Alpha Beggar...

Pretzill

Hi all

Just something I've noticed, and I wonder has anyone else with more than one dog noticed the same.

We had two dogs originally who like a lot of dogs like to watch me eat. They were good at begging but they never steal...they were often rewarded with a little morsel. After the reached an older age we introduced a pup, once pup reached circa 4 months old she did the begging the others stretched out in the background and if there was a treat to be had it was shared among the three. Roll.on three years and sadly one of our elder dogs passed - after some months we introduced another pup.

Now pup is chief beggar whilst the other two relax in the background.

Now I know the top dog theory is rubbished but are my dogs smart enough to know it's harder to resist the cute factor of a pup? I know this is a light thread but I find it interesting behaviour and wonder does anyone else have some interesting tales about the group dynamic they've seen in their animals.

DBB

If you take three kids, and place a really nice toy in amongst them, you're almost certain to get one of the kids prevailing when it comes to getting the toy.
Why?
Because that kid is just a little more assertive then the others, and whilst often the others may want the toy, they don't want it that much that they'll get into an altercation over it.
So, you could say that the kid who gets the toy is being dominant, or assertive, or a bully. But is the kid driven to do so because he perceives himself to be higher in a pack? No. He's doing it because (a) he's probably got a natural confidence, and (b) he has learned that being assertive works to get him stuff he likes. The same child may not be quite as pushy in the presence of another child who is more assertive, or if in the home of one of the other, less assertive children.
Assertiveness, or lack of, is a quality of the individual relationship between each of the children, as opposed to being an over-riding desire to be King of the World.
It's pretty much the same with dogs!
I hope that explains what you're seeing between your own dogs. Indeed, you might get two dogs living together. In the house, one of them almost always gets the goodies, but outside the home, it often happens that the other dog gets the goodies, so even between two individuals, assertiveness can flip between them depending on the circumstances!

Pretzill

Thanks DBB but that's not what I'm seeing at all - I don't think it's to do with assertiveness I think the youngest, (t two seperate pups in this case) are been giving a role - it may not even be desirable to them - but all 3 benefit from the one dog begging. Sorry this is not about Alpha nonsense just something I notice that goes on. In reality I think they all are playing me

kylith

My oldest is the chief beggar. I think it's just whoever wants it more.

If you give scraps after you've finished then the older ones probably know that there's no point in staring at you as they'll get it later whereas the pup hasn't learned that yet.

DBB

Pretzill wrote: »

Thanks DBB but that's not what I'm seeing at all - I don't think it's to do with assertiveness I think the youngest, (t two seperate pups in this case) are been giving a role - it may not even be desirable to them - but all 3 benefit from the one dog begging. Sorry this is not about Alpha nonsense just something I notice that goes on. In reality I think they all are playing me

In that case, I misunderstood your post! I read it as you saying that the pup was begging but the others no longer were as she was perhaps pushing them (mentally or physically) away.
But what you're saying is that one begs, the others no longer do, but all of them still get an occasional treat out of it?
In which case you'd have to think that the other two have learned that chilling out in the background, whilst letting the young greenhorn do all the work, works for them! They've likely learned it, rather than it being a deliberate predetermined act?