This was posted a friend on 'another site', she is a really good trainer, it also mentioned training wolves in it.

http://wildewmn.wordpress.com/2012/1...-heavier-hand/

Excellent article !

I don't know how to put this plainer really ...

BECAUSE of the DA issues, we could not allow Ben to be let off the lead UNLESS we had a reliable recall. Because we did not have a reliable recall, we had to train a reliable recall. And this we did - as a last resort, trying an e collar, when all else had failed.

Now we are at the situation where - because we have a reliable recall with Ben - we can start on the lead training with our friend and his BL to try and overcome his issues with large black male dogs.

The next step after that will be socialisation off the lead - but to be honest, I don't think this will ever be achievable.

Sorry if I haven't made this clear before

I know! But there is nothing that trips Ben's trigger for long enough. He is so intelligent, he gets bored very very quickly.

Now me - it would all about wine AND chocolates!!

Well then that's tough - I will have to take that risk. As I say, Ben's coat is so dense you cannot see anything other than a normal black collar, the electronic part is hidden.

So let me get this right because I am still confused, you have 100% reliable recall ? and Ben is only DA on lead ? or is he DA off lead too ? and when he becomes DA off lead you can use his 100% reliable recall to get him back and stop the situation ? or am I way off target ?

Sorry, but I totally disagree with you. I DO buy into the whole alpha dominance rubbish as you call it - and that is my right in a democratic country. You have answered your own question "why do they not respect you more?" by going on to say "... and would always look to you for leadership instead of taking matters into their own paws".

EXACTLY - you have hit it right on the head. BECAUSE Ben did not view us as alpha male and female, (and neither had he ever regarded any of his previous owners as such because they either abused him or spoiled him), he was the dog he was when we first took him in - aggressive with humans if they tried to make him do something he did not want to do, obstinate, spoiled and disobedient. 45 kilos of liability, both to himself, other dogs and most important of all, to adult humans. As soon as he realised that actually WE were his alphas, and he was subordinate to us, everything started to fall into place. Except for the recall - we failed on that one, possibly because of his malamute and husky genes.

And so we come back to our successful use of the e collar to train a reliable recall.

Because the experts say that it is a good idea for the dog to continue to wear the collar, and for you to carry the remote controller, just in case.

As I have said before, many times we have either forgotten to put the collar on, or forgotten the remote. It makes absolutely no difference at all to Ben's level of obedience. But I would be rather safe than sorry.

To say that the pack theory in wolves and dogs doesn't work is just the most utter tommy rot. Talk to the Wolf Trust people, talk to Shaun Ellis, talk to anyone who works with wolves and they will tell you that they are very much pack animals just like us.

Don't forget I lived with an F1 wolf pup for several weeks between the ages of 9 and 16 weeks. I learned more about dogs during that short period of time than I could have imagined.

We never let him off the lead when we are anywhere near other dogs, so I have no idea whether or not he is DA off lead.

On the lead, yes, he still is DA towards large males, black ones in particular.

If by some awful accident he was off the lead and got into a fight with another dog (OH is so careful, I cannot ever imagine this happening, but just say something ghastly happened like the harness contraption he wears broke), then at this moment in time, no, once that red mist had descended, we would not be able to call him away, we would have to wade in and grab him, something which would be extremely dangerous because the wader-in-er would doubtless get bitten. However, we have a time window of a few seconds before the red mist descends, so if we had been really quick off our feet, then yes, we could call him away.

Hasn't Ben attacked a black lab twice while off the lead, Gnasher - once by jumping over the garden fence and once on the shared drive? Guesses are that he is DA off lead as well as on. Chances are that your recall will fail or you won't have time to think to use it (as happened on the drive) should he be off lead and meet up with one on your walk.