I am the alpha! That means that what I say goes. If I want something, I get it. I decide where we go, what we do, and how long we stay before we come home! I have ultimate and supreme power and any attempts to bypass my role is met with a form of re-education! Just so we're understand each other!! Got it?!
I make no assumption that I am the alpha human. I am talking about dogs...wasn't I clear?
When Fudge was a pup I told the kids that we would need to train him and that I needed to be the boss of the dog. "If I am not the boss of the dog there could be trouble and he might try to bite, so let me be the boss of the dog. Watch." I then proceeded to take his food away while he was eating. Grrrrr. "NO!" I put my hand in his food dish. Grrrrr. "NO!" I put my face near the bowl when he was eating. Grrrrr. "NO!" I had Sylvia, then Kristiana, then Jake put their hands near his food and eventually take it away. Grrrrr. "NO! NO! NO!" It went very well. Fudge was very happy to know his role in the family and I didn't wield my power cruelly, I just wanted everyone to be safe.
Every once in a while, at the beginning, he would try to see if I was really going to stay consistent about being in charge. When that happened I would assert my authority by wrestling him to the floor and put my face on his neck like I was going to bite him. Fudge didn't like this but the kids would laugh their heads off! To this day if someone is having a little trouble with their unruly dog, the kids will yell, "Wrestle him to the ground and bite his neck! That's what my dad did!" I'll take looking silly over getting the kids stitches for doggie nips anyday!
Fudge has settled into his role nicely and he accepts that I am the head honcho. He is definitely my dog and will follow me around the house when I am home. He listens to me when I say that it is time to go outside. Something that happens a little more often ever since he chewed through our door on New Years. We weren't home and let's just say that he does not like fireworks!
Since this obviously resulted in me installing a new door, a modern door that is white and has raised panels on it, it actually was not a huge problem. Since this new paneled door is something that Sylvia really wanted it does make me curious, and even a little suspicious, about why there would be barbecue sauce smeared all over the door. Hmmm. I guess I'll never know what really happened.
It's a good gig being the alpha. I am always greeted with a huge happy welcome. There is someone who follows my directions (which is nice especially after I come home from a disobedient day in the classroom). And I have a loyal companion. Last year when I was so sick that it involved calls to 911, ambulance rides, and more EKG stickers than they used in the entire 8 seasons of HOUSE, Fudge was by my side, literally. Sylvia tells me that when I was in bed and could do nothing more than sleep, Fudge refused to leave my bedside. I don't take that lightly!
There is one more "perk" that comes with being the alpha dog. All other dogs want to smell like you! While Fudge does appear to be very typical in his desire to go sniff and then roll in all manner of smelly things, he also wants to search for and then roll on things that I have worn. I could be insulted that the dog who chooses to roll on a dead squirrel will also roll on a pair of my socks. I'll leave the comparisons to people brave enough to comment. No, I choose to avoid feeling insulted or even embarrassed. In fact, I choose to be flattered! I just wish that his favorite item of mine to roll on wasn't my pillow!
Over the last few years Fudge has become quite adept at figuring out when everyone in the family is engaged and then he chooses that moment to sneak away and grab my pillows. I tried to tuck in the blankets all around. No problem...for him. Wrap them in the middle, under the blankets. Took some time, he got them. At this point I am nearly convinced that if I were to seal them inside a Rubik's Cube Fudge would be able to manipulate the sides to unlock it...even without opposable thumbs! The problem with our increasing efforts to keep him from the pillows was that he needed to be more and more determined to get them. This resulted in tiny little tears in the pillow. This wouldn't be a huge problem except Sylvia and I have always been feather pillow kinds of people. We both have the same kind of pillows but he always tears into mine!
Whenever we change the sheets and pillowcases it looks like a duck exploded in our room! Sylvia had had enough and she decided to go out and buy me new pillows for my birthday this last November. She said, "The other pillows are going away and Fudge won't get into these because they don't have your scent on them yet!" I am happy to say that her plan worked beautifully...for a day.
I make no assumption that I am the alpha human. I am talking about dogs...wasn't I clear?
When Fudge was a pup I told the kids that we would need to train him and that I needed to be the boss of the dog. "If I am not the boss of the dog there could be trouble and he might try to bite, so let me be the boss of the dog. Watch." I then proceeded to take his food away while he was eating. Grrrrr. "NO!" I put my hand in his food dish. Grrrrr. "NO!" I put my face near the bowl when he was eating. Grrrrr. "NO!" I had Sylvia, then Kristiana, then Jake put their hands near his food and eventually take it away. Grrrrr. "NO! NO! NO!" It went very well. Fudge was very happy to know his role in the family and I didn't wield my power cruelly, I just wanted everyone to be safe.
Every once in a while, at the beginning, he would try to see if I was really going to stay consistent about being in charge. When that happened I would assert my authority by wrestling him to the floor and put my face on his neck like I was going to bite him. Fudge didn't like this but the kids would laugh their heads off! To this day if someone is having a little trouble with their unruly dog, the kids will yell, "Wrestle him to the ground and bite his neck! That's what my dad did!" I'll take looking silly over getting the kids stitches for doggie nips anyday!
Fudge has settled into his role nicely and he accepts that I am the head honcho. He is definitely my dog and will follow me around the house when I am home. He listens to me when I say that it is time to go outside. Something that happens a little more often ever since he chewed through our door on New Years. We weren't home and let's just say that he does not like fireworks!
 |
| Fudge in front of his handiwork |
It's a good gig being the alpha. I am always greeted with a huge happy welcome. There is someone who follows my directions (which is nice especially after I come home from a disobedient day in the classroom). And I have a loyal companion. Last year when I was so sick that it involved calls to 911, ambulance rides, and more EKG stickers than they used in the entire 8 seasons of HOUSE, Fudge was by my side, literally. Sylvia tells me that when I was in bed and could do nothing more than sleep, Fudge refused to leave my bedside. I don't take that lightly!
There is one more "perk" that comes with being the alpha dog. All other dogs want to smell like you! While Fudge does appear to be very typical in his desire to go sniff and then roll in all manner of smelly things, he also wants to search for and then roll on things that I have worn. I could be insulted that the dog who chooses to roll on a dead squirrel will also roll on a pair of my socks. I'll leave the comparisons to people brave enough to comment. No, I choose to avoid feeling insulted or even embarrassed. In fact, I choose to be flattered! I just wish that his favorite item of mine to roll on wasn't my pillow!
Over the last few years Fudge has become quite adept at figuring out when everyone in the family is engaged and then he chooses that moment to sneak away and grab my pillows. I tried to tuck in the blankets all around. No problem...for him. Wrap them in the middle, under the blankets. Took some time, he got them. At this point I am nearly convinced that if I were to seal them inside a Rubik's Cube Fudge would be able to manipulate the sides to unlock it...even without opposable thumbs! The problem with our increasing efforts to keep him from the pillows was that he needed to be more and more determined to get them. This resulted in tiny little tears in the pillow. This wouldn't be a huge problem except Sylvia and I have always been feather pillow kinds of people. We both have the same kind of pillows but he always tears into mine!
Whenever we change the sheets and pillowcases it looks like a duck exploded in our room! Sylvia had had enough and she decided to go out and buy me new pillows for my birthday this last November. She said, "The other pillows are going away and Fudge won't get into these because they don't have your scent on them yet!" I am happy to say that her plan worked beautifully...for a day.
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