I got some advice today.

[cubby31682]

It's been working for me so far!

I guess that means I need to try it on my husband and see what happens? J/K

[heinz57_79]

Originally posted by Smilla
That reminds me of the practice of rolling your aggressive dog on its back and growling and snarling in its face to show that you're "top dog." Heard this one?

I've actually rolled my dogs a couple times. Charlie and Chloe both. Rolling is still an acceptable form of showing who's boss. ANd in a lot of cases it actually works. I don't snarl at them tho.. I just get in their face with a VERY stern NO!

[aly]

The alpha roll is actually VERY old school train of thought. There have been great strides and studies in dog behavior lately, but you can still find those few trainers who are very stuck in the old way of thinking and who will recommend the alpha roll. Its not effective like you think it may be. In wolves, the submissive wolf will roll over and expose his own belly to the alpha. The alpha doesn't go around forcibly throwing other wolves on their back. Also, if you are having leadership problems with your dog, you could be put into a potentially harmful situation by rolling them and pinning them. That is like asking to be bitten. I've worked with many behaviorists and been to many conferences, so this is not just my opinion, but also that of the many many others who have thoroughly researched it.

[Glacier]

Originally posted by heinz57_79
I've actually rolled my dogs a couple times. Charlie and Chloe both. Rolling is still an acceptable form of showing who's boss. ANd in a lot of cases it actually works. I don't snarl at them tho.. I just get in their face with a VERY stern NO!

The alpha roll can be effective. I've done it to Muskwa a couple times--not recently as he seems to have finally realized that he runs the pen, I run the house. You have to be extremely careful with it though. Some dogs will not accept it nicely. I'd guarentee if I tried with Kayleigh, she'd take my face off in a heartbeat.

[Smilla]

"Also, if you are having leadership problems with your dog, you could be put into a potentially harmful situation by rolling them and pinning them. That is like asking to be bitten."

That's what I always thought could happen! It seemed risky. Also, I thought it would make the dog afraid of your hands.

[lizbud]

No offence meant to anyone here, BUT.... I personally believe
the alpha roll is a method of last resort & one attempted out
of fustration by the owner of the dog. There are other, better
ways of "proving" yourself to your dog. This is not one of them.

[K9soul]

I've never heard or read advice like that either. I don't think dogs would notice/care if their food were spit in, but it feels disrespectful and wrong, not to mention gross. On top of that, I am sure their food already has my scent on it without spitting in it, especially treats that I give them by hand. I think what is more important is that a dog realizes food comes from you and that you decide when and where they get fed.

Better things to do to show you are a higher ranking member in the pack is eat first and then feed them, go through doors first, and general obedience exercises with positive reward. When Tasha was a puppy and when we first got Tommy, I also handled their food or would reach down pick up a bit of food out of their bowls while they were eating so that they accepted I could do that.

[Smilla]

I really didn't mean to start a lengthy discussion about the alpha roll. I had my (admittedly uninformed) opinion of it, but I didn't think there would be strong feelings about it one way or another. I think that might have been a mistake. Maybe we should drop it as a subject?

[cubby31682]

I think it's good to hear what others have heard. Like I have said I am a bit afraid of dogs. I don't want to do something that might be harmfull to the dog or myself. It is always good for me to learn. I love dogs, I have always wanted a dog, but I think if I lived on my own I would never get one just because of my fear of them.

[K9soul]

I think there is as much variation in dog training advice as their is for raising a child. I think it's best for owners to read up on as much as they can and then apply the best methods for each particular dog. Some might take more firm measures than others, depending on the dog and situation. I do think things like alpha roll are extreme case scenarios and there is potential there for it to cause more harm, but like Glacier mentioned she knows her dogs well enough to know where it would end up being harmful or dangerous.

The book I first read about it in said nothing about snarling or yelling in the dog's face when you did it, but mainly to give eye contact. The few spats I have seen between my dogs, past and present, the aggressor snarled and leaped at other, and the submisser dropped down in self defense/surrender to stop the attack. If a person tried to roll a dog that did not want to surrender or felt too threatened/cornered, I can see a scary outcome.

Fortunately, though my pups have their little issues, dominance has never been one of them.