The "alpha dog" issue is addressed head on. Some sources advocate determining which dog is the "alpha" or top-ranking dog, and supporting that dog's position by feeding that dog first, petting that dog first, and so on. In contrast, Drs. London and McConnell recommend that owners take on the leadership role and teach their dogs to be polite and respectful of one another. Under this approach, dogs learn that pushy, obnoxious behavior does not work; instead, calm, appropriate behavior is the way to get attention, toys, playtime, and all other good things in life.

Some obedience skills are essential to a successful multi-dog household, including stay or wait, off or leave it, come here, and polite greetings, and the authors give some basic instructions for teaching these skills, first individually and then as a group. While individual attention for each dog is not always easy to accomplish in a multi-dog household, Drs. London and McConnell contend that one-on-one time is important not only to enhance training but also to deepen your relationship with each dog. When you pay attention to one dog, the authors recommend rewarding your other dogs for polite, appropriate (non-pushy) behavior during this time.

A short section is devoted to the decision to add a new dog to your home and how to introduce a new dog, with some practical advice on making the transition as smooth and safe as possible. Finally, the issue of inter-dog aggression and the decision to rehome a dog is briefly discussed.

A central theme is repeated throughout the book: teach your dogs what is expected of them, enforce the rules calmly but consistently by rewarding appropriate behavior and using time outs and removal of resources for inappropriate behavior, and give each dog some special one-on-one time with you. These simple rules can help ensure a more harmonious multi-dog household.