In our pack, which has generally been pretty stable, there is my and my bitch, who is my "Good Lieutenant". Not only do I acknowledge her before the others, and reinforce her position with preferential treatment, I also recognize that she believes it HER duty to reinforce my discipline of the other dogs.

Since she's a very self-posessed, confident dog, without direction she continually attempts to extend her responsibility to the rest of creation -- neighbors, kids, all other animals that don't fall into the prey category... She's my first gsd, but my other herding dog -- an english shepherd -- 25 years ago, worked hard to organize the world too.

Obviously, that calls for vigilance on my part. She will "mind" me, but if I'm not paying attention to her, she goes in the crate.

Most dogs don't care as much about where they fall in the pack order (other than the driven ones like her), but they do care that where they belong IS clear. And they will step up to the plate if it looks like there is nobody willing to do the job.

Sometimes it hurts to see the old dogs move "down the ladder", but it only really hurts us people. My old dogs get over it pretty fast and settle into their new position if you reinforce the young dog moving up.

I have gone thru this with my dogs. one is dominant to the others and I acknowledge this ALL the time to the other dogs. She gets petted first by me, I push the others away until she gets her greeting. She gets fed first, groomed first, etc... She is by no means trying to dominate ME but this sends a clear message to the others of the pack order and keeps violence to a minimum.
This is precisely the issue that I have with my dog. She knows her place below me, but as far as other dogs are concerned, she WILL BE the dominant one. When I get my foster dog, I will have to do the same things you do to keep everything running smoothly. It helps that the foster dog is used to being at the bottom of the totem pole, too.

Hey Cindy!

I do the same things. Jason is the 'man' around here and everything I do with him keeps him there...The others also know that they have a specific position in the pack and everything I do or don't do with them confirms this. It doesn't completely eliminate conflict but it sure does reduce it greatly and the occasional 'scrap' is shortlived and without injury. The others get their attention, play time, training time...but not before the male. He is 'first'--always.

And yes I will get those pictures up today!!!!!!!! lol --server may be down for a couple hours today...so keep checking! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

B

>>Um, in my "pack" I am the Alpha and definitely none of my dogs.

I was only looking at the 'DOG pack'...I don't consider myself a canine nor do my dogs...so I left myself out of it. However, nature made them in such a way that every dog has a position within their group...no two dogs are equal or on the same level whether they are alphas, betas or whatever...if they are....conflict arises and their need to resolve this. That's why it's called a hierarchy...My male certainly isn't 'alpha' to me but he definitely is alpha to ALL things canine. So even though he is 'below' me; he certainly isn't below his own kind. They all may be 'below' you, but that doesn't mean they're all submissive toward each other and it certainly doesn't mean that conflict is eliminated amongst themselves just because of their position w/respect to you.

Hope that's a bit clearer.

Brigita is correct! There is always going to be an Alpha and Omega in the DOG Pack.

Hey C!

Pics are up! Enjoy!

B

Had a female airedale who I had been fostering. She was very interesting because of her ability to come flying out of nowhere and attacking. It was over in one fell swoop when one of the dogs decided to get into her food bowl.He ended up with a bit leg. He never tried it again. She was great with people but would not lower her rank with out a fight. Thankfully she was adopted by a couple with no other pets. We never had to experience a dog fight with my other dogs and her because they took the message right away. I would have not been able to trust her around another female.

 Quote:

Originally posted by Brigita Brinac:
Hey C!

Pics are up! Enjoy!

B

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

thanks B!!!