Vivian, Tara & Judas

I got a call from Patrick about his dogs. They're not biting anyone, just each other. They don't walk on a leash very well, and sometimes they fight over meal times. To add insult to injury, the recent addition of Tara and Judas is cause for concern with Patrick's wife. She has a baby and she worries about dominant breeds hurting their child. This is a valid concern, especially when a person who is supposed to be an "alpha" displays fear and uncertainty around these guys.

**Remember .... No matter how much you trust your pet you should not leave babies unattended at anytime**

SO ... here's our setup .... we have a Doberman, Pit Bull and Siberian Husky. All three dominant breeds. The Husky belongs to the lady of the house, the other two the man of the house, please tell me you're getting the picture at this point ??? ..... Good ..... First of all we need to get our intrepid couple to accept the fact that they have to lead the pack and not allow the dogs to continue in their dominant behavior. By default that will make Patrick Jr. a pack leader. Next we get the dogs back in check and reclaim the house, the yard and the leadership role. So we start with the basics .... a good walk !!



Above is Tara and Judas. To the right is Vivian. These guys are going for a walk !!! The bonding involved in a walk is the moment we need with the dogs to show who is indeed in control. Tara and Vivian are fine in a walk, but Judas is a Pit Bull with an attitude. He doesn't like other dogs although he has a great temperament. People always wonder why dogs lunge at others yet get along with other members of the pack, but if you think it's going to happen ... it'll happen !!! the tension on the leash acts like a transmitter for negative behavior. When the dog senses fear or other negative energy, they associate it with the source that creates change .... Let me explain .... You walk your dog down the street, you see a jogger approaching .... you tighten your grip, you become anxious fearing the dog will attack ..... guess what ? .... The dog reacts to your anticipation of a bad instance. Does that make sense ? He/She attacks, lunges or snarls at the innocent person because you reacted with a negative energy and the dog reacts ... maybe to protect you, to protect him or herself ..... Bottom line ? beware not to transmit fearful, anxious or any other type of negative energy to your dog under any circumstances. Be the pack leader, not the follower !!!





On our walk with the dogs, we encountered a kind gentleman who helped Judas get over his excitement with strange dogs. Judas was a bit jumpy at first, but the more exposure he had to aggressive dogs the calmer he became due to the calm assertive behavior of the handler. Believe me, there were some noisy and aggressive dogs on our walk. It is imperative that you handle a house full of dominant breeds, with an ABSOLUTE iron fist and velvet glove. It's ok to love your dogs, but not in a state of anxiety. Be firm, be strong and that will leave you plenty of room for affection. I will return to see Patrick and his family in a couple of weeks and I will update you all as soon as I do that. Keep your fingers crossed ..... stay tuned - James