If you have two dogs in your household that seem to be constantly at odds with one another, they may be competing for the position of “Alpha” dog. As canine behaviorists know, a hierarchy must be determined within the pack. A pack exists when there are two or more dogs in the family. The dominant dog is known as the Alpha dog, and the submissive dog is known as the Omega dog. But what do you do when you have two dogs fighting for the recognition of top dog? |
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According to Vanessa Tanzer, of www.petpublishing.com, dogs that engage in aggressive behavior while trying to establish a hierarchy within the pack are “only doing what comes naturally to dogs.” Many times problems develop when well-meaning owners try to interfere with the process. Sarah Anderson of the Canine College of California believes that “dogs do not care so much where they belong on the hierarchy ladder, just as long as they know where they belong.” She states, “Democracy does not exist in the doggie world…” and owners can “…create unwanted fights by trying to treat all dogs as equals.”
Experts agree that the key to family harmony is to identify which dog is the Alpha dog, and then treat the animals according to their place in the hierarchy. Ultimately, the owner should be the “Alpha” in the family, but the canine family members need to figure out their place in the hierarchy, too. In her article, Tanzer quotes Nicholas Dodman, an animal behaviorist and author of Dogs Behaving Badly, who suggests that unless you feel the dogs will injure one another let them work out the dominance issues on their own. Dodman says, “The one who loses the battle will then be more respectful of the other and the top dog has made its point.”
Once you are able to determine who has won the right to be called top dog, it is important to reinforce the hierarchy with your own actions. Sarah Anderson suggests taking the following steps to reassure your dogs of their placement on the ladder:
- The Alpha dog should get everything before the other dog, including getting fed, being let outside, and being shown attention.
- The Alpha dog is allowed to have first choice of everything from sleeping spaces to toys. However, it is important to not let the alpha dog steal things from other dogs, simply because it has changed its mind.
- If the Omega dog tries to “usurp dominant dog privileges,” the owner must correct the behavior to maintain the hierarchy, therefore precluding the Alpha dog from taking matters into his own “paws.”
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It isn’t always easy to determine which dog is dominant, but carefully monitoring the behavior of the dogs is the best way to ascertain each dog’s placement on the ladder. If you are thinking about introducing a new dog to the family, you may be able to minimize the Alpha dog conflict by choosing a dog of the opposite sex, by choosing a breed that is known for its lack of aggressive or dominant behavior, and by choosing a puppy that poses less of a threat to the dominant dog already in residence. |
Pack harmony can be achieved when owners understand the natural behavior of dogs and how that behavior may change when there are two or more dogs within the household. |
