You may have heard about the “alpha dog”, the leader of the pack. But do you know what an omega dog is?
Does your dog go belly-up when she meets other dogs?
Does your dog piddle when she meets other dogs or people?
The omega dog is the low pup on the totem pole. This is the dog who gives up treats and sleeping places to the alpha dog. This is the dog who gives up first at tug-of-war and lets toys be taken right out of her mouth. Your omega dog may not like to make eye contact, or will be the first to break a stare.
My Lally has a lot of characteristics of an omega dog. Whenever my father or brother come to the house, she immediately squats and piddles. Moosie can take rawhide chews or toys right out of her mouth – even her most favorite squeaky ball. She won’t try to take things back herself, either. She waits for the Moose to lose interest, or for me to come to her rescue. And Moose will push Lally out of the way if she’s getting attention that he wants for himself!
Don’t feel bad if you have an omega dog in your house! Pack ranking is just part of the deal if you have more than one dog in the family. Your dogs may not be clearly alpha or omega – they may have characteristics of both – but you’ll be able to figure it out. And keeping the pack order isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it will keep both dogs happier. When you’re putting out the supper dishes, put the alpha dog’s food down first, then the omega’s. Greet the alpha dog first when you come home. You’re not hurting the omega dog’s feelings, you’re keeping the pack status quo.
Just keep in mind… you’re the boss dog of the whole family.