Is there hope for my dominant rescue dog to get along with my other dogs?

Question: Is there hope for my dominant rescue dog to get along with my other dogs? 

We have a rescued Akita who believes she is the alpha female. Her problem is with other dogs. She can't be near one without knocking it down and standing over and not letting them up. No blood yet, from either, just lots of noise. She is great around little people, adults and even cats. Just other dogs. Any chance of trying to socialize her now? Would really like to see her with our other dogs.

Answer:

How should I approach a dog I do not know

Question: How should I approach a dog I do not know? For example: you go for a visit and meet a dog that seems to be alpha in the house?

Answer:
It is best not to approach the dog at all, but rather ignore him and allow him to approach you. Don't touch him, don't bend down with your hand extended, don't talk to him, and don't make eye contact. If the dog walks over and smells you it does not mean the dog wishes to be petted.

 Dogs get a lot of information about someone by smelling them, and just because a dog smells you does not mean he wants you in his space touching him. Remain confident and strong-minded.

 If you are nervous, anxious or scared, etc., the dog will read your emotions as weakness and will be more likely to react in a dominant manner. If the dog jumps on you, the dog needs to be corrected by you. A jumping dog is a dog that is stepping into your private space, which is disrespect in the dog world

My dog is restless when he sleeps. He whimpers, sometimes yelps and/or moves around

Question: My dog is restless when he sleeps. He whimpers, sometimes yelps and/or moves around. What could be causing him to do this?

Answer:
You should have your dog checked by the vet. If there is nothing medically wrong with him then it may just be him having a bad dream. Dogs can have bad dreams when they have bottled-up mental and physical energy and frustration. Since dogs cannot speak to us and say, "I feel anxious inside" we humans often do not realize the way our dogs are feeling. Some questions to ask yourself:

Does your dog get a daily pack walk to satisfy the migration instinct that all dogs have? The proper way to walk a dog.

Does your dog feel he must take care of YOU rather than relaxing and letting YOU take care of him?

What breed of dog is known not to bark (or at least not much) when left alone

Answer:

It has more to do with the owners than it does the breed of dog. If you fulfill the dog's instincts, the dog, no matter the breed, will be less likely to bark. I know there are some breeds that may have a tendency to bark more than others, but it really has more to do with the human behind the dog. A restless dog is more likely to bark more. A dog that is well-exercised, tired and secure is going to bark less.

How do I earn trust with my newly rescued

Question: How do I earn trust with my newly rescued, skittish Min Pin?
I adopted a 2 ½-yr-old female Min Pin a week ago. I am alone with her. She is still skittish. I will call her to come to me so I can take her out to go potty, and she hides under my throw pillows, or under the covers, and if I approach her she runs away from me. She continuously tries to throw herself out of my arms, or tries getting tangled up in her leash. I am afraid I am going to hurt her.

 To me she acts as if her previous owners just continued to beat her. What can I do to get her to trust me and cooperate? I am even afraid to scold her when she goes to the bathroom in my house on the carpet because of the way she acts so scared. Any suggestions on what I can do to enjoy her more? She does follow me all over the house and will lie next to me on my bed or couch. I know she loves me but I just can't win when it comes to redirecting her.

Answer:

is it okay for the dog to comfort me

Question: Should I not get a dog if I cannot control my emotions, or is it okay for the dog to comfort me if 'I' call him to me?

Answer:

It is OK for you to get a dog if you are getting the dog so YOU can care for THE DOG, and while you are caring for THE DOG, it will comfort you naturally, as taking care of something else gives one a sense of accomplishment and may make you stronger. 

However, it may not be OK if you get a dog for the sole purpose of THE DOG being there to comfort YOU when you have anxiety. The dog will instinctually see you as weak and will "claim" you as his own. When dogs are allowed to claim humans it is dominancy, and negative issues almost always arise. Read The Human Dog to find out more.

Can a dog be left alone in an apartment for 8 hours

Question: Can a dog be left alone in an apartment for 8 hours while we are at work without causing damage and barking too much?

Answer:
If you are 100% the pack leader so your dog is secure when you leave him and you take him for a long walk that tires him out before you leave and another long walk when you get back, your chances are good that your dog will be fine. In nature dogs get up in the morning and walk to find food. 

So you if you simulate that by pack-walking your dog for a long time before you leave to tire him out and then feed him he will go into rest mode and should be OK until you return. It is important that you pack-walk him and not allow him to walk you. If you concentrate on exercise and leadership matching the needs of the dog, the dog should be fine. The higher energy the dog, the longer walk or even jog/run/bike ride the dog will need to go on. 

Placing a backpack on a higher energy dog helps to tire him out and give him a sense of a job to accomplish. A tired dog is a good dog. Dogs with pent up energy and that do not know their place in their pack generally are the dogs that act out. It is important that the dog heels on the lead so he sees you as his leader.

If your dog is restless when you leave and causes a commotion it means he has energy to burn and/or he is not secure with you being away from him. See Separation Anxiety in Dogs for more info.

Are there any dog breeds that can live in an apartment, yet make good jogging companions?

Almost any dog can live in an apartment, IF...and this is a big IF...they get enough exercise and the right kind of exercise. If you plan on jogging your dog, and as long as you can make the dog heel on the jog so the dog is not worrying about being your leader, but rather relaxing as he is following you, you have a very wide range of dogs to choose from. Most dogs in the shelters are there because their owners... ONE did not provide proper leadership and TWO did not exercise them properly. A big backyard is not going to cut it. So those people who live in an apartment who actually walk their dogs (assuming they make them heel on the lead) are often better off than those who are simply only let out into the fenced backyard for exercise. Dog park exercise is excited exercise and it is not recommended as the only source of exercise a dog receives. It keeps the dog in an excited state of mind.

why dog's ears go down around owner

I have a 4-month-old puppy whose ears stand up. Whenever she comes around me she puts her ears down but her tail is wagging. She likes me very much and gives me kisses. Can you tell me why her ears go down around me?

I have not seen your dog around you, but going by what you say without observing I can tell you that it is not necessarily a bad thing. A dog that is submissive of another being will slink themselves smaller and put their ears back. A lot of people misread dogs when they see them puffed out proud with their ears erect thinking it means the dog is happy, when in reality it is the way a dog who believes he is alpha reacts. If your puppy puts her ears back and lowers her head that is a sign of respect. The fact that her tail is wagging and not tucked under leads me to believe this is the case. Your pup respects you and it is a good thing. Keep being the pack leader that you are. Lowering the head, ears back and curling into a circle are signs of submission. A dog wants to know who is boss so they can be secure. The pup is acting towards you the way she would act towards her canine mother. Make sure you stick with showing her the rules so she can keep looking at you as her leader. It makes for a happy dog.

Don’t Pee Where You Sleep

“Oh great, here comes Bob. I wonder what MLM he’s going to try and sell me on now?”

How many of these people do you know? Everyone knows that Bob’s going to have a different Business-of-the-Week everytime you see him. And then he’ll proceed to try and make you join that system with him. It was an impulse buy for him and now he wants to spread the news to the world. Even worse, he’s doing if first to his friends and family.

I actually went forward with something similar once, and after a month, I was still at it. Meanwhile, the person who convinced me that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, had already moved on to something else. That left a really sour feeling with me. It was as though he had made a really bad decision and was getting me to join in order to get his own money back. All of it was at my expense. It wasn’t one of my more expensive lessons, but it stuck with me.

It taught me that you should never take your friends or family for granted. They are a huge source of help and motivation throughout your entire life. Don’t jeopardize that for a quick buck.

I took the lesson to heart.

You don’t need to “sell” anything to your friends. Conversations should be a “pull” rather than a “push”.

When you’re online, you now have the ability to expand your circle of friends exponentially. The philosophy applies to them as well. Marketing should never be a numbers game. Its not a game, and people are not numbers.

I know you already know this, but like me, you probably need to be reminded every now and again.

Life throws you enough problems to deal with. You don’t want to come home and have to clean up a puddle of your own making.