed at you.

Thanks for clarifying that for me, Richard. I think I get it now <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I will continue to keep a close reign on him, but I don't think I need to lose too much sleep over it.

Originally posted by mspindler:
I will continue to keep a close reign on him, but I don't think I need to lose too much sleep over it. That's pretty much how I feel about it.