The Absolute Alpha

The Absolute Alpha is a term that I use to define the "true way" to lead. 

In the event that you are not aware of the basic concept of Black Belt Dog Training (even after reading the name)...  the philosophy stems from my background in traditional martial arts.  If you understand the ways of the traditional martial arts,  you must embrace the way of Zen.  In Zen, everything is nothing and nothing is everything.  That is to say,   in this situation you must become everything, yet remain humble.  

I see so many people yelling at their dogs, jerking them around, hitting them and fighting with them in a feeble attempt to prove to the dog that they are the alpha.  The true alpha does not need to show it by means of force.  Yes, there are times you will need to be strong with your dog, very strong.  But if it properly done,  your dog will understand that you are the alpha and you won't have to prove it every day.  If your dog doesn't "get it"  perhaps you are not showing it in the right way.

To be an Absolute Alpha, you must show more compassion than aggression, you must love more than you correct, you must understand more than you expect to be understood.  If this all sounds like a bunch of New Age mumbo jumbo... you are wrong.  These principles date back hundreds perhaps thousands of years.  

To put the concept simply, yes your dog must respect you, but respect and fear are very different concepts.  The stronger one is respect.  As respect can contain love, fear does not.  If you have love, then your dog will want to please out of love not fear.  Love will drive your dog to do anything to please you, fear will drive him to do just what you want him to do at the moment you ask, and only because he's afraid.  

Love is the first thing I embrace in any dog I train.  Respect comes next, as well as understanding.  I am the more evolved of the two of us, so I must understand more than I expect to be understood.  That is the basic principle of the absolute alpha.  Complete compassion, love and understanding is what the dog I am training can expect from me, therefor when I expect proper behavior in return, its a very fair trade in the dogs mind.  Wouldn't it be in yours too?  This is not to say I am not strong with the dogs I train, I believe that  a dog needs a strong hand, but that hand should come from a place of love, not anger.

Aggressive Dogs vs. Aggressive Behavior

I'm sure I'll be addressing this issue again and again, as I have so many times in the past.  Countless times I've been asked to evaluate a dog that has been labelled "aggressive" that actually just exhibited some aggressive behavior.  

So.. what's the difference?  Simple, If I upset you, slap you, taunt you or annoy you, you might act aggressive, even if you are not an aggressive person.  A person who is a bully, is violent or abusive is aggressive in nature.  

Often times, even in play, a dogs actions may be misconstrued as aggressive, when they in fact are nothing less than just a dog acting like a dog.  A dog might snap when he is handled in a certain way because of an injury or a memory of upbringing or history of abuse. Each dog needs to be seen as an individual.  Some dogs love their ears rubbed, others may snap if you touch their heads.  

To label a dog as aggressive, is a strong statement, this assessment should only be made by a qualified trainer and after much research.  The reason I say this is because aggressive dogs have little hope for survival.  If a dog is labeled aggressive in a shelter, they are likely to be killed right away.  I've rehabilitated plenty of "aggressive dogs" from shelters, that needed extra attention, some others that were labelled aggressive, just had issues that I was able to work with for one session and completely turn them around with an evaluation,  these dogs were just a bit timid or shy.  Often shy dogs and dogs with a skittish personality will appear aggressive, when they are just scared.  Dogs don't act scared like humans do, so it requires a deeper look by a person who understands the behavior of a dog.  Just because a dog has a strong personality and doesn't want to do what you want him to do, does not mean he is aggressive.

If a dog is exhibiting aggressive behavior, give them time, don't approach them too quickly.  Just sit and wait.  It does no good to approach an aggressive dog in an aggressive way.  This will not solve the issue of aggression.  I've seen that all too often.  Untrained people will try to dominate an aggressive dog to "break them."  Unless its done properly, it only contributes more to the problem and the aggression gets worse.  

The best solution to evaluating a dog for aggression vs. aggressive behavior is time and a keen, compassionate eye.  

Find out just what it is that is triggering the dogs behavior.  

If that trigger can be removed, the aggressive behavior can be fixed.  

After 20 some years in the martial arts, why in the world did I decide to train dogs?

The answer is very simple, I think its the right thing to do.  I see so many people frustrated with their dogs, and its almost never the dogs fault, its merely a lack of communication.  I've helped many people with their dogs, rehabilitated dogs and seeing the positive results is always very rewarding.  I am a huge animal lover, all animals.  Everything I do revolves around my love for animals... including choosing to be a vegetarian.  I have a connection with animals that allows me to communicate with them on a different level than most people.  I draw upon this connection when training or consulting.  Each dog is different and must be approached in a unique way.

I am very active in dog rescue and work with local shelters here in LA.  I've rescued many dogs from shelters, rehabilitated several and pulled others off of death row with some simple behavior modifications.  I believe there are no bad dogs, only communication blocks between humans and their dogs.

Most of the dogs that come to me for training are the ones considered "trouble dogs," including: Chows, Pit Bulls, Sharpei, Dobermans among others.  When other training methods fail, mine generally work very well.

My techniques are simple, and only require time and dedication.  I teach and communicate in dog training very similarly as I do when teaching traditional martial arts.  I do not feel there is much of a difference, henceforth a similar approach.

I invite you to subscribe to my blog and mail me your questions and thoughts.

Regards,

Robert