[vinnybear]

We adopted a 3 year old male dog in December 2007. He is a 75 lb Red Dobie and Chocolate Lab mix. He was neutered when we adopted him. Mondo has been a great dog, great with the kids (young) and highly trainable, basically the best dog you could ask for. Until now he has been the only animal in the house, and he is an inside/outside dog.
Last weeked, May 3, 2008 we rescued our second dog, Brutus, a 90 lb Chocolate Lab mix (maybe mastif). I already had concerns about having two male dogs in the house, and the hormones are not yet out of his system, as he tried to mark his territory in the house a couple times (already broke him of that) and he has tried to hump Mondo and me! I knew that was not good. (Mondo also tried to hump Brutus once.) I did something that someone had suggested to me: I immediately forced Brutus to the ground, not hurting him, but holding him down and putting my body over his as he lay on his side. This would teach him submission, supposedly, that neither Mondo or Brutus were allowed to be the alpha dog, pack leader, but that I was.
My wife and I are concerned about possible competition that could break out between the two with small children around.
I would appreciate any help and advice on how to best deal with the situation. They are both really, really good dogs.

[LadyA]

You are correct that YOU need to be the Alpha, but take it slowly. Not the Alpha part, but getting the two dogs used to each other. Keep them separated, if you need to, for a while, and bring them together for short periods at a time. Once they get used to each other, they should be fine, but it has been a very short time. The resident dog feels as though the new one is stepping on his turf. Make sure that you treat them like you would your children. Make sure that you don't let the resident dog feel that he has been replaced. We had two females that had the same problem, it took a few months apart, but eventually each one learned their place and that the Alpha was ME! Good luck, and just keep an eye on the kids when the dogs are together, and never leave the kids alone with the dogs, as both may feel that they need to protect the children from the other.

[vinnybear]

i have read lot of documentation online about the alpha male, pack leader mentality, and am trying to wrap my head around what is right. while both opinions state that your dogs should definitely dominate you, the owner, one idea states (Milan) that you, the owner, become the pack leader. The other opinion is that The dogs will have a pack leader between them, that it is natural for that to develop and one dog will be submissive to the other and one will be dominant, the pack leader.
Any help understanding this, as well as advice and methods is much appreciated.

[suebgone]

what you did is called an "alpha roll" it should NEVER be done other than by a very experienced professional trainer & most of them don't do it.

yes, mother dogs do it to puppies - key word being puppies.

please google NILIF for specific help in YOU becoming the pack leader, then the first dog & then the new one.

most people don't understand the importance of introducing dogs slowly. they should be crated & rotated, kept in seperate rooms with gates or whatever, but should not just be put together. actually you only had the first one a couple months before you got the second one

I would definately feed them seperately - 2 people walk them together & work on very gradually letting them together in the house

I have no idea what you could possibly be reading that would say that. are you sure you didn't misunderstand?

you've got two powerhouses there that are going to need at least 2 half hour runs a day. out in the yard is not exercise. they need to be jogged on leash. they will become easily bored, are a danger to small children just by walking through the room just because of their size & knocking the kids over

[LadyA]

You should always be the pack leader, and the dog should NEVER dominate the owner! If you allow your dog to be in charge, you will have a lot of behavior problems in the future. The two dogs will develop a pecking order amongst themselves, however you must always be "head dog". I don't know about the articles that you have said you read, but my opinion is that it would be dangerous for you and your family to allow the dogs to be in charge of the humans. As I said in a previous posting, take your time introducing them to each other. But make sure that your first dog isn't made to feel that he is second best to your new dog. For a pack, the new one always has to make "nice" to be allowed into an existing pack (your family) Yes, at times there is jockying for position, and dominance issues, but you, as Alpha, or pack leader, must take care of that, don't let the dogs resolve the issue themselves. Good luck!

[4 dog nite]

Wow...you took a lot on at once!

Of course you are always the leader, no exceptions ever. The two dogs will then sort out who is next in line and one will be (a little or a lot) submissive to the other. That's what you're hoping for, but they will both look to you to make sure that process takes place without anyone getting hurt. If you handle it correctly now, you can save a huge amount of difficulty later on.

The humping is just part of working out who's going to be submissive, and it's best to nip it in the bud, just to reinforce that you are the one who makes the decisions, but no reason to overreact to it either. As long as they respond to a correction and knock it off when you tell them to, it's fine. If they don't, or if it progresses to "stare downs", bared teeth, raised hackles or growls...then you have a bigger problem and need to be more "in their face" with correction, but if it goes there, get a pro to help you.

Laying over the dog can communicate dominance to it, but this is a dog you've only had briefly...and a big one at that...it can be dangerous if the dog decides to take it as a challenge. It can also be a problem if it has to go that far before the dog accepts your leader status...because your kids also have be above him in the pack and no way can they do that with him.