“Who’s The Alpha” –   The Relationship with
Your Dog & How Important it is

Hello, my name is Larry Ontiveros and I call myself “Dog’s Best Friend.”  Many times we, as dog owners and lovers, find it very comforting to know we can come home after a long day at work and look forward to being with our canine companions… but hold on!!!  Perhaps your dog isn’t quite that model canine citizen that you would like for him/her to be.  Here are some of the main issues that most of my dog owners have with their dogs:

• Pulling on Leash
• Nipping/Biting
• Barking at inappropriate times
• Digging
• Dashing out of the house or yard
• Separation Anxiety
• Chewing
• Dog to Dog Aggression
• Dog to People Aggression

As you can see, these are often perceived as the problems and as a result, owners have no idea on what to do when training their dogs.  The issues I just mentioned are not the problem.  The real problem is that a dog does not possess the leadership that it is desperately looking for.  We, as dog owners, treat our dogs like human beings rather than giving our dogs what they need in order to find their rightful place.  Dogs are pack animals and within each pack, there is the Alpha.  Dogs need someone to take charge and represent leadership.  For many owners, this role is reversed where the dogs are in charge and the human is part of the pack. 

What is the solution?  Well… for one thing, owners need to establish the role of the Alpha.  From the beginning, you do what you have to do to establish this relationship otherwise you will get a situation where the roles will be reversed.  The dog ends up taking the Alpha/Leadership role and you become the pack animal where the dog stays in charge. 
My main objective is to reverse this human/canine relationship so that the dog owner becomes the leader of the pack.  As a result, you will then have a dog that is loyal and faithful and be much happier.  The basic way that I work is in establishing the relationship.  I offer six, nine or twelve session packages that I call “The Alpha Packages” where I go once or twice a week to your home.  I call it the “Alpha Package” because it establishes who the leader is.  I do stress that training is on-going.  After the sessions are completed, it is very important to continue the training in order to keep the relationship established.  Consistency is very important in training and the more you do it, you will see that it becomes a part of your everyday life.  When you train, do not spend more than 10 to 15 minutes per session, otherwise, the dog begins to loose its focus.  Short sessions are the most effective and if you can do at least two sessions per day, you will begin to see progress.

I also offer a “Doggie Boot Camp” where the owner’s dog will live with me for a period of four weeks.  It is designed for those customers that, due to their busy schedules, do not have time to work with their dogs.  My main focus is putting the dog through a leadership plan that will include basic obedience exercises, walking through the neighborhood and parks, which fits nicely for its socialization needs.  The dog will be taught to walk on a loose leash, as well as, greeting guests without jumping.  It will also be surrounded by my own dogs that know where their place in the pact is.  As a result, this becomes very beneficial for the unruly dog as it begins to learn by example.

Finally, I offer a vacation pet sitting program which offers my customers a place where they can take their dogs when they cannot include them in their vacation plans.  The dog is boarded at my facility “Cage Free” and with plenty of room to play.  This service will also include daily walks. 

Unfortunately, I only have so much space to continue my article so I thought about what is it that I really want you to get the most out of my conversation with you today?  What helps the process of giving your dog what it really needs to be happy so that it doesn’t start to exhibit all of this adverse behavior?  I call it the socialization process.  It is so important from the beginning to take your dog out for walks to exercise and expose the dog to all kinds of dogs, all kinds of people and all kinds of situations.  Why?  Because it greatly reduces the natural aggression in all dogs.  As a result, your dog will know its place with family members as well as outside of its inner circle.