Originally posted by K9soul
You can do a few things also to show the pup that you place Samantha in a higher role too, such as feeding her first, giving her attention first, going out first, etc. I'm no expert but I think if a pup sees the rest of the "pack" treating Samantha as higher than her/himself, it will make an impression.
That works as long as the other dog is okay with being lower than Samantha. If it happens that Samantha doesn't care about her rank and the other dog does, then the other dog should be treated as alpha. It is best to let the dogs decide and then honor their decision to avoid confusion. Just observing the dogs for a few weeks should be able to tell you who is higher ranking.
Most dogs aren't dominant in all situations. My Lolly likes food and walks the best, but doesn't care as much about bones. So Lolly usually is fed first, but Reece is given treats and bones first.
It seems like a lot, but with your supervision, I'm sure the dogs will be just fine after a couple weeks of working things out. Just remember to be proactive and anticipate certain situations to avoid fights before they happen.
Alyson
Shiloh, Reece, Lolly, Skylar
and fosters Snickers, Missy, Magic, Merlin, Maya
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