Comments on: Alpha Dog – The Facts About Dog Dominance And Pack Leaders

By: Briony Lazarides

Briony Lazarides — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 08:35:26 +0000

Hi i would just like to applaud you on an excellent, clear , well researched and completely factually correct article.

There is still So Much damage caused to dogs but also dog-human relationships by ‘the Alpha myth’
Thanks very much for going to a lot of effort and doing your bit to dilute that.

I was reading it to check your stance prior to recommending something else on your site to one of my behaviour clients.
I have been involved in training and behaviour since the 1980s

Your site is excellent 🙂

By: Sammie@LabSiteHQ

Sammie@LabSiteHQ — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 09:06:18 +0000

In reply to Danielle Schneider. Thank you for your kind words

By: Danielle Schneider

Danielle Schneider — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 21:35:14 +0000

Welcome enlightenment! I hope those who need it, read it!!

By: Sammie@LabSiteHQ

Sammie@LabSiteHQ — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 17:11:48 +0000

In reply to Pepper James. Hi Pepper. It sounds like you've taken on quite a lot there. It's very kind of you. But if you're ultimately planning to rehome him, I wonder if you might be happier talking to a local rescue charity, to see if they can organise a foster family for him for now? Learning to get on with other dogs is a slow process, and it sounds like it's causing you and all the dogs quite a lot of stress. He might actually be happier in a foster home with no other dogs? And in the meantime, please do make sure you get all his vaccines up to date, and do keep your counters clear of all food and rubbish, so that he can't make himself ill eating trash! I do hope things get easier at home for you all soon. Sammie

By: Pepper James

Pepper James — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 02:15:26 +0000

So. My daughter was given a Black Lab/Husky Mix…She and her family work from home and frankly their dog Zeus grew quickly and is not being trained. She was overwelmed and ask me to take him. I did not know about his mom being a siberian husky, when I first saw him at 10 weeks he looked like a black lab. Now he looks like a Black German Shepherd. He stayed with me last night and today has diarreah, he jumps up on the counter and eats our food and paper towels. He slept all night in his Kennel, but trying to introduce him to my two dogs is scary. He barks and jumps and Im afraid my Black Mouth Cur/Pitt Bull mix is going to hurt him. My English Bulldog is a sweetheart, but he is annoyed with his jumping and barking. He is 6 mos old, should I be looking a Husky traits? He also was not neutered or vacinated and so not socialized around other animals. He is definately a handful, but I feel he is safer with me until we rehome him. Our dogs are 8 and 3 and we are seniors, so we are not hiking or running.

By: benb

benb — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 13:07:05 +0000

In reply to joe gracie. As a dog trainer, you need to teach the speak and quiet commands. Then you can control the barking.

By: Lizzi

Lizzi — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 20:51:19 +0000

Hi, I see what you mean in the case of my labs. (I have two) but my sister and her husband have a blue tick coon hound who revered my brother in law with great love and respect but my sister was obviously beneath her. After struggling with a snarling dog that wouldn’t let her do simple things like sit on the couch next to the dog and her husband and refused to obey her if my brother in law was absent. Another dog owner at the park suggest she spit in the dog’s food before the dog ate it. It worked! A week or so of spitting and my sister was one again allowed to live peacefully in her own house.

By: Melissa Dawn Gastmeier

Melissa Dawn Gastmeier — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:02:58 +0000

In reply to Cathy.

Hi Cathy,

My name is Melissa. We recently purchased a female choc lab. Her barking has been horrid!

I broke down and bought her a bark collar. You set the levels on it, depending on how high and how often she barks. It does not hurt them, and our relationship has changed immensely.

She just turned 6 months old, and my boyfriend, the kids, an I are so in love.
Our current issue is keeping her from jumping up on people, and jumping up to the counter.

Hope this helps!!

By: joe gracie

joe gracie — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 00:06:09 +0000

I have a black lab name Dakota. She has a loving disposition however if she doesn’t get her way she looks at you and continues to bark until she gets what she wants. Like certain time she eats as one example. I have to put leash on her and give her 5min time out. Is this ok? Joe

By: Lucy Easton

Lucy Easton — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 08:05:21 +0000

In reply to Maria. Hi Maria, If a previously house trained dog starts peeing indoors the first port of call should be your vet in case she has a UTI. If they give her the all clear, i'd go back to basics with your house training as you would with a young puppy and help her to relearn where it's appropriate to pee. This isn't a dominance issue, alpha dog theory has been widely discredited these days. You can read the evidence here. I'd highly recommend finding a trainer who specializes in positive reinforcement training techniques if the issues continue, your vet is likely to be able to recommend someone in your local area. Best of luck! Lucy