Dog Training Case Study No. 1 - The Alpha Dog
Sam

Sam was a Dalmatian and we got him as a puppy when our kids were four, six and eight years old. He was our first dog and none of us knew very much about dog training. We were somewhat lucky in that we applied a mixture of common sense and kindness and we only ever had one major problem  -  he would not come when called! At least, for the first two or three years.

I know, with that problem, you don't need any others. In fact, he was almost a Jekyll and Hyde character. In the house or garden, he was a well adjusted, obedient dog, who knew his place in the family hierarchy. (More about that below).

He didn't climb on the furniture, he didn't get on beds, he didn't beg for food when we were eating and he never showed any aggression towards the kids (in fact he was very protective) -  although he was soon stronger than any of them.

Sam was a liver-spotted Dalmatian. I don't know if it is common in the breed but he seemed bigger and more powerful than black spotted Dalmatians that I have seen. Dalmatian Coach Dogs were bred to run alongside horse-drawn coaches, so they had to have great strength and stamina, to run for miles at the speed of the horses.

Sam certainly had strength and stamina in abundance. He was a bundle of muscle and also quite a big dog. That was our problem. He just loved to run! Once we let him off the leash, we knew we were in for a struggle. He just would not come back when called.

He would just stand, about twenty or thirty feet away and eye up the distance between us, then off he'd go again. I had to be prepared for at least an hour or so of this performance before he would deign to come to me. Then, in my ignorance, I would scold him and make it clear that he was a bad boy, thus convincing him that it was a bad idea to come when I called him.

Where did he fit in the family hierarchy? Well, I think he took on the role of indulgent big brother. He knew very well that I was the alpha male and my wife, who usually fed him, was the alpha female. In fact, if he thought he was in for a scolding, he would go and stand by her!

As the children got bigger and older, Sam's size and strength became less of a factor and all the kid's were able to control him easily. The fact that he was given lots of care and affection  right from his early days made him such a valuable member of the family. But he was never in any doubt about who was the Alpha Dog. (and it wasn't him!)