You should consider that a puppy has an absolute right to chew whatever they can get at in your absence. You must
put the puppy where either it cannot do any damage, or you do not care about the possible damage. Puppies can eat
kitchen cabinets, destroy furniture, chew on carpet, and damage a wide variety of other things. Besides the
destruction, the puppy may well injure itself, even seriously.

A good solution to this is a crate. A crate is any container, made of wire mesh or plastic, that will hold the puppy
comfortably, with enough room to stand and curl up and sleep, but not too much that it can eliminate in one corner.
See the section on housetraining below. Other solutions include fencing off part of the house, say the kitchen or
garage or building an outside run. Be sure the area is puppy-proofed.

Please put your pup in an environment it can't destroy. Puppies are too immature to handle temptations. Depending on
the breed, most dogs begin to gain the maturity to handle short stints with mild temptations when they're about 6
months old. Consider the analogy with a baby, where you keep it in a crib, stroller, or pen if you are not holding it.

It is essential to puppy-proof your home. You should think of it in the same way as child-proofing your house but be
more thorough about it. Puppies are smaller and more active than babies and have sharp teeth and claws. Things of
especial concern are electric wires. If you can get through the puppy stages without having your pup get a shock from
chewing a wire you are doing a great job! When puppy proofing your home, get down on your hands and knees (or
lower if possible) and consider things from this angle. What looks enticing, what is breakable, what is sharp, etc. The
most important things are watching the puppy and, of course, crating it or otherwise restraining it when you can't
watch it.

Another step in puppy proofing is house proofing the puppy. Teach it what is and isn't chewable. The single most
effective way to do this is by having a ready supply of chewable items on hand. When the puppy starts to chew on an
unacceptable item (be it a chair, rug, or human hand), remove the item from the puppy's mouth with a stern, "NO!" and
replace it with a chew toy and praise the puppy for playing with the toy. If you are consistent about this, the puppy
will get the idea that only the things you give it are to be chewed on! Don't stint on the praise, and keep the "No!" to a
single calm, sharp noise -- don't yell or scream the word.

There are some products that can help make items unpalatable and thus aid in your training. Bitter Apple and Bitter
Orange (available at most pet stores) impart a bitter taste to many things without staining, etc. You should not depend
on these products to keep your puppy safe, but use them as a training aid.

A short checklist:

     Breakables up out of reach
     All wiring and cords put out of reach behind furniture, or encased in hard plastic flexible tubing (available at
     hardware stores, can be cut to size) to slow puppy down
     Anything small enough to be swallowed (pennies, bounce balls, shoelaces, bits of paper, socks, nuts, bolts,
     wire) removed from the floor
     Block access behind furniture wherever possible
     Put children's toys and stuffed animals away
 
 

Puppies and Small Children

Keep puppies and very small children apart or under close supervision. Small children do not understand the need for
keeping fingers out of puppies' eyes or refraining from pulling painfully on their tails, among other problems. So keep
children 6 years or so and younger away from the puppy until it is grown, for the safety of the puppy.

Teach your children how to approach a puppy or dog, to prevent being jumped on. They should understand that they
should put out their hands below the pup's chin, to keep it from jumping at a hand above its head. They should not
scream or run away, as the puppy will then chase the child.

Remember kids in diapers when they run away, are one of puppies most fun things to chase and bite right in the diaper.

Acclimatization and Socialization

Accustom your puppy to many things at a young age. Baths, brushing, clipping nails, cleaning ears, having teeth
examined, and so on. Taking the time to make these things matter of fact and pleasant for your puppy will save you a
world of time and trouble later in its life.

For example, every evening before the dog eats (but after you have put its bowl down), check its ears by peeking in
the ear and touching it with your fingers. Do this every evening until the dog stops fussing about it. Continue to do it
and you'll always know if your dog's ears are okay.

Brushing is important, especially for double coated or long-haired dogs when they begin to shed. A little effort now to
get your puppy to enjoy brushing will save you a lot of trouble later when it begins to shed and shed and shed...

During your puppy's first year, it is very important that it be exposed to a variety of social situations. After the puppy
has had all its shots, carefully expose it to the outside world. Take it to different places: parks, shopping centers,
schools, different neighborhoods, dog shows, obedience classes--just about anywhere you can think of that would be
different for a little puppy. If the puppy seems afraid, then let it explore by itself. Encourage the puppy, but be firm, not
coaxing. If you want to take the pup in an elevator, let it try it on its own, but firmly insist that it have the experience.
Your favorite dog food and supply store (unless it's a pet store) is a good place; dog shows are another. You want the
pup to learn about the world so that it doesn't react fearfully to new situations when it is an adult. You also want it to
learn that you will not ask it to do anything dangerous or harmful. Socializing your dog can be much fun for you and
the dog!

Do not commit the classic mistake made by many owners when their dogs exhibit fear or aggression on meeting
strangers. DO NOT "soothe" them, or say things like "easy, boy/girl," "it's OK..." This serves as REINFORCEMENT
and ENCOURAGES the fear or growling! Instead, say "no!" sharply and praise it WHEN IT STOPS. Praise it even
more when it allows its head to be petted. If it starts growling or backing up again, say "no!" Be a little more gentle
with the "no" if the dog exhibits fear, but do be firm. With a growling dog, be much more emphatic and stern with your
"no!"

If you are planning to attend a puppy class (and you should, they are not expensive) ask the instructor about her/his
views before you sign up. If socialization is not part of the class, look elsewhere.

Don't Be Surprised When...

Your puppy doesn't seem to pick up the idea of whining at or going to the door to tell you it needs to go to the
bathroom. Many puppies do not begin this behavior until they are four or five months old.

Your puppy does not seem to pick its name up quickly. Sometimes it takes several weeks before you consistently get a
reaction when you say its name. (Be careful not to use its name in a negative sense! Clap or shout instead.)

Your puppy does not seem to be particularly happy with verbal praise. You need to pair verbal praise with physical
praise for a few months before your puppy understands and appreciates verbal praise.

Your puppy falls asleep in the middle of some other activity. Puppies need lots of sleep but since they are easily
distracted, they sometimes forget to go to sleep and so will fall asleep at bizarre times: while eating, chewing, or even
running.

Your puppy twitches while sleeping. This indicates healthy neural development. Twitching will be most pronounced
for the first few months of the puppy's life, and slowly diminish thereafter. There are many adult dogs that continue
some twitching. Expect muffled woofs and snuffling noises, too.

Your puppy hiccups. Many puppies hiccup. The only thing to do is wait for them to pass. Don't worry about it, they
will outgrow it.

Puppy Biting
If you watch a litter of puppies playing, you will notice that they spend much of their time biting and grabbing each
other with their mouths. This is normal puppy behavior. When you take a puppy from the litter and into your home,
the puppy will play bite and mouth you. This is normal behavior, but needs to be modified so you and the puppy will
be happy.

The first thing to teach your new puppy is that human flesh is much more sensitive than other puppies and that it
really hurts us when they bite. This is called bite inhibition. A puppy has very sharp teeth and a weak jaw. This means
that the puppy can cause you to be uncomfortable when mouthing or puppy biting you, but can not cause severe
damage. An adult dog has duller teeth and a powerful jaw. This means that an adult dog can cause significant damage
when biting. ANY DOG WILL BITE GIVEN THE RIGHT OR WRONG CIRCUMSTANCES ! If a small child falls on your
adult dog and sticks a finger in the dog's eye, you should not be surprised if the dog bites. If you do a good job
teaching your puppy bite inhibition, you should get a grab and release without damage. If you don't, you may get a
hard bite with significant damage.

It is simple to teach a puppy bite inhibition. Every time the puppy touches you with its teeth, say "OUCH!" in a harsh
tone of voice. This will probably not stop the puppy from mouthing, but over time should result in softer and gentler
puppy biting.

The commands necessary to teach a puppy NOT to mouth, are easy and fun. Hold a small handful of the puppy's dry
food, say "take it" in a sweet tone of voice, and give the puppy one piece of food. Then close the rest of the food in
your hand and say "off" in that same sweet tone of voice. When the puppy has not touched your hand for 3 to 5
seconds, say "take it" and give the puppy one piece of food. We are teaching the puppy that "off" means not to
touch. You should do this with the puppy before every meal for at least 5 minutes.

After a couple of weeks of the above training, here is how you are going to handle puppy biting or mouthing:

Unexpected mouthing (you don't know the puppy is going to mouth, until you feel the puppy's teeth):
     "OUCH!"

Expected mouthing (you see the puppy getting ready to mouth you):
     You say "OFF" before the puppy can mouth you.

The puppy is mouthing you because of a desire to play.
     You have to answer the question, "Do I have time to play with the puppy now ?" If you do, then do "sit",
     "down", "stand" or other positive 'lure and reward' training. If the answer is "No, I don't have time for the
     puppy, right now." then you need to do a time out (crate, or otherwise confine the puppy, so the puppy can't
     continue to mouth you and get in trouble.

This is the most asked question I get, how do I stop my puppy from mouthing me? Generally when most people
take the puppy home they have allowed it to bite them as the newness of the puppy wears off they get annoyed
at the biting and growling which generally accompanies the biting. They have already aloow the behavior to start
now all of sudden they wanted it to stop. My puppies never bite my hands as I never allow this behavior to start.

Reinforcing Good Behavior

Puppies want attention. They will do a lot to get that attention -- even if it is negative! Thus, if you scold your puppy
for doing things you don't want it to do, and ignore it when it is being good, you are reinforcing the wrong things.
Ignore the bad things (or stop it without yelling or scolding) and enthusiastically praise it when its doing what you
want, even if it's as simple as sitting and looking at you, or quietly chewing one of its toys. This can be difficult to do,
as it is essentially reversing all your normal reactions. But it is very important: you will wind up with a puppy that pays
attention to you and is happy to do what you want, if it understands you.

Crying at Night

Your puppy wants to be with the rest of the "pack" at bedtime. This behavior is highly adaptive from the standpoint
of dog behavior. When a puppy becomes separated from its pack it will whine, thereby allowing it to be found and
returned to the rest of the group. This is why so many books on puppies and dog behavior strongly recommend that
you allow your puppy/dog to sleep with you in your room to reduce the liklihood of crying at night.

Try moving the crate into your bedroom. If your puppy whines, first make sure it doesn't have to go outside to
eliminate. This means getting up and taking it outside. If it whines again, or doesn't need to go outside, bang your
hand on the crate door and say something like "NO, SLEEP" or "NO, QUIET". If the puppy continues to whine, try
giving it a toy or chew toy and then simply ignore any continued whining. If you don't reinforce the whining by
comforting it (other than to take it outside -- which is OK), it will eventually learn to settle down. Also, be sure to have
a vigorous play session JUST BEFORE you are going to go to bed. This should poop it out and it will sleep much
more soundly.

Alternatively, you can designate a spot for your puppy on the bedroom floor. Keep the door closed or put a leash on
it to keep it close to the bed. When it whines or moves about, take it out to eliminate. Otherwise, as above, say "NO,
SLEEP."

Puppies that cannot sleep in the bedroom for whatever reason may be comforted by a ticking clock nearby, and a
t-shirt of yours from the laundry.

Health: Vaccinations and Worms

Newborn puppies receive immunization against diseases from colostrum contained in their mothers milk while nursing
(assuming the bitch was properly vaccinated shortly before the breeding took place). Initially, during their first 24
hours of life, maternal antigens (passive immunity) are absorbed through the pups intestines which are very, very thin
during those first few hours (this is why it is so important that puppies nurse from the mother during that critical time).
After the colostrum ceases (a day or so later), the maternal antigens decline steadily.

During this time, puppies cannot build up their own natural immunity because the passive immunity gets in the way.
As the passive immunity gradually declines, the pup's immune system takes over. At this time, the pups should be
given their first immunization shots so they can build up their own antibodies against them. However, there is no way
to tell when passive immunity is gone. This is why pups should be given a shot every few weeks (2 - 3 weeks apart
and a series of at LEAST three shots).

Picture a plot of antibody level versus time. Maternal antibody is steadily declining. You just don't know the rate. At
some level, say X, protection from parvo is sufficient. Below X, protection may be less than effective against an
infection. In general, vaccine antigen cannot stimulate the puppy's own immune system until the maternal antibody
level is below X. Let's say it is .7*X. Here's the rub. The antibody level spends some time dropping from X to .7X.
During this time, even if you vaccinated every day, you would (in this theoretical discussion) not be able to stimulate
immunity. Yet you are below that level of maternal protection at which infection can be effectively fought off.

Thus the importance of giving several vaccinations at 2-4 week intervals until around 16-18 weeks. One maximizes the
chance of catching the puppy's immune system as soon as it is ready to respond, minimizing the amount of time the
puppy may be susceptible to infection.

IMPORTANT: The last shot should be given AFTER 16 weeks of age (4 months) to be SURE that dam's antibodies
have not gotten in the way of the pup building up its own immunity (read the label of the vaccine!).

Up until 8 weeks or so, the shots should consist of Distemper, Measles, and CPI. After that, it should be DHLPP
(Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus). This is at minimum: you may need to add other
vaccinations appropriate to your area, such as Lyme, Heartworm (actually a preventive medicine), Rabies (most
places), and so on.

You should keep your puppy away from all strange dogs. If you know that a particular dog is current on its shots and
not carrying disease, then go ahead and let your puppy socialize. The same holds true for people. Ask them to wash
their hands before they play with your puppy. It can't hurt and it could save you a great deal of grief. As your puppy
gets its shots, you can slowly add more and more exposure to its life. But keep in mind this is an infant and needs
gentle care!

Worms can present a serious problem to puppy health. There is no good way to prevent puppies from having worms,
for a variety of reasons. You should take your puppy in regularly for worm-testing. Worms can interfere with the
puppy's growth if left unchecked. Since it is very common for puppies (even from the best breeder) to have worms
from the dam's dormant worms, you must take care to have your puppy checked regularly when young.
 

Teething

Around 4 to 5 months of age, puppies will start to get their permanent teeth. There are several things you can do, both
to ease the pain and control the chewing.

     Make some chicken soup (low sodium variety or make it yourself) ice cubes and give them to the puppy.
     Soak a clean rag in water, wring it out and then freeze it (rolling it up helps) and give it to your puppy to chew
     on.
     Soften the kibble a bit with water.
     Discourage biting on your arm or hand for comfort.

Puppies lose their teeth in a distinct pattern: first the small front teeth come out. Then the premolars just behind the
canines. Then the molars in the back come out (and you'll see adult molars behind those erupting as well). Finally the
canine teeth come out. Sometimes the adult canines erupt before the baby canines have come all the way out.

During this time, some discomfort, including bleeding gums is to be expected. Your puppy will want to chew more
during this period of time, but it may also be too painful to do so (hence the suggestions above). You will probably
find few if any of the teeth your puppy loses, as puppies typically swallow them.
 

Feeding Your Puppy

Premium pet food tends to have higher nutritional value. In particular, foods such as Science Diet, Eukanuba, Nature's
Recipe. This means you can generally feed your dog a smaller amount of food. Also, they tend to be highly digestible
which means that there is less waste to clean up in the yard. For these two reasons, many people feed their pets
premium foods over grocery store foods. But the decision is yours and many healthy, happy dogs have been raised
on plain Purina Dog Chow.

Feeding schedules

Feeding Instruction
(Adjust gradually to coincide with your household schedule and way of living.)
   6 - 7 A.M.      one                                          Cup of puppy food
    ¾       cup of hot water.
    It is necessary to
    soak puppy food for
    10 minutes.

    12 - 1 P.M.                                                      same as morning

    6 - 7 P.M.                                                       Same as morning

    9 P.M.                                                              Dog biscuit
 

I have been feeding Euk, for the first 7 weeks of their life. This food is too rich and can cause problems if the puppy is left on it for any length of time. The food I recommend is Purina puppy chow or IAMS puppy chow. When your puppy first eats in their new home they may pick at their food as the pups are used to eating as a pack. When separated they take a little encouragement to know that it's feeding time. Ask your vet what food he likes for large  puppies and dogs. If your puppy should have loose stools, you may be making food too watery. Remember to give more food as puppy grows. 
 

Dog food formulations

Read your labels, know your dog food products. There are different kinds of dog food out there. Some are formulated
very precisely for different periods in a dog's life, and what is appropriate at one stage is not appropriate at another.
Others are generically formulated and are supposed to be OK for any dog under any conditions. This means that they
are formulated up to the growing puppy level. There is nothing wrong with either approach, unless the generically
formulated dog food comes out with a "puppy food" version. These are packed even higher with extra nutrition, etc,
than the puppy really needs, since the original formulation was already sufficient for the puppy.

If you are using the latter type of puppy food, many veterinarians and breeders (particularly of larger breeds)
recommend that you NOT feed it for the first year as is recommended on the bags of food. They recommend that you
feed puppy food ONLY for the first two months that you have the puppy at home and then switch to adult food. A
good "rule of thumb" is to switch to adult food when the puppy has attained 90% of its growth (exactly when this is
reached varies by breed and size). The nutritional formulation (especially the extra protein and calcium) can actually
cause problems in puppy development. The problem tends to be with growth of bones vs. growth of tendons,
ligaments, and muscle. The growth rates are not the same and so the connections are strained and if the dog jumps
wrong or is playing too hard, the connections can be torn. This typically happens in the front shoulder and requires
surgery and several months of confinement to repair. The added calcium in puppy food may deposit on puppies'
bones causing limping.

This is not a problem with the more closely formulated foods that have adult foods that are specifically labelled as
unsuitable for puppies or lactating bitches.
 
 

Housetraining

     If the dog makes a mess in the house - slap YOURSELF. You didn't do your job, and that's in no way
     the dog's fault. You let him down. If you can't keep supervise him without help, tether him to you.
     That way he can't "wander off".
 

The idea is to take advantage of a rule of dog behavior: a dog will not generally eliminate where it sleeps. Exceptions
to this rule are:

     Dogs that are in crates that are too large (so the dog can eliminate at one end and sleep at the other end).
     Dogs that have lived in small cages in pet stores during critical phases of development and have had to learn
     to eliminate in the cage.
     Dogs that have blankets or other soft, absorbent items in the crate with them.
     Dogs that are left for too long in the crate and cannot hold it any longer.

If the crate is too big (because you got an adult size one), you can partition the crate off with pegboard wired to the
sides to make the crate the correct size, and move it back as your puppy grows. RC Steele also sells crate dividers.

To house train a dog using a crate, establish a schedule where the dog is either outside or in its crate when it feels the
need to eliminate.

Using a mild correction (saying "No" in a firm, even tone) when the dog eliminates inside and exuberant, wild praise
when the dog eliminates outside will eventually teach the dog that it is better to go outside than in. Some owners
correct more severely inside, but this is extremely detrimental to the character of puppies. To make the dog notice the
difference between eliminating inside and outside, you must praise more outside rather than correcting more inside.

The crate is crucial because the dog will "hold it" while in the crate, so it is likely to have to eliminate when it is taken
out. Since you know when your dog has to eliminate, you take it out and it eliminates immediately, and is praised
immediately. Doing this consistently is ideal reinforcement for the behavior of going out to eliminate. In addition, the
dog is always supervised in the house, so the dog is always corrected for eliminating indoors. This strengthens the
inhibition against eliminating inside.

In general, consistency is MUCH more important than severe corrections when training a dog. Before a dog
understands what you want, severe corrections are not useful and can be quite DETRIMENTAL. Crating allows the
owner to have total control over the dog in order to achieve consistency. Hopefully, this will prevent the need (and
the desire) to use more severe corrections.

Housetraining is relatively simple with puppies. The most important thing to understand is that it takes time. Young
puppies cannot wait to go to the bathroom. When they have to go, they have to go NOW. Therefore, until they are
about four or five months old, you can only encourage good behavior and try to prevent bad behavior. This is
accomplished by the following regime.

     First rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom immediately upon waking up.
     Second rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom immediately after eating.

With these two rules goes the indisputable fact that until a puppy is housetrained, you MUST confine them or watch
them to prevent accidents.

This means that the puppy should have a place to sleep where it cannot get out. Understand that a puppy cannot go
all night without eliminating, so when it cries in the night, you must get up and take it out and wait until it goes. Then
enthusiastically praise it and put it back to bed. In the morning, take it out again and let it do its stuff and praise it.
After it is fed and after it wakes up at any point, take it out to eliminate.

Make it aware that this is not play time, but understand that puppies get pretty excited about things like grass and
snails and leaves and forget what they came outside to do! Use the same spot each time if you can, the smell will help
the puppy remember what it is to do, especially after 12 weeks of age.

To make life easier for you later on, use a key phrase just when the puppy starts to eliminate. Try "hurry up," "do it,"
or some similar phrase (pick one and use it). The puppy will begin to eliminate on command, and this can be especially
useful later, such as making sure the dog eliminates before a car ride or a walk in the park.

Don't let the puppy loose in the house unless it has just gone outside, and/or you are watching it extremely closely for
signs that it has to go. The key to housetraining is preventing accidents. If no accidents occur (ha!), then the dog
never learns it has an option other than going outside. When you are at home, rather than leave the pup in the crate,
you can "tether" the puppy to you -- use a six foot long leash and tie it to your belt. That way he can't get out of your
site in the house and go in the wrong place.

Preliminary Training

It is essential for every dog, no matter how big, or small, or whether you want to show, or work, or just play with, to
have basic obedience training. If you want to go beyond the basics, that's great. But at least do the basics. One way
to think of it is that without basic obedience, you and the dog don't speak the same language so how can you
communicate? But with basic obedience, you can tell the dog what you want it to do and it will understand you and
do it. Another way to think of it is getting your dog to be a Good Citizen: it doesn't jump on people, or run off, or
indulge in other obnoxious behaviors -- because it knows what you expect of it.

Obedience classes

Find a good class and attend it. Many places have puppy kindergarten classes; this also helps socialize your puppy.
Do 10 minute training sessions every day. And if you like it, keep going. You'd be amazed at all the activities you can
do with your dog once you and the dog learn the basics! Training is fun and simple if approached that way. Enjoy it!

Around the house

Puppies can be started far earlier than many people believe. In fact, waiting until your pup is 6 months old to start
training it is VERY late, and will be the cause of a LOT of problems. Start right away with basic behavior: use simple,
sharp "no's" to discourage chewing hands or fingers, jumping on people, and many other behaviors that are cute in
puppies but annoying when full grown. Don't be severe about it, and praise the puppy *immediately* when it stops.
Tie the puppy down in sight of people eating dinner to prevent begging and nosing for food (if you put it in another
room, it will feel ostracized and begin to cry). If your puppy bites and scratches you when playing, give it a toy
instead. Give a good, loud *yelp* or *ouch* when the puppy bites you. This is how the other puppies in the litter let
each other know when they have crossed the line, and it is a good way to get the puppy's attention and let it know
that biting is not acceptable.

The other side of the coin is immediate praise when your puppy stops after a "no". You may feel like this is engaging
in wild mood swings (and you may well get odd looks from other people); that's all right. You're making your wishes
crystal clear to the puppy. It also needs positive as well as negative reinforcement: how would you respond if people
only ever yelled at you when you did something wrong?

Introduce things in a fun way without "corrections" just to lay a foundation for formal training later on. Formal
training, demanding or exact, is not appropriate at this stage. Instead, concentrate on general behavior, getting its
attention, introducing things that will be important later in a fun way, and some other preliminary things, such as
discouraging it from lagging or forging on the leash (but not making it heel!). In sum, lay a good foundation for its
future development and behavior.
 

Principles Behind Dominance

For obedience training to proceed smoothly, your dog must consider you its alpha leader. This means that it considers
YOU the boss. There are a number of exercises you can to to establish and maintain dominance over your dog.
Individual dogs vary in submissiveness. If your dog is very submissive, you don't need to worry about establishing
dominance (in fact, you may need to tone down your own dominating behavior to help bolster its confidence). Most
dogs are happy to be submissive: just be sure to show approval at the occasional signs of submission, and assert
dominance if it tries to test you (most dogs will, in adolescence). A very few dogs may be dominant and continually
challenge you for dominance, in which case you will actively need to assert and establish your position, but this last
is exceedingly rare.

More often, people will misinterpret adolescent high energy or bratty behavior as ploys for dominance when they are
not. Think of a two year human child testing her parents. She's finding out what the limits are rather than actually
"challenging" her parents for leadership. Puppies and young dogs do exactly the same thing. Correct them firmly, but
don't go into an all out "dominance battle" -- it's inappropriate and your dog will begin to distrust you. Returning to
the toddler analogy, the most you might do is a sharp word or a small swat on the rear. You would not pick her up,
hold her against the wall and scream at her. Remember that most dogs are still "young" (in human terms, under 20
years of age) until they are two or three. In other words, don't confuse physical maturity with mental maturity.

Never mistake being alpha with punishment. An alpha leader is fair. An alpha leader deserves its position. An alpha
leader does not use fear, punishment or brute force to achieve and maintain its position. An alpha leader, instead,
makes it crystal clear what behaviors it approves of and which it does not. An alpha leader expects its subordinates to
follow its lead, it does not force them to.

If you get mad at your dog, or angry or furious, you've lost the alpha position. Dogs do not understand fury. You
have to be calm and focused.

Always show approval at signs of submission

Praise your dog when it drops its eyes first. Praise it when it licks you under the chin. Give it an enthusiastic tummy
rub when it rolls over on its back.

Be consistent and fair in your corrections

You must demonstrate to your dog that it can trust your orders. Do not ever correct the dog after the fact. Such
corrections appear to be arbitrary and unfair to the dog, because it has no associative memory the way people do.

If your dog is still a puppy, socializing it is a good way to gain its trust.

If you decide that some action requires correction, *always* give a correction when you see that action. For example,
if you decide that your dog is not allowed on the sofa, then *always* correct it when you see it on the sofa.

Consistency can be a big challenge with a family: every family member must agree on the basic ground rules with the
dog; when and for what it should be corrected, what commands to use and so on. Families must cooperate extensively
to avoid confusing the dog. It is best if only one person actively trains the dog; thereafter if the commands are given
the same way, everyone in the family can use them.

Finally, always use the minimum correction necessary. If a sharp AH-AH will do, use that rather than an alpha roll. If
a pop under the chin will do, use that rather than a scruff shake.

Correct the dog's challenges

Especially during adolescence, your dog may test and/or challenge your position. Do not neglect to correct this
behavior. You don't need to come down like a ton of bricks; just making it clear you don't tolerate the behavior is
sufficient. For example, don't let your dog crowd you through the door, don't let him jump out of the car until you've
given him permission, don't let him jump for food in your hand. Don't let him ignore commands that he knows.

Learn how to display alpha behavior

You may not need to use all of these, but you should be familiar with them. They are listed in "escalating" order. Do
not use any of these if you are angry or upset. The point is never to hurt the dog, but to show it who is alpha. They
work best if you are calm, firm, and matter of fact. Again, always use the minimum correction necessary.

More important than knowing how to perform an alpha roll is learning to play the alpha role. That means having the
attitude of "I am always right and I will _never_ let my dog willfully disobey me" without ever becoming angry or
giving up. Picture a small two-year old toddler, for example. You're not in a struggle over who's "Mom" but over what
the child is allowed to do, and there's a crucial difference in the two.

Using an alpha roll on a dog who is already submissive but disobeys because it doesn't know what is expected of is
destructive to the relationship between you and the dog. Likewise, using an alpha role on a dominant dog but not
using any other positive reinforcements can alienate it. Most dogs never need to be alpha rolled in their lives.

Furthermore, alpha rolls are one of the strongest weapons in dominance arsenal. Save it for the gravest of infractions.

Being dominant is no substitute for learning to read and understand your dog. Proper obedience (which should be a
part of any dog's life, even when "only" a pet) is a two way street and requires you to be as responsible to your dog
as your dog is responsive to you.

There are a number of ways in demonstrating dominance:

     Timeouts: put the dog on a down stay or if not yet trained to do so, lay the dog on its back and hold it there
     for a while once the dog stops struggling you can then let it up. This is often suprisingly effective, since
     dogs are such social creatures.

     Eye contact: alphas "stare down" subordinates. If your dog does not back down in a stare contest, start a
     verbal correction. As soon as it backs down, praise it.

     Taps under the chin: alpha dogs nip subordinates under the chin as corrections. You can use this by tapping
     (NEVER hitting) your dog under the chin with one or two fingers. Don't tap on top of the muzzle, not only can
     you risk injuring your dog's sense of smell, you may make him handshy.

     Grabbing under the ears: alpha dogs will chomp under subordinate dogs' ears and shake. You can mimic this
     by holding the skin under your dog's ears firmly and shaking. Again, do not use excessive force. Do this just
     enough to get the point across. DO NOT grab the top of the neck and shake. You may injure your dog this
     way.

     Alpha roll: Pin the dog to ground on its side with feet away from you. Hold scruff/collar with one hand to pin
     head down (gently but firmly) with the other hand on hip/groin area (groin area contact will tend to cause the
     dog to submit to you.) Not recommended.

Insist on decorous behavior

Feed your dog after your own dinner. Make him lay down while you are eating rather than beg at your lap. Don't let it
crowd through a doorway ahead of you. Don't let it hop out of the car until you say OK. There are a variety of small
things you can do that assert your dominance in a non-traumatic way. If you're clever about it, you can use them to
get a well-behaved dog (one that doesn't shoot out of the front door or scramble out of the car or beg at the table). In
particular, putting a behavior that the dog wants to do on hold until you say OK is a very good way to be the alpha
and keep the dog well behaved.

Make sure your dog obeys everyone in your family

This is a fairly important point. If your dog seems to have trouble obeying a particular family member, you must make
sure it does so, by always backing up the family member when he or she tells the dog to do something. If the family
member seems to be afraid of the dog, or is very young, then you should supervise all interaction until the problem is
resolved.
 

Aggression with other Dogs

Dogs can be aggressive with other dogs, especially if they have not been properly socialized with other dogs in
puppy-hood. Sometimes a dog that is naturally dominant has trouble with other dogs especially in puberty. Sometimes
a dog has a specific experience (e.g. a dogfight with another aggressive dog) that causes it to become aggressive
toward other dogs in general as well. Whatever the reason, it is well worth your time working on your dog's
aggression toward other dogs. You will probably get the best results, especially with a problem dog -- extreme
aggression, for example -- if you contact a local trainer (preferably one that specializes in problem dogs) for individual
help. However, there are some common-sense things you can do.

First a bit of basic dog pychology: friendly behaviors include moving side by side, sniffing butts, tails wagging at
body level (not up high or over the back). Not-friendly behaviors include meeting face-to-face, esp. a face-to-face
approach, ears forward and tail over back.

Force them into friendly behaviors as follows: walk the dogs in parallel on leash. They should be close enough to see
each other but not close enough to snap at or touch each other. Be careful when you two turn that the dogs don't
tangle. Make sure one doesn't get ahead of the other: keep them parallel. Keep this up until they relax. Slowly start
walking closer together as behavior permits.

Hold one dog on leash in a sit. Have food treats and a water bottle handy. Walk the other dog toward it, to about six
feet, then turn away (increase the distance if the sitting dog snarls). The idea is to turn away *before* the sitting dog
shows any aggression. If the dog shows no agression, reward it with a food tidbit or verbal praise. Do NOT touch the
dog (stand on the leash or tie it down). If it does growl, spray it with water. Switch the dogs so that each experiences
sitting or walking toward. They are learning that good things happen without defensive behavior. As they improve,
start walking a bit closer before turning. If the sitting dog snarls, do NOT turn the other dog away: the person with the
sitting dog should correct it and when the dog subsides, THEN the moving dog should turn away.

Finally, holding the head of one dog, but allowing it to stand, have the other dog investigate its rear briefly. This is
really the extreme extension of the above.

These exercises have several purposes. One is to force the dogs to consider themselves friendly by engaging in the
behavior of friendly dogs. The other is to teach both dogs that an approaching dog is not necessarily grounds for
aggression.

This will take a lot of work, probably over a couple of months, but they will work, and what's more, should reduce
tensions with other dogs as well (i.e., not only between the two specific dogs in the exercises).