A Simple Way to Gain Alpha Status!

As a dog boarder I have been with lots of dogs through the years. Probably close to 100. And every dog that I have cared for has seen me as the alpha dog. House guests are always amazed at how within a few hours of someone dropping a dog off, that dog considers me the Alpha dog and follows me in and out of every room in the house. Its comical in a way how quickly I can get a dog to become attached. I consistently get asked, “How do you do it?”. It’s quite simple actually…

I have a routine where every time I decide to get up, away from my computer, and I happen to go in the kitchen, the dog gets a treat. Usually something small like a Charlie Bean, or a small carrot. I do not always give the dog a treat, but probably about 70% of the time after a few days of it being 100% of the time. It gets to the point where the dog(s) will lay right next to me at all times and I when I sit up they get up and intensely stare at me to see if I am going to go in the kitchen. I may not, I may go into by bedroom and go back to my computer. They watch every move I make.

After about 5-6 days of this, the dog(s) has developed a habit of paying attention to my cues and constantly wanting to be near me. I always make them sit before getting the snack, or make them perform some kind of trick. High-five or rollover. You never want to let the dog get too demanding, you have to make them work for it, at least a little.

The important thing and the reason this works is because I do it 70-100% of the time. I decide when it happens. If I do not go in the kitchen they do not get a treat. All of this falls into my normal life. I am not changing my habits or putting time aside to train the dog(s). It’s just happening automatically. If the dog starts to get demanding, which sometimes they will do if I go in the kitchen and do not give a treat, I just ignore them. They quickly learn that I am the one that calls the shots around here. They quickly develop the habit of watching and paying attention to my every move. Once you get this far, the rest is easy.