| We will keep many dogs, both sexes, from 2 to 9 years old, in a "pack" in a single acre-sized pen. They select their own alpha dog, but we make sure that even HE understands that the humans are ALWAYS dominant to the alpha. Sometimes if he has been out of the pen (for grooming, for medical care, a show or a cousing event), he will roar at the others when he returns, or pick one "omega" dog to discipline for no real reason other than to show that he's back and he's still alpha. So we don't let that happen. One of us leads him back into the pen on a leash, making him follow us (because the leader is the dominant one), and then making him do some basic obedience under our direction, in front of the whole "pack", reinforcing the knowledge that he is in charge only because WE let him be in charge, and we are perfectly happy to discipline even him in front of the whole pack. That's basically the same thing our dentist did. My kids started seeing him when they were each a year or so old and he always had me come in and would boss me around "sit over there Mom", "listen to this Mom", "Look at this mom", "go out to the other room Mom". Not to be a bossy guy, but so that my kids knew who was the boss in that room, and also understood that I trusted him, so they could too. (sorry.. yes, nothing to do with dogs) | ||
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