It is important from day 1 to establish the rules in your household pack! If you are bringing the new dog into a home where there is already a dog, don't make the
mistake in thinking that the dog already in residence will automatically be dominant over the new dog and have a higher rank - this is not how it works. It makes
no difference what size, type or age when pack position is being established, that tiny 2lb Chihuahua may well be higher in the pack than your 8 stone malamute.
Also you have no influence over it yourself - they will sort it out themselves, just make sure that YOU are the alpha dog.

All packs have a pecking order and every member knows its place. The higher ranking they are in the order, the more privileges they are granted. All pack
members are capable of reading the body language and signals of the rest of the pack. If a lower ranking member tries to take a privilege that would normally be
reserved for the alpha figure, a withering look is all that would be needed to ensure order is maintained. Violence is rarely used. This is because it is paramount
that the survival of the pack is ensured and any member injured or killed would put that in jeopardy. Your dog is constantly on a minute by minute basis, trying
to look for a chance to elevate its rank in the pack - here are the key points to ensure that you maintain YOUR position as the alpha figure.

When feeding, you must mix his food ration where he can see you do it. Pretend to eat something first. Put the bowl down and say WAIT while you count to 10,
then he can have it. Alpha dogs always eat first: lower ranking members eat according to their rank. Today it is sometimes inconvenient to eat before your dog,
hence pretending to eat some of the food. If your dog thinks he is eating before you then you are telling him he is above you in the rank.

Deny the dog freedom of movement around the house - there should be some clear off limits areas., there must be at least one room and better still may be
the entire upstairs should be a no go area for your dog. He must get the message that YOU can go anywhere but he can only go where you say he can.

If the dog is in the way at any time, lying on the floor ect, Do not walk around him - you must make him move out the way. In the wild, if the alpha dog wants to
walk across a clearing, all the other members of the pack move out of the way, not through fear but out of respect. All lower ranking dogs move out of the way
for an alpha dog. All treats and privileges must be earned - stroking eating ect. Don't not allow the dog to demand these things from you - Making him wait and
earn privileges tells him that you are in control.

Never allow your dog on the sofa or the bed. This is very important as dogs use height to display rank. By allowing him to be at the same height as you tells
him that he is of equal rank. Also the alpha dog ALWAYS sleeps at a higher level than the rest of the pack.

Make sure that you go through all hallways, passages doors and always go up the stairs first. Make the dog follow you, not lead you. When approaching a
narrow passageway, all others hang back to let the alpha go first. The leader always goes first.

You must win ALL games with your dog, especially tug of war games. You must always end up with the toy and you decide when playtime starts and finishes.

By constantly keeping up this regime you will have a completely different relationship with your dog. It is not about being dominant in an aggressive way. We
try to teach our dogs using human values and we expect them to understand them, whereas they are only capable of learning on a canine level, and
understand canine values. It is in fact a tribute to our dogs that they eventually learn to live with such inconsistent creatures as ourselves.