Good advice??

[Krysta Smith]

I got a newsletter from sitstayfetch and it's basically questions that people ask this guy Daniel Stevens. I read the one I got today and I'm a little concerned about the information he gave the owner. The lady already had two dogs and had just gotten a puppy two months before. Well, the other two dogs, mainly the brussels griffon (who was the alpha dog) became very aggressive towards the other two and started peeing all over the house. Daniel Stevens said the dog was doing that because the new dog was becoming the alpha and the brussels griffon was trying to keep her "territory" by marking it in the house. He told the owner the she should start treating the brussels griffon as the subordinate (I think that's the word he used), or lowest ranking dog, and allowing the new dog to become the alpha of the pack. (But I thought you were supposed to treat them the same as before and make the new dog earn his privileges the same as the older dogs did?)

Now I don't know very much about having more than one dog as I've only got Lola, but I thought the owner was supposed to be the alpha and they decided how the other dogs would rank, or not(because don't you want them all to be the same rank under you?), by randomly setting out the dogs food dishes and allowing each dog a turn at going through doors first? I think that by allowing this to happen the owner is setting her dogs up for some serious action, especially since the one dog is already showing signs of aggression. I'm curious as to what anyone else would say about this situation.

[Luciann]

Well, i have to agree with you she is setting up for some serious problems. At least to my way of thinking. The human is to be alpha and then the dogs rank under them. Unfortunaltely there will never be equals in a pack. You can consider them equals under you but they will always have a pecking order in the pack itself.

I have two and had a problem with the older one being aggressive with the younger one and i have been working on it but i would not want the younger one to be alpha either. But i don't let him beat up on her either. and it sounds like jealousy plays a part in it as well.

but then i could be all wet...lol

[Rebekah Hartman]

I saw a trainer address this issue (with only 2 dogs, however) and he never mentioned anything about the human being the alpha, but said that the dog that's been there the longest should have certain "privileges" (e.g., putting his bowl down first for dinner - and separated, petting him first, etc). After these things were enstated, the dog who had aggression "issues" felt secure in his position again and no longer showed aggression to the human or other dog.

[Luciann]

Rebekah

I guess the reason i call the human alpha is that they are the ones in control and in charge, which is from my understanding what the alpha does.

[Missy Stewart]

Hmm, that does seem like odd advice. Any group of dogs in the same pack are going to work out pack order amongst themselves... and it does make sense that the original "alpha" is marking his territory.. but I also do not understand how helping the new dog to become alpha is going to help the situation :confused: Some dogs are not comfortable with being "alpha" and that could also create problems. I also do not understand how this trainer expects this person to enforce the new dog being alpha. To me it just seems like she would be asking for a house full of tension...

Sorry I don't have any answers.. but that does seem odd!

[Rebekah Hartman]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that its not ok to think of yourself as the "alpha", it's just that in the particular case I saw where they addressed a similar situation, he did not mention the human falling into a rank order, just how to handle the dogs with one another.

I have heard, however, that in rare cases there may be a dog that is a true alpha (doesn't come along very often) and if a human has spent time continually trying to establish him/herself as the alpha the dog may one day suddenly show aggression (to kind of "dethrone" the human alpha) when they have not shown aggression ever before. That is why programs like NILIF have become more popular, I think, because it is not the human constantly trying to dominate, per se, they are just establishing that all good things come from them when earned by the dog. Hope that makes sense.

[Melissa Brunoehler]

Hey Kyrsta~

You are very right to question that advice. Sounds like the BG is stressed & the advice given will add to his stess & probably the stress of the entire household. It seems like this person knows very little about dog relationships.

If it were me I'd put all dogs on NILIF & make every dog earn his privileges. The dog that sits first gets the cookie first ;)

Just an FYI- A very knowledgeable member here, Renee B, emailed Daniel S a couple weeks ago questioning his training, eduction, back ground, etc. She has yet to hear a response :rolleyes:

I got a newsletter from sitstayfetch and it's basically questions that people ask this guy Daniel Stevens. I read the one I got today and I'm a little concerned about the information he gave the owner. The lady already had two dogs and had just gotten a puppy two months before. Well, the other two dogs, mainly the brussels griffon (who was the alpha dog) became very aggressive towards the other two and started peeing all over the house. Daniel Stevens said the dog was doing that because the new dog was becoming the alpha and the brussels griffon was trying to keep her "territory" by marking it in the house. He told the owner the she should start treating the brussels griffon as the subordinate (I think that's the word he used), or lowest ranking dog, and allowing the new dog to become the alpha of the pack. (But I thought you were supposed to treat them the same as before and make the new dog earn his privileges the same as the older dogs did?)

Now I don't know very much about having more than one dog as I've only got Lola, but I thought the owner was supposed to be the alpha and they decided how the other dogs would rank, or not(because don't you want them all to be the same rank under you?), by randomly setting out the dogs food dishes and allowing each dog a turn at going through doors first? I think that by allowing this to happen the owner is setting her dogs up for some serious action, especially since the one dog is already showing signs of aggression. I'm curious as to what anyone else would say about this situation.