Lead Alpha Male Dogs...

[Reuben]

Sittin' here under a shade tree on a road trip.. resting for tonight's hunt... One thing I do know about a good dog... He gonna do what he/she does regardless.... All bullchit aside.

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but I once had some sure enough top strike dogs and both were probably what most would call once in a lifetime dogs...these 2 dogs hated each other and tried to out hunt one another but would honor each other.

[TinyTexasCowgirl]

Ryan, I defiantly agree with you about dogs getting jealous of other dogs. No offense, but most men tend to forget, or don't want to believe that dogs, well most animals actually, have brains, and emotions. You can't tell me that they don't. I know from my own experience with the dogs I have now, as I said, I have 7, and three of them are house dogs. If I am playing with Pete, or petting on him, Grace will come, and literally shove him away from me with her body, then basically crawl in my lap, leaving no room for him. When I am outside with the whole group, they all are constantly battling for my attention, and will do whatever it takes it get it, including doing things they know are against the rules. My own belief is that dogs know who are the favorites, and if they do not feel as though they are special in some way, then they are not going to give you their all. I have seen it time and time again with dogs and horses.

Just a thought/example. My sister used to have a 9 year old barrel horse. This particular gelding was a total bad a**, like no joke. He out ran Sheri Cervi's back up horse by 1.5 seconds in Liberty pen. Sheri actually offered to by him. Now, my little sister is known world wide (LOL) for her temper, and it doesn't matter who she is mad at, if you are in her way, your going to be getting the chewing for whatever she is mad at, and that includes her animals. Now Kip (the gelding) was funnier than hades, because if Aimee hauled him somewhere, and unloaded him being nice and loving on him, he would pour his heart out for her. But if she unloaded him cussing and being pissy, he would warm up just fine and dandy, then would BUCK, BAWL, AND BELLY ROLL all the way through their run. It didn't matter if it wasn't Kip that she was actually mad at, if Aimee took it out on him, he was going to make her pay for it.

Tell me they don't know what's going on.

and thanks for the compliment on the gyp. That is actually Grace. She is truly a miracle dog in many ways. LOL If she was a cat, she's is out of lives.

[Reuben]

 My own belief is that dogs know who are the favorites.

I agree...

[RyanTBH]

That is what I'm talking about Ruben... how dogs affect each other. I guess I should have said "in a pack" not with a "pack" mentality. That's a given. I should have also specified while in the woods and on the yard. Tiny, they do have different attitudes on the yard and in the woods. I wouldn't go so far as to say jealous, unless it is the owner that is invoking that, but I would say being analytical. I think, especially while they are pups, they are analyzing everything that goes on. Especially the Alpha Male/Female in this case would be the owner. To say that a dog doesn’t have feelings, IMO, would be blind; definitely not on our level of thinking, but certainly to an extent. Although I will say that I’ve questioned even that, and keep telling myself I’m smarter than my dog… LOL! I think the best way to ask it would be.... Do dogs have politics? Just with some of the other post proves this even further. They would also have competition if that is the case, pushing each other to do better, younger dogs looking up to the lead dog, ect. I guess that is also where the handle you put on your dogs comes into play a lot too though. Finding the right easy medium when “training” pups to know that you are the alpha male/female, but at the same time not to follow you around and be independent enough to hunt.

[Hog Dog Mike]

I aquired this really big cur dog from a friend. However, his hair was a little long and I always thought something was in the woodpile with that dog. He was just an OK hog dog at best. When he was around the kennel and exercise yard I noticed that he was starting to try to dominate the other dogs ---and me.

The window to a dog's soul is in the eyes and I NEVER did trust his look. He kind of snapped at my neighbor one time as we were cleaning fish out by the kennel and I thought it was him being territorial. A couple of days later he made the mistake of snapping at me through the chain  link as I was going to scratch his chin.

I took the Ruger 10-22 and ended his dominance right then and there.

I still have a Lacy that hated an old red cur I owned. They would lock up and have some big time battles. I cut the Lacy because I thought I would never want any pups out of her. The red dog finally seccumbed to cancer and I am left with the Lacy. She is a really good dog and I wish I had never cut her.

[dub]

I did have one dog that would cut another dog off when chasing a pig to get the pig first. I culled him.

Hey dub, just curious on your reason for culling him??

Was he cutting the other dog off and still not stopping the hog?? Slowing the other dog down??

The dog should worry about pigs not other dogs. He could find pigs but when put with dogs that found them better he would just run beside them and wait for them to find the pigs. Then he wanted to be the first one there. But what made it bad is that he would run into the other dogs to stop them instead of just running faster. It made the chases longer. I did not want my other dog to either quite trying or decide to take him out of the way. It is like at a race and someone is fast but someone else is faster so they try to trip the faster runner. I just will not put up with that. I don't mind if they hunt alone or together. But if they want to be the first they need to hunt more independent. I could hunt the other dog alone and get the same pigs. So I consider the other a waste of food. I did give him to someone that needed a dog because he could find pigs. But I want my dogs to work together like a team. It is still a work in progress.

[Reuben]

But I want my dogs to work together like a team.

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