In my experience it's best to let them find and have their pecking order. Let the Alpha be the alpha (except that you, of course have to be the MAJOR ALPHA). If you try to interfere with the who's the boss game, someone will get their butt kicked later when you are not around and it might not be pretty. Let the dominant kid have first dibs on lap and the sidekick will be just as happy to sit next to the lap for petting. When someone tries to change rank and start a tussle, I tell them to 'fight nice' and it's sorted out pretty quickly. Dogs understand having a respective role within your family 'pack' and it will only confuse them if you try to keep it all even up. |