ways of making myself alpha "dog"?

Question

i want to seem like more of a boss to my dog because he doesnt always come when called but we've only been training him for 2 weeks so far. i want him to come and forget everything he's doing. how can i do that without a pro?

he gets distracted a lot

Answer 1

Some things you could do to get your dog to see you as the Alpha.
1. Go through doors and passage ways before your dog.
Rite of passage is important to dogs, and the alpha has the right first.
2. Eat first--then feed your dog.
3. If your dog is blocking your path, make him move out of your way--do not go around or step over him. Sub-ordinate animals move for the alpha.
4. Call your dog to you for petting and attention. Don't go to him. Use Call Name only when good. When bad just say" Bad Dog Bad Puppy" And reward him. Motivation and Reward.We all need a good reason to do things well. Praise Praise and LOVE
5. When coming home,if your dog does not come to greet you, ignore him. If you go running to your dog then,
you are treating him as the ALPHA.
6.When you play with your dog, be sure that you end up with possession of the toy, and then put it up. NO playing tug of war.
7. Don't allow your dog to sleep on the bed with you. At best you are making him equal with you. (Of course, we all let up on this one after our alphaness is firmly established.)
8. Practice trust/dominance exercises. Gently put your dog down on his side or back and touch his ears, paws, etc. and give him a massage to make it all pleasant for him. Offer treats if he doesn't want his paws touched while you are touching his paws. (This helps later when you have to trim the toe nails.)
9. Be your dogs leader. Prove to him that he can trust you in all situations, and that you will provide for his every need. Be consistent in enforcing all rules of the house. Establish regular routines that he can depend on.
10. Practice "doggy" discipline, that is when your dog engages in undesirable behavior, discipline him in a way that he understands. Give him a scruff shake and a grunt or growl. You must catch him in the act for discipline to be effective, however, or he won't understand for what he is being corrected.
11. Practice taking objects from him, toys, food, etc. Start by trading the object for a yummy treat. Then give back the object back to him. Get him used to your hands around his food bowl. Start by adding yummy treats while he is eating. Work up to removing his food bowl while eating to add the treats, then replacing the bowl for him to resume eating. You can eventually work up to actually slipping your hand in to remove food while he is eating.
12. Chewing - Puppies cannot help chewing, they teeth just like all babies. This can be most annoying and become a habit that is hard to break. When puppy is small and starts to nip and bit ( take his open mouth and hold it gently shut with your hand , like an alligator mouth, and say NO in a firm regular voice. Every time puppy does this. Then from the beginning puppy will know, OPEN MOUTH BITING AND CHEWING IS NO. It also helps to get baby teething rings and old socks etc, put them in the freezer, when frozen give them to puppy to chew to sooth the gums.
13.It helps to keep dogs on a Harness plus collar for Tags and identification. Animals attack at the throat and jugular vein. So to tug or try to train a dog by yanking on his neck,sends an ALARM signal of DANGER to him. Thus he balks. By keeping a standard harness from pet shop, it hooks to his back and feels comfortable and he is much easier to control and teach. But Try leash training first.
14: Most important when beginning training. Teach the puppy his NAME: use the CALL name FIRST. Example
Sunny : Come! -Sunny: Sit! =treat Never use the command first and the call name after the command. Eg: Come here Sunny. -Sit Sunny. We all pay attention when we hear our name called but not necessarily when people are just talking. So put emphases the puppy name you have chosen. Now you have the beginning foundation for your training
and the walls that will hold your training together.
15: Do not expect too much from your dog.Remember we all learn at our own pace and in a step by step lesson.
Just like teaching your child or a friend. Slow and patience.

There are many more things that you can do, but these are good starting points for becoming your dog's friend. Remember that security and trust are important to a dog, and a good training provides security and can always be trusted.

Answer 2

There are actually two different questions here. To make your dog come you must make him the happiest dog in the world when he does come. Never yell or chase him if he is far away because this will scare him off. You can also try the chase method by getting his attention and running the other way. Your dog will think you are playing and chase you to where you want to go. Praise him really well when he does get there. As for things to make you the Alpha dog; don't allow your dog to walk through doors before you, don't allow him to walk in front of you while on leash, eat some form of food prior to him heating his food (even just a snack), walk with a sense of confience and stay calm yet firm. Don't let yourself get worked up or angry at any time.

Answer 3

It takes constant work. One way is when he's not paying attention to you go and tackle him and hold him down a little. Don't hurt him! Just let him know you mean bussiness. THen tell him "so and so I said come!" and bring him to where you were. Then try it again later. Also, treats! Dogs will do anyhting for treats and there is nothing wrong with giving them to him when he obeys. I have an Akita and he knows who is boss and I did this all the time when he was a pup. Just remember to be consistant. Use the same phrase every time. If you choose "Blank, come!" don't say "Come here Blank" next time. YOu can switch it up once he gets the hang of it. Good luck!

Answer 4

Good for you!!!!
First of all, you seem to be on the right track so keep up the training, even if your dog "seems" to understand what you want. Training is something that never ends and needs to be reinforced often.
Depending on the breed of dog you have, some learn quicker than others so be Patient and Consistant.
There are several things you can do to show your dog who is alpha.
When feeding, reach down and pull the food bowl away, then give it back...or place your hand over the food then move back. This shows your dog that you control the food and it only gets to eat when you allow it.
This also works the same for treats you give it and with toys.. Hold out your hand with the treat in your hand so that only a tiny part shows out of your fingers and when the dog reaches for it, say no or "attt" and pull your hand back and only give the treat when the dog submits and deos not reach out to the treat or toy. Remember to reward good behavior immediately with happy noises and praise.
Roll your dog over on it's back while gently placing your hand on it's chest and partly on the throat. If it struggles hard and does not submit, look mean at it, straight in the face and growl "noooo" or "aaatttt at it. This shows your are alpha. Do this a few times a day to assure your dog that you are boss. The aaattt noise has worked wonders for me for many years now and seems to get a better responce that telling it no. (we can only use the "no" word for so many things in training before we confuse the dog but "aaattt" means you are very serious and it WILL get thier attention.)
The sounds you make say a lot that your dog understands easily. In every way that you interact with your dog, you are telling it what you allow and what you do not.
Trust me, I have a very head strong husky and he was a stubborn pup who needed pinned to the ground often but now at 2 yrs old, he will pin his ears back and roll over if he even thinks I am being serious..
Good luck in training and I hope this helps you.

Answer 5

Forget about "being alpha". Those theories are long outdated. Your dog is not a wolf and neither are you.

You want your dog to come and forget everything he is doing? that is a lot to ask of any dog. To get a reliable recall takes months of practice and it has nothing to doing with being the "boss". Dogs do not come when called simply because whatever they are preoccupied with is a far great reward. You need to make yourself into a source of entertainment -- why would your dog come to you if he has no incentive?

You need to find something that motivates your dog (food, toys, treats, etc.) and use it to your best advantage. He then learns to associate coming to you with something positive -- being rewarded. Start the dog out on a long line so if he ignores you call him you can reel him in.

Signing up for some obedience classes will also help immensely.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Why do you want to be boss? Don't you mean you want to be a leader? (There's a difference.) I train my dogs to respond to me by treating them for everything they do that is positive. If they don't respond, they don't get a treat. It's that simple. I throw a treat for my dog, and then treat it for coming to me. When it is coming to me consistently, I put a word to it. Then, if it doesn't come to me, I withhold the treat. I also reward with a game.....maybe tuggy, or throwing the ball. My dog should *want* to be with me........I need to be fun.

As for this drivel:- "Hold out your hand with the treat in your hand so that only a tiny part shows out of your fingers and when the dog reaches for it, say no or "attt" and pull your hand back and only give the treat when the dog submits and deos not reach out to the treat or toy. Remember to reward good behavior immediately with happy noises and praise.
Roll your dog over on it's back while gently placing your hand on it's chest and partly on the throat. If it struggles hard and does not submit, look mean at it, straight in the face and growl "noooo" or "aaatttt at it. This shows your are alpha. Do this a few times a day to assure your dog that you are boss. The aaattt noise has worked wonders for me for many years now and seems to get a better responce that telling it no. (we can only use the "no" word for so many things in training before we confuse the dog but "aaattt" means you are very serious and it WILL get thier attention.)
The sounds you make say a lot that your dog understands easily. In every way that you interact with your dog, you are telling it what you allow and what you do not.
Trust me, I have a very head strong husky and he was a stubborn pup who needed pinned to the ground often but now at 2 yrs old, he will pin his ears back and roll over if he even thinks I am being serious.."

So I offer the dog a treat, and then withhold it......why would I use mental cruelty? (Leaders in a pack are not mentally or physically cruel.....they don't have to be!) I don't want a dog that pins its ears back and rolls over when I'm "being serious". I don't have disobedient dogs......and that's because I have fun with them, and am fair to them. Pinning dogs is not necessary.......leaders don't do that.....only underlings do that. I do wish people would study dog language and pack language a bit more!!

PS. Trickster's post the best by far!!

Answer 7

Obedience class. Suck it up and pay the fee. It's well worth it.

Everyone needs a coach - no matter how well you can read the books.

Also, you'll have the drive to attend the classes and work with your dog - once you've paid the fee.

The socialization will do both of you good. You - socializing with other students and trainers - can trade tips/advice/questions etc. and the Dog - with other dogs in training.

Answer 8

Two weeks is too short a time for a reliable recall. And even the best trained dogs are never 100% reliable. I constantly reinforce the recall with my dogs, it's a lifetime thing. Give it time and keep training.

Answer 9

Use his food drive.

Do not feed him unless he comes to you. Walk around with his food bowl in your hand and make him follow. The pack is dependant on the alpha for all his needs.

Answer 10

First try reading this article. Hopefully it might give you some insight into the training process.

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm