PETS
The Biggest Mistake People Make Raising Their Dogs
Your dog is a wolf beneath — become the alpha dog of your pack! If you’re struggling with your dog, I’ve got news for you. Dogs need structure and decisive leadership.
Humans are funny
We believe in our superiority above other animals, yet treat our pets as humans. Don’t. They’re domesticated beasts, not furry babies! We also find it funny to say, “If only it could understand us, then it would be just as smart as a human.” Here’s the twist — “Maybe we, the smart ones, should learn to understand animals.”
Most people completely misunderstand their dogs
They make them a part of the family and treat them like children. No wonder most dogs are a mess! They’re not humans, babies, or reasoning beings. They are pack animals! They cannot breach into our territory by becoming intelligent reasoning creatures. Instead, we have to be able to understand them and how they operate.
Dogs need a pack, not a family
When you introduce a dog into your family, you’re introducing them into a pack. A pack has a very strict hierarchy. All dogs in the pact know who the alpha and the beta are. They lead the pack, eat first, demand response, and punish transgression. This is what your dog expects to see in the pack’s alpha. This is what it needs to feel accepted, fulfilled, and safe. It needs to know its exact place in the hierarchy of your family. Where do you think that is?
You have to be the alpha of your pack
Your dog will only respect you if you act like an alpha. No, that doesn’t mean you have to beat your dog up, but it does mean you have to be firm and unwavering in your leadership of the pack. There can be zero room for doubt here!
When the alpha shows weakness in the wild, other dogs or wolves get funny ideas about dethroning them. Never allow your dog to question who’s in charge and dream of becoming the alpha of this pack you call a family. That is inviting danger for yourself and your family.
If you think this is just a theoretical problem, think again
My parents’ dog attacked my six-month-old daughter. The second we dropped our eyes from the stupid little mutt, it sprinted across the room and bit her in the face.
A freaking overgrown Shi-Tsu, not some Pitbull, mind you! He’s not a toy, but a dog with 17+ kg and a few kills on his belt, primarily chickens and pigeons. Beneath the long white hair and regular hairdressing appointments lies a monster whose first instinct is to kill and devour.
That’s a prime example of how not to raise a dog by pretending it’s a stuffed toy or a baby. Thinking “he’s the boss,” he took it upon himself to kill someone taking his spotlight in the family. We tried our best to give him equal attention at all times, knowing he might be a jealous little shit, but it wasn’t enough. Luckily, he was caught mid-air, but my daughter’s head was already in his mouth, with teeth marks to prove it.
Consequences
Now, he has to stay at dog hotels when we visit, causing a world of trouble and expenses for everyone involved. This is just because they didn’t listen and chose (intentionally) to spoil the dog instead of training it and treating it as an animal instead of a cute furry baby.
My father’s literal words from a decade ago: “I bought the dog to spoil him, not to train him.” I warned him of the stupidity of not taking his role seriously, and my daughter almost paid the price (many other dogs already have).
As far as I’m concerned, being left out of family gatherings is the least of the furry monster’s problems. If he were my dog, it’d be the meat grinder! The little trust we had in the dog disappeared when he tried to murder my six-month-old daughter. If you read the news, not all children are so lucky. If you have a dog, you have to accept the responsibility of training it properly. It’s not optional!
You can’t reason with your dog
Dogs may listen to commands but don’t reason, think, debate, and make conscious decisions like humans. They operate on instincts and energy first. Words are more or less unnecessary in your relationship. If you have the right energy, one look or a change in your vibration will tell your dog all it needs to know.
On the flip side, you can yell all you want, but you might as well be talking to a wall if you don’t command the dog’s respect. By the way, if you have to yell at your dog to make it follow your commands, you’re doing it wrong. You never have to raise your voice if you’ve trained your dog right.
It will always keep its eyes on you and want to follow your lead, waiting for your commands — you know, like a wolf in nature. Pack animals crave strong leadership and despise weakness. Never show weakness in front of your dog, especially if it challenges you. Remind it of who’s in charge, and leave no room for doubt!
You eat first, and you’re the one who permits the rest of the pack to eat
When in doubt, think of a wild pack of wolves. The alfa gets the first bite, and only if he allows it do the others get to partake in the kill. Control your dog’s feeding and make sure it checks on you if you allow it to eat. Don’t worry. None of this is a matter of violence but merely determination and persistence.
Ideally, your dog will always wait for your command to eat and won’t eat from other people unless you give it permission. No, it’s not cruelty. It’s hierarchy and security. Most importantly, it’s a reminder of its place at the bottom of the pack — a gentle, daily reminder of the order of things.
You have to be the one in charge of the pack at all times and demand respect
I have to make something crystal clear. If you can’t take the food from your dog’s mouth, you’re not in charge — you’re the weak bitch, and they’re the alpha. Should there ever come a moment when you are afraid of your dog, you screwed up, and you need to correct that mistake right away or get rid of the dog!
If they hiss at you or try to bite you, you had better set the record straight or suffer some horrid possible consequences down the line. You’re not the alpha if your dog has the balls to even hint at an attack on you! Correct that behavior immediately.
You’re either the alpha of the pack or you’re not. Nothing is off-limits for the alpha dog in a pack. He is his pack’s ultimate king, leader, and god. Can you say the same for your relationship with your dog?
Dogs don’t respond to talking points — they require a firm grip and a confident leader
When your dog is doing something unwanted or perhaps even shows aggression against your wishes, you have to assert your dominance. This is not optional! Your dog has to know what is and what is not tolerated by its leader and who that leader is. That’s you, by the way. No, not the trainer in dog school, and most definitely not the little “shit machine” whose poop you pick up three times a day.
Observe the behavior of dogs or wolves and mimic their behavior when asserting dominance
I know this sounds silly, perhaps even cruel, but you’re dealing with a domesticated wolf, even if it looks more like a rabbit than a wolf, and you have to play their game to have a safe and fruitful relationship with it. Tell them in a language they understand, not with PowerPoint presentations, applying to their better nature, or begging!
Do you know how a dog or wolf asserts dominance over another pup?
It grabs it by the neck and pins it to the ground! Firmly, decidedly, and doesn’t let go until the other dog submits. You’ll know when that happens.
When in doubt, mimic nature! I’m not saying to bite your dog in the throat. Just simulate it and grab it by the neck (with your hand, holding, not choking) while pinning it to the floor (gently but firmly), demanding respect and obedience.
It won’t hurt the dog, apart from its ego, naturally, which is the point. At first, the dog will struggle as if its life depended on it, but in time, it will submit. There is no physical pain, but there is discomfort.
It’s a survival instinct that has been working for millions of years. If it works for keeping dozens of wolves off the alpha’s back (throat), it’s good enough for your posh puppy.
Your dog must submit to you
A dog or wolf shows submission by exposing its neck to the stronger dog. It lays on its back, paws in the air, and the neck exposed for the alpha to kill it if it pleases. It is usually enough, and the dominant wolf or dog lets go.
The hierarchical order has been established, and no blood was spilled. This is the level of submission you must demand from your dog. It’s all they know, and it’s engraved into their DNA.
Be a strong leader of the pack, not an indecisive coward
When you look at your dog, it must know exactly what that means and submit instantly. Words are unnecessary. Only weak people yell and beat their dogs! Strong ones dominate them with firm determination, persistence, and alpha dog energy.
In this sense, it’s similar to leadership roles in society. Only weak ones who command no respect feel the need to yell at their subordinates or even resort to physical violence. Strong leaders lead by example and discipline; everyone follows them willingly and eagerly.
Create a safe and clear structure for your dog
If you don’t assert yourself as the alpha, your dog will be confused and will continually push for the position. It’s in its nature. Everyone wants to be a top dog deep within. Should such a thing keep repeating in your “pack,” you’re not making things clear enough to your dog.
Again, you don’t have to hurt your dog physically! No one advocates for violence. Just be assertive, determined, and fearless. Demand respect. Persevere until your dog recognizes you as the alpha and willingly submits. Repeat if necessary.
It’s not really a choice. Your dog needs a clear structure, a role to fill and to know its place in the pack. Failing to provide this structure and security will lead to an unhappy dog and a messy dog ownership experience. It won’t be “the dog’s fault,” but yours and yours alone.
The saying that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners, is about as close to “the truth” as possible. There are always exceptions.
Mistaken compassion
I know you feel I’m being cruel to dogs at this moment. All you want is to cuddle and spoil the furry little babies rotten. I know you mean well, but you’re wrong.
This approach is horrible with children, leading them to a life of pain, loneliness, and disappointment, and it’s even more counterproductive with dogs. It shows you just don’t understand their psychology and instincts.
They need a pack and a firm leader
They don’t need to be spoiled, sleep in your bed, and shit on your head. That is the behavior of a confused dog that doesn’t know what it is and what their place in society is.
A dog doesn’t seek freedom and autonomy — you’re thinking of a cat or yourself, perhaps. A dog seeks to be part of the pack, with a firm, strong, decisive leader and a clear purpose within the structure. Give it what it needs, and you’ll both be happy. It needs it. It craves it. It’s part of its nature.
Start early and stay the course
I know there are opposing opinions regarding when to start training your dog. I’m in the camp that supports beginning right away. Training in the early phases is play, anyway. It’s guided, structured play primarily based on rewarding desired behavior. It’s fun, and pups will love it.
If you’re persistent and active in the first couple of months of the pup’s life, you’ll hardly have to do any further training later on — only regular reminders and practice. It makes life so much easier for you, your dog, and everyone who comes into contact with you.
“Dog schools” aren’t for dogs; they’re for their owners. Try to understand your dog and see the world through its eyes. Again, I know you love your dog and want it to be happy. We all do. But you’re not making your dog happy by screwing up and confusing the animal. Be a strong leader, and you’ll have yourself a happy pup and a happy life together.
Be the alpha I know you can be!
Alternatively, you can let your dog be the alpha of your family and see where that leads you. Remember — there are consequences either way.
How you raise your dog is a choice you make, and you will have to accept the consequences at the end of the day. Hopefully, they’ll be limited to inconvenience and won’t endanger other people.
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“Oh great, now I want to read something fun and exciting involving dogs and alpha bitches!”
Don’t you worry, friend! I’ve got you covered with a four-chapter short story, bordering on horror, about a family from the city who decides to move to the country for some peace and quiet, only to find themselves on the menu of a vicious mad wolf.
A Paradise in the Country Gone Wrong — The Mad Wolf (Chapter 1/4)
The city was dangerous. It was loud. Unbearable. The country seemed nice. I had no idea of the horror that would follow.
