WHEN ALPHA ISN’T PERMANENT

All Dogs Secretly Wish To Be The Top Dog

Mojo and Mooch trade places

When Mooch showed up unexpected and uninvited in our back yard he tried for months to establish himself permanently as “top dog.”

His fearsome growls, his flashes of old, yellowed teeth and menacing body posture signaled he was ready to fight anyone willing to challenge his grab for the Alpha crown.

He wasn’t friendly to us, even though we were the ones feeding him. And it took a number of weeks before we could even collar the guy, and then several more to finally get him to the vet for neutering and a check-up.

In all honesty we wouldn’t have kept this obviously unhappy intruder had it not been for the fact that Mojo, our silly seven-month old Aussie and Border Collie mix was crazy for him. Why — we’ll never know — but Mojo simply adored this bossy, ill mannered black hound.

When he first appeared in our gated backyard — to this day an unsolved mystery — Mooch was physically a much bigger dog. He probably weighed twenty pounds or more than Mojo, and he stood taller than our smaller but fast-growing pup. For several months Mooch was the unquestionable leader.

He stole Moe’s food, urine-marked his toys, and though he didn’t like us much, he’d shove his way in front of Mojo whenever he came prancing over to initiate play with us.

Mooch was much displeased that Mojo got to come into the house and spend considerable time there, and he did not.

This gradually changed over time. But it was only after he was neutered, and only at the point we felt he could be trusted around the cats. I also had concerns about him lifting his leg whenever he felt like it.

If he couldn’t reach these benchmarks, then he would not become a house dog.

The balance of power gradually shifted toward Mojo but not without resistance. Moe’s youth, agility and natural herding instincts outweighed Mooch’s bossiness and stubborn recalcitrance.

His initial sense of superiority was easy to spot by his body language. As dominant dogs will often do, he carried his body stiffly, almost proudly, puffing himself out as much as he could. His tail was raised rigidly and his ears in an ever alert position.

When Mooch first arrived we were surprised at Mojo’s submissiveness. We assumed Moe would dominate by virtue of having been the resident dog. But we were wrong.

At first he accepted Mooch as his leader but over time their roles reversed. As Mojo grew he became larger and heavier than Mooch. His shoulders filled out and his face matured, giving him a more confident and commanding look.

It was almost like a switch had been turned on in Mojo’s brain.

For a period of time there were frequent tense moments, and even a few instances when we worried they were going to fight for real.

But whatever differences existed between them, whatever power struggles dogs engage in were finally and permanently settled, and peace prevailed.

These days it’s old Mooch who follows Mojo’s beck and call. If Moe gets excited about a ringing doorbell and starts barking, Mooch will immediately join in even though his faded hearing may have kept him from even noticing it.

If there’s something going on in the backyard requiring canine attention Mooch will heave himself up slowly and reluctantly from his comfortable bed and will obediently follow Moe out the door — even if he’s unconvinced of its importance.

One of the most obvious signs of Moe’s dominance over Mooch is his seemingly endless desire to lick Mooch’s ears and face. He does this throughout the day, especially as it gets closer to evening mealtime.

It’s as if Moe wants to reinforce his status and needs to make sure Mooch understands his secondary position.

Mooch takes it all in stride, though. He doesn’t resist nor does he try to reclaim his former Alpha title.

These days the elder dog Mooch is content that his golden years are filled with warmth and affection, good meals and a cozy bed, and a companion dog named Mojo who made it all possible for him.

If you enjoyed these stories about Mojo and Mooch you may like to read about some of their other adventures!

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