What Is the Alpha Dog Hold for an Aggressive Puppy?

The Alpha dog hold mimics the control a dominant dog in a pack might exercise over a puppy in a wild group of dogs. By placing the puppy in this position, the owner demonstrates his role as the leader of the family "pack" and the dominant figure in the puppy's life. The actual alpha dog hold varies with the size of the puppy.

  1. Small Puppies

    • It is obviously easier to control small, aggressive puppies than larger puppies. According to the website canismajor.com, you can hold small puppies in both hands by grasping directly behind their front legs. If your puppy struggles, growl at him. It may make you feel a bit ridiculous, but you are attempting to mimic the activity a dominant dog would exercise over the puppy. Release the puppy after he relaxes. Vary the location and time of this exercise until the puppy relaxes as soon as you pick him up.

    Medium Puppies

    • Sit on the floor and cradle the pup on your lap with your hands holding him down. Again add the growl if he struggles. Hold him until he relaxes. Make sure you have secure control during the exercise. Puppies that escape from the alpha dog hold will continue to believe they are the leader of the family pack.

    Large Puppies

    • Straddle the standing puppy facing the same direction as the dog, according to website canismajor.com. Grasp the puppy around the chest just behind the front legs and lift the puppy's front end off the floor. Again growl if the dog struggles. Hold the dog until it relaxes.

    General Tips

    • All forms of dog training reinforce your position as the alpha dog in the puppy's life. Teaching the dog to sit on command, and making the puppy sit before it eats or at other times it interacts with people, continues to remind the dog who is in charge.

    Continued Training

    • It is easy to establish dominance over a puppy. As the animal gets a little older, the puppy equivalent of the teenage years, he may challenge your authority again. The same techniques used with the smaller puppies can be used to establish your dominance again. The larger the dog, the more important it is to maintain the proper relationship between pet and owner.