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How to sedate my dog?

How do I get my dog to assert herself as the dominant dog over the new puppy?

  • My 11 year old dog, a tenterfield-terrier (cross between an Australian terrier and a Jack russell), seems to get along all right with our new dog, a terrier cross (we think maybe crossed with beagle, not sure), who is 1.5 - 2 years old. only our older dog follows the younger one around, she doesn't appear to have asserted herself as the dominant dog. I tried holding the younger dog down on its back and get the older dog to approach it, but whenever I get the older dog to stand near the younger one in that position, the younger one barks and growls, scaring the older dog, so that now the older dog is to nervous to approach the younger dog when it is in that position. We got the younger dog from a 'foster family' as it was an adopt-a-dog through animal rescue organisations like the RSPCA and blue cross animal shelter. And we got the younger dog to keep the older dog company, as her older sister, our pet labrador, passed away a month ago, and the vet told us that we needed to get a younger dog, that our oder dog could be dominant over, for company. So how do I get the older dog to assert herself, and how do I get the younger dog to understand that the older dog is the dominant one?

  • Answer:

    To be frank, that's a really bad idea. Your dogs need to work this out themselves. If your older dog is submissive to the pup, that's the way it is supposed to be, and that's the way she wants it. Pressuring a dog with a more submissive personality to be dominant is extremely stressful for that dog and can actually create friction and conflict between the dogs that wouldn't have been there otherwise. You definitely don't want to be forcing the pup on his back and forcing the older dog to approach. The pup is going to associate this frightening and confusing experience with you and your older dog being close to it, and that's an association you definitely don't want to create. That's a good way to make your pup either afraid of or aggressive towards your older dog. "Alpha rolling" is a flawed practice in the first place (even the people who originally came up with it have since changed their minds about it), but even if it wasn't, that's certainly not how it was meant to be used. Your older dog doesn't care that she's not the "top dog," only you do. She's happy taking the submissive role. Don't force anything on her and just let them work their own hierarchy out. Forcing dogs to assume roles they aren't suited for is never a good idea. The best thing you can do for your older dog is to leave the situation alone.

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YOU have no say over which of the two dogs is alpha. If you keep on putting your younger dog on its back, you're going to get bitten - deservedly so! Leave the dogs alone. They don't seem to have any problems in their relationship except when you interfere. Why on earth would you think your older dog should be the "alpha" - which is an incredibly misunderstood word. Leave the dogs alone, and just concentrate on you being the "alpha" in the relationship. And that doesn't mean you roll the dogs on their backs, a real leader doesn't need to show any aggression.

walking lady

You don't - and are you sure the older dog is the dominant one? Usually an 11 year old dog is past her prime and will not be able to maintain an alpha position over a 1,5 - 2 year old dog, unless the younger dog is very submissive. Forcing an unnatural ranking upon dogs is rarely a good idea, and at worst you can risk serious dominance fights. Getting a dog to keep another dog, who is used to other dogs in the household company, can be a good idea, but I don't know what your vet was thinking when he said that you should get another dog for your older dog to be dominant over. Sounds like he was sleeping in ethology class.

Voelven

So your vet is a behaviourist as well?Is there no end to the talent of vets? dog food nutritionist, dog trainers, now behaviourists...........it would be nice if they did the job they trained for and stopped trying to be everything to everybody. You have got the dog so can't go back...however you get a second dog with a lower energy level than your first dog and you make sure you are pack leader and that doesn't mean you perform 'alpha rolls' on your new dog to force pack hyerachy of your old dog...........sometimes I wonder??????? YOU CAN NOT CHANGE NATURE....what you can do is learn about packleadership...simply explained link to keep you pack leader and leave your dogs to deal with their own hyerachy unless you want fights breaking out http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

Maxi

The older dog might not want to be the dominant one. You can't force the dog to be assertive and in charge, just like you can't push a person to be a leader. Just like people, some dogs would rather follow than lead. If she doesn't seem to have a problem with the younger dog being dominant, don't worry about it. With dogs, it is not automatic that the older one is dominant. It is the dog that is strongest and the best fit to lead.

leah!

You wont. The younger dog is the boss. That is nature. The older one is more feble and too old to be the boss..

Mum Mum

I dont think you can make that happen. I know when I got another dog the new puppy asserted herself as the dominant dog right away. There really isnt an issue with them except around dinnertime. The new puppy has to eat in her crate because other wise she would eat both bowls of food and my other dog would not get to eat. As long as they are not fighting and stuff just let nature take its course and let the dominant one be the dominant one.

sunfried_84

you should have just let it take its course, plus if anyone is going to be dominant it needs to be you it doesnt matter if the older or youngher dog is more dominant out of the two dogs as long as you are top dog this will stop any bad behavioural issues occuring. we found that our older dog was happy being the lowest of the pack our second oldest dog was dominant over him and we were dominant over them both now we have a new dog the puppy of the second dog and she is most dominant over the two dogs and because we are dominant over them all we have no issues with them. if one of them is still intact then chances are that the dog that is intact will be the diominant one and the best way to change this is by having your dogs spayed or neutered. the only way that you can try to help the older dog to gain some confidence and be more dominant is by giving him advantages such as feeding him first, letting him up on the couch first (if you allow this) and giving him affection first etc anything that you do with both the dogs always do first with the older dogs and this should help him gain some dominance points over the younger dog. hope this helps

Mosey1989

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