Alpharoll by mistake?

[selzer]

I am agreeing completely with Lou's posts on this thread. I think what you are doing is ok, since the dog seems to be good with it. I would be more comfortable with this if it was a game you played with this dog from say four to six months and on.

When I rub my girls belly in a spot she kicks that back leg and is having the time of her life. That is what I think is happening here. Just wondering what Lou thinks.

[SunCzarina]

I wish I could read Lou's response... it's very itty bitty font and my glasses are downstairs.

What I can offer is this. 10 years ago I adopted a 2 year old male who was a HARD dog, his name was Luther.

My husband, being a hard guy, asked around to his other hard guy friends and was told to alpha roll the dog when the dog was being disrespectful to him. All that got him was bit. Thankfully not on the face.

I never tried to roll Luther. He was a big dog, 110 lbs. I'm 110lbs so it wasn't happening. It didn't make sense to me anyway, I used other sneakier alpha tactics I'd read up on, like block his shoulder when he tried to bust through a doorway before me. Show him I'm the alpha by bringing home the food. Cooking it up, you nice dog, I might give you some. He loved food.

From day one, I could give Luther belly rubs, put my face on his chest and my husband used to say his showing me belly was the dogs way of showing me I'm nothing to him. No, it was just his bonding with Mommy. We were tight, it was a quick bonding. I could open the fridge and work the car. He liked these things that I controlled.

Eventually he'd let my husband rub his belly and they'd wrestle gently. But those early attempts at dominating that dog didn't make it go any easier.

One other note regarding something that I was able to squint out of Lou's post - Luther did roll other dogs. Often. When Morgan was a puppy, she was like a magnet for loose dogs to run up and try to bite her. If a loose dog charged at us, Luther would grab it by the neck, drop it and pin it.

[Jelpy]

He is sitting at the desk, giving me a toe cleaning as I type. It tickles and makes me giggle, which causes him to stop and give me that cocked head, quizzical "Baroo?" look. He is such a boof.

Jelpy

[doggiedad]

so, i couldn't imagine how you were standing
over your dogs back and kissing his stomach?
so your dog is on his back and your kissing his tummy.
your dog wouldn't do it if he didn't like it. you're
not forcing him to do anything. hey, don't tell anybody
but i kiss my dogs tummy also .

sometimes my dog will jump on the bed
and partially roll on his back so you can
pet his tummy.

Originally Posted by Jelpy

Thanks for the feedback. I was concerned because it was sounding as if any time you were leaning over your dog it could be considered an alpha roll and trigger an attack. It didn't SEEM like that would be an issue-Lycan is such a clown, he flops over like a sack of potatos at the drop of a hat and he loves to be played with. Um...(scuff scuff) I know the blowing raspberries on his tummy sounds silly but he really loves it.

Jelpy

[Jelpy]

No, no, I meant he rolls on his back and I give him the 'raspberry roll'. You should have seen the look on his face the first time; I don't know if he was more surprised by the noise or by the way it felt.

jelpy

[Miikkas mom]

I hate to ask, but what is an alpha roll?

[LouCastle]

Originally Posted by selzer

Lou, what is your opinion on Jelpe's Rasberry Rolls?

I don't think it has anything to do with an Alpha Roll. It just sounds like a dog and owner playing.

[LouCastle]

Originally Posted by SunCzarina

I wish I could read Lou's response... it's very itty bitty font and my glasses are downstairs.

I'm really sorry about that. I'll write bigger. This forum does weird things since the new software came in.

[LouCastle]

Originally Posted by Miikkas mom

I hate to ask, but what is an alpha roll?

It's described in my article. I forgot, besides being on my website, it's also "stickied" on this forum. CLICK HERE to see it.

Here's the nickel version,

To perform the roll you're supposed to grab the dog by the excess skin around his neck, force him backwards into a sit and then roll him to one side. Some trainers advocate rolling him all the way onto his back. The idea is that you're simulating something that dogs do to one another when the dominant dog is displaying his dominance to the submissive dog.

But it's just not so. If you watch some dogs at play, for example at a dog park or the zoo, or watch the Discovery Channel. Use a Video Camera (or record the TV) so you can play it back several times. You'll see what at first looks like an alpha roll but when you examine if carefully it's not even close. When dogs do this, the dominant dog doesn't force the submissive dog to do anything. It's the submissive dog who's doing all the work. The dominant dog puts his foot up on the submissive dog's shoulder or back and the submissive dog rolls himself under the dominant dog.

[Good_Karma]

Thank you, Lou Castle for adding your comments. You were very eloquent.