These are all concepts that you must understand as well if you are to relate you your dog in a successful manner. Each pack has a leader, an individual who is dominant over all pack members. This is the member who makes the decisions, who must be obeyed. This is the individual that you must be in your dog's eyes. Steps to Establishing Your Role as Alpha Professional trainers know that it is a waste of time to try to train a dog without first establishing themselves as alpha to the dog.
Every dog needs a leader to listen to and adore.
Without this leader, a dog will feel lost and unstructured. If you do not take the role of alpha, your dog will be forced to take the role himself. Here are some steps to establishing your role as the alpha. Notice that these involve both behavior and body language - two types of communication that your dog will understand. Always praise your dog as if you own it.