If you've seen some of my previous articles you know we have littermate Miniature Schnauzers. A sister, Steffi who started out black but is now morphing into black and silver and her brother, Stanley who is a breed definitive Salt & Pepper.

She is the Alpha Dog.

Stanley was originally Alpha up till they were about eight months old. Steffi originally went along with his dominance but as she developed she beat him a couple of times and assumed the Alpha position. The second time she beat him he got the message. Stanley has the Surfer-Dude mentality and so had little trouble dropping back into the second position.

We've gone through it all between the two pups and they each sent a different message. Like humans, even canine litter mates speak a different language.

When he was a pup he whined, whimpered and whistled. When he wanted something for himself he whined. When he thought the world was dumping on him he whimpered and made us feel sorry for him. Although we caught onto that very shortly and let them both know the guilt trip wouldn't fly.

Whistling was Stanley's most interesting phenomenon. It became a mark of fear mixed with what I call 'first call'. As a puppy when he was really confused and frightened he would whistle in panic and console himself and notify us at the same time.

As an adult he does not whistle, rarely whines and doesn't whimper. Occasionally he barks, but he is Omega Dog so he generally concedes that noise is Steffi's prerogative.

I don't know if this holds true for all female dogs but I have never heard Steffi whistle; at least Steffi hasn't. Steffi was quiet before she assumed the Alpha position. Now she does the barking, and when she thinks they need a change of scenery, she whines...which is a mixture of a screech and a whine.

Steffi's voice became quite different, much lower and more commanding when she took over the Alpha position. When they are wrestling and she hits those notes Stanley retires immediately to a corner of the couch until her voice comes back to normal.

When Steffi is at our front louvers which open up onto the front communal space she is protecting us from the squirrels. I have verbally chastised her about her frenetic barking, so she has authored this special (for better word) 'utterance'. She sounds a little like a small raptor with a bone caught in her throat; or maybe a rooster who is trying to crow and swallow water at the same time.

We have never allowed uncontrolled barking but it is a continual battle to curb it. The presence of two squirrels on the front lawn is overpowering and so both have to be cautioned in that event.

Steffi, being Alpha always sounds the signal requesting reentry into the house when they have been outside in the patio. Stanley doesn't mind sitting and waiting patiently for her...it seems to be easy for him.

I am still trying to figure out if he has us all fooled and is just letting her do all the doggy work or if he really is subject to her. He grooms her; she rarely him. He drops whatever he has in his mouth when she approaches; never her...so we'll just have to wait...and watch.