23 replies to this topic

[Plushie]

(I originally wrote this on Dogster and revised it for this post and also put it on my blog. Rest assured, it's 100% written by me, so no plagiarism here )

Decades ago, a theory on dog behavior was born. It was called the dominance theory: in short, that humans must be "alpha" to their dog and that anything otherwise is wrong to do as it will upset the dog's natural instincts and cause stress in the household. Well, let me tell you what we know now: It's not true! The dominance theory is now known as outdated and has been disproved by science.

The dominance theory stems from short term studies conducted with wolves. The wolves fought each other to seemingly create a hierarchy of leaders and subordinates, alphas and omegas, and everything else in between. One was the leader and the rest had lower rankings, so said the scientists.

Such myths have been supported by people such as Cesar Millan and sites such as dogbreedinfo.com. The dominance theory has been spread heavily throughout the media, unfortunately, leading many people to believe such.

However, bear in mind that we now know these studies were inaccurate. These canines were thrown together into stressed environments and did not know each other. Many of the conclusions were not studied in depth, and many of the things done by the wolves (such as alpha rolls) were misinterpreted by the scientists. In the wild, wolves do not constantly fight to be the "top dog"; packs are made of a breeding pair and their pups. When their pups grow up, they find mates and leave the pack to start their own.

And of course: dogs are not wolves. They may have been descended from them but their behaviors are definitely different. There is one thing that they both are mutual about though: that no one tries to be an alpha. People aren't wolves, either; dogs know the difference between humans and themselves and they know you're NOT a canine!

Alpha rolls (grabbing a dog by the scruff and forcing him onto his back to a submissive pose), spitting in their food, and other things advocaters of the dominance myth advise to help you be the leader of your dog are ridiculous and have little to no scientific basis. Additionally, they (especially alpha rolls) can cause your dog to fear you, which is NOT what you want at all.

The simple truth is that dogs aren't trying to overthrow their humans. Dogs don't constantly try to be pack leaders. A lot of the actions attributed to "dominance" are in fact not related to them at all. Jumping on people? He wants attention, or he wants to say hi. Pulling on the leash? He's excited and wants to sniff and explore. Snapping when you touch his head? Many dogs don't like being patted on their heads.

All that said, there's nothing wrong with applying the rules that many dominance folks swear by. (Of course, that doesn't count violent/fear-causing actions like alpha rolling.) Walking nicely alongside you, not jumping on people, not grabbing for or guarding food/items, waiting patiently to go out or in doors--these can all signal a well trained dog, depending on what the rules of your house are, and there's nothing wrong with teaching these to your pooch. Just remember that you're not making your dog to do these things because you don't want him to plot against upthrowing your leadership, but because you want him to display these actions.

Don't believe it still? There are many sources on the web disproving the dominance theory. I've provided a few links below.

It is a lot easier to just forget about the dominance myth. Focus on being your dog's teacher, and above all, friend. Don't worry, he doesn't want to rule the world!

TL;DR: Alpha and dominant BAD! Benevolent leader GOOD! :P

Recommended for further reading/watching:
http://www.davemech.org/schenkel/index.html (English translations to the original, now-obsolete study)
http://nonlineardogs.com (A rather wordy but extremely informative site)
http://www.mnforsustain.org/wolf_mech_dominance_alpha_status.htm (A paper by Dr. L. David Mech, a wolf biologist)
(A quick 2 minute talk by Mech)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pack_(canine) (The Wikipedia page about canine packs)
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf (A statement by The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior)
http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm (Another article)
http://drsophiayin.com/philosophy/dominance/ (Dr. Sophia Yin, a veterinarian and animal behaviorist, on dominance)

Feel free to discuss and debate on the topic!

Edited by Plushie, 12 November 2011 - 02:49 PM.

[SyrianPumpkin]

Wow! plushie! that was really good! now when i was younger i loved the "dog whisperer" but now i see whats he's doing is all wrong! I just have a question maybe you could answer, we have a 2 and a half English Bulldog she is very strong and sometimes she gets really rough with me when playing and if you say like "ok isabella that enough" or something, she'll try even harder and kinda like an stack mode but not, she also likes chewing on my fingers and then gets mad and jumps on me when i take my fingers away, and I was just wondering what can i do to make her stop doing these things when they get outta hand? because if the dominance thing doesn't work what will? thanks!

[princesshamster]

Wow, that's really cool! I always thought dogs wanted to be alpha. Great article! Thanks for writing it and sharing it

[Christmas_hamster]

The youtube video that Plushie linked is especially crucial. The man that published findings about the dominance theory, he published a book about it (this is likely where most people that adhere to the dominance theory get their 'facts' from) is talking in that video. He is letting people know, trying to reach out to correct his mistake, that the dominance theory is not what he thought it was.

The nonlinear dog website that she linked too is fabulous. The author provides insight into the history of dogs themselves, the history of the theory (the nazis had some ideas about it to be sure and applied to their governmental structure, with Hitler as the alpha), she also provides a theory into what dogs are really doing when they meet other dogs, what their social structure is really like. And it kind of makes a lot more sense than dominance when you compare the two theories to a group of dogs playing at a dog park.

In regard to the paragraph about dogs not being wolves consider this. If we can look to wolves to explain everything that dogs do than surely we can look to apes or other primates to explain our behaviour right? It's only logical in fact that we do actually. Yet we know that humans while closely related are not the same as other primates socially. Why would we expect dogs to behave like wolves? Especially since the idea that wolves are our dogs ancestors isn't true either. They both descended from the same ancestor. Scientists believe that some species of canine was around when humans were still living in groups as nomads (wanderers) that some of these canines started following around human groups from a distance in order to scavenge for food left behind on bones and such by humans. It was easy food. While others of this canine species still chose to hunt. As humans discovered agriculture and settled into one spot, the canines that followed them stopped wandering too in order to keep feeding off of scraps of food and were eventually domesticated. So as they evolved into the dogs we know today while the canines that didn't follow humans evolved into the wolves we know today. Basically Rover's ancestors were scavengers, not noble wolves.

Another fantastic read here, written by a dog trainer, titled : "Why you should forget the idea of dominance/pack theory as relates to you and your dog. Also why punishing bad behaviour is often worse than doing nothing."
http://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/ewcdd/why_you_should_forget_the_idea_of_dominancepack/

Some more good links::
http://www.leecharleskelley.com/thetop10myths/mythofthepackleader.html
http://www.leecharleskelley.com/thetop10myths/dominancesubmission.html

If you want a absolutely great book that will help you understand your dogs behaviour and some insight into how to handle it check out The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D I didn't think it would be that great, but I tried it anyways and the book really was great. She helps us to understand the communication barrier between dogs and humans. Namely we are primates and they are canines and we do and interpret things differently. She also explains just how good dogs are at reading humans. They know we aren't dogs, they aren't stupid. They can how ever read human body movement very well.

Please also consider that it is generally excepted that most pet store employees do not know what they are talking about, right? How many of us have been fed false information about tiny cages, and cheap food and unsafe products simply because they want to make a sale or don't know what they're talking about? If you haven't had that unfortunate experience, how many of us have heard pet store employees spouting off false or off the wall information about animal care? Yet they are in a position in society where people trust them to know what they are talking about and to have the right information. Who else is in such a position? People with tv shows perhaps. This doesn't mean that they actually deserve it, that they actually know what they are talking about. Paris Hilton has or had her own tv show to find her 'new bff'. There is a show about people from New Jersey that party and drink a lot. There are shows with people with big families, yet their families aren't exactly always... ideal. Why should we trust tv to be delivering the truth? It's a business and they air what sells. It is all about money, just like pet stores. Just like almost any other business. At the very least do consider looking at the information provided here with an unbiased and objective outlook. We all love animals right? So why wouldn't we want to research more about them, especially when there is even the most remote of possibility that it could mean happier lives for our pets?

Oh and also to expand on this paragraph:
All that said, there's nothing wrong with applying the rules that many dominance folks swear by. (Of course, that doesn't count violent/fear-causing actions like alpha rolling.) Walking nicely alongside you, not jumping on people, not grabbing for or guarding food/items, waiting patiently to go out or in doors--these can all signal a well trained dog, depending on what the rules of your house are, and there's nothing wrong with teaching these to your pooch. Just remember that you're not making your dog to do these things because you don't want him to plot against upthrowing your leadership, but because you want him to display these actions.
There is a difference in training style. Instead of punishing when something doesn't go your way, you try to go about it in a more positive manner. The link about clicker training that plushie provided is a great start.

[skywilling]

This is really interesting, I never knew any of this, so thanks! I'll keep reading.

[tkdg3r]

This is an honest viewpoint of mine, not here to debate, just something I'm curious about.

I get really surprised whenever I read comments against the dominance theory. I have read Cesar Millan's books as well as dogbreedinfo.com. That was 2 years ago when I got my first dog. The tv series on National Geographic I did not know about and did not watch until I saw someone mentioning it on a local dog forum early this year. Anyway back then I found the book and the website very enlightening and I thought it made a lot of sense as to why our dogs act out like they do. Just to be clear, I am aware of the different training methods out there and I personally practice positive reinforcement and clicker training but I do believe that the dominance theory has its merits and I incorporate a lot of it in my training as well. Only thing is, the dominance theory I understand is not the dominance theory people seem to think. I'll try to explain somehow.

What I'm curious about is why it seems that people perceive that to be an alpha/dominant leader is to be a dictator. The words 'discipline', 'dominance', 'alpha' seem to have very negative connotations and are lumped under the idea of severe aggression and force. Maybe it's a case of differing interpretations or maybe I didn't read too thoroughly at the time but that's not at all what I remember learning from the book. I remember the things that Cesar reiterated throughout his book were things like mental energy, calm assertiveness, the importance of pack walks, setting house rules, and not to humanise our dogs. Aggression and force was in fact highly discouraged by Cesar. The gist of what I got was simply that the alpha/pack leader is the parent of the pack i.e the family. Dogs, being able to read body language and pick up on emotions better than humans, react to energy instinctively rather than words or verbal speech. Regardless whether your a serious weightlifter with an 8-pack or wheelchair-bound, what makes you strong or a pushover is your energy. All animals including humans naturally gravitate towards calm peaceful energy. They avoid negative energy like anger, aggressiveness, fear, uncertainty. The essence of the alpha leadership theory (or rather the theory that I understand) is that dogs will respect someone who is calm and assertive. They will refuse to listen to someone who is unstable in their energy. Which is why I get confused when I see people saying that the alpha leadership suggests humans to behave like Hitler. In fact I'm pretty sure I remember Cesar using Hitler as an example of what an alpha leader should NOT be.

I think Cesar mentioned the wolf theory in the first chapter of his book as an introduction and as an example that our dogs although already domesticated still have the same instincts as their supposed ancestors the wolf. Other than the intro I don't think the wolf topic was brought up again in the further chapters. Things like spitting in their food (what?!!! ) I don't remember reading. There was the method of curling your hand like a claw to mimic another's dog teeth and using the 'claw-teeth' to impress upon the dog's neck when you want to tell them they've done something you don't agree with. It's not actually a form of punishment but more of a correction. You don't grab the neck forcefully, just lightly put the tips of your fingers on the neck. The amount of pressure should only be enough for the dog to feel the presence of your hand and nothing more. It's something mother dogs do to pups when they've had enough of their pouncing especially when they're trying to get some rest. It's their way of saying no besides growling. A touch is received by the brain more effectively than sound. Dogs like people can choose not to hear, but it's much harder to ignore something that you can physically feel. And the neck is the most vulnerable part of a dog's body other than exposing the belly hence a touch to the neck is received as a warning more effectively. But it doesn't hurt the dog unless your doing it in anger and gripping him tightly which isn't right anyway if going by the calm assertive rule.

Btw I'm just narrating things that I remember from the book, not that I'm arguing or trying to impose my views on anyone so don't jump on me. I just feel there was either some huge misinterpretation somewhere at the very basic level or else I have been reading a completely different version of the dominance theory from everyone else. Every argument I read gives me the impression that being alpha is perceived as forcing your will on the dog which is not true for me.

[Lucas]

This is very informative, Plush! I quite looked up to Caesar Millan for his wondeful advice; some I think is still useful! But it's good to see a few viepoints.
Dominance has never been something I thought Emma ever showed. She's always just been "part of the family". No one is better than any other member, and she's certainly not discluded! I think she thinks she's a person, more than I've ever figured she thought we were all dogs, LOL.

[Christmas_hamster]

Cesar Milan is not a hero to anyone that takes training seriously. I have heard of many dogs falling victim to his methods such as the alpha roll. It breaks their spirit, what was thought to be what CM calls the alpha roll was wolves lowering themselves before a dog that they wanted to appease (to show tat particular canine that they meant no harm). The 'alpha' dog does not flip them. Wolves don't even do this the way that CM says they do. His facts and science are backed upon outdated pseudoscience, some of which can be seen being declaimed in the youtube video that Plushie linked.

As for the claw thing, wolves don't do this with their pups. Wolf cubs get what some people call a 'puppy license'. They do what they want basically, they act silly, they play fight and they learn. I am certain there si some awesome page out there that explains this so well, but upon searching I found a lot of municipal web sites talking about licensing your dog. :P The best I could find on short notice is this:

Puppies up to 4 ½ to 5 months of age appear to have something called a ‘puppy license’ – something that allows them to be an absolute pest to older dogs without repercussion. You see puppies being down right rude in dog terms doing things like jumping on older dogs, stealing food and toys from adults, barking right in the face of an adult or worse still humping them – and the adults just seem to put up with it, and even expect it – at least well socialised dogs do (dogs with good dog communication and social skills).

However at about this age the license expires as the puppies hormone levels change and they develop psychologically. Adult dogs now start to insist on the puppy controlling their behaviour and being more respectful in their interactions – and this comes as a shock to many puppies who ignore the more subtle signs until an adult dog (maybe their best pal at home, a friend at the park or a total stranger) snaps back – figuratively and sometimes literally. The adult dogs might:

· Bark (roar) at an adolescent displaying inappropriate behaviour.

· Plant the adolescent’s face into the dirt with a well placed paw (something my boy was doing to other younger and over the top puppies at only 12 weeks of age – and which caused some distress until I figured out what was going on).

· Knock the adolescent with their muzzle or mouth.

· Snap at them.
http://rufflyspeaking.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/puppy-license-and-adult-behavior-stop-separating-play/
http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=2

I didn't want this to turn into an anti Cesar Milan thread. Plushie and me decided to start it to share some information, almost all of us on HH tend to be quite good at wanting to learn the most up to date and truthful information for our pets. Dominance theory isn't it. However he is closely tied to the topic. So guys don't turn this into a crazy thread about CM, this thread is here to promote education in dogs social behaviour and training. These guys explain some pretty good reasons to not support him though, with real evidence, their opinions and their experience.
http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137143
One post that always sticks out is this one by Dekka:

But pretty much every trainer stresses exercise. I don't see any excitement over him saying that. If he said water your dogs, he doesn't get points for common sense things that every trainer says.

I have yet to see one dog that is well behaved that was trained by principles on his show. I have however met many with behavioural issues in classes and dumped into rescue by their owners. I don't care if he did say some great things, the harm that show is doing to dogs is real. Perhaps if you don't teach classes or foster for rescues it might not be a big deal to you... but I have many first hand experiences that make me want to cry every time I hear someone talk positive about that show. How many dogs get put down because they bite their idiot owner who tsssss them when they are scared or gets all physical because teh dog is being 'dominant'? Not all rescues will take dogs with bite histories.

If a nice guy who was abusing (hey intimidation just scares them, startling and scaring toddlers doesn't HURT them...) children went on about proper nutrition. THe proper nutrition stuff doesn't make the advocating abuse ok.

Brad Pattison is no hero in dog training either by the way. I've met the guy and it's kind of clear. He;s the guy that does the show "at the end of my leash". If you need a TV show to watch about dog training then check out Victoria Stilwell's show 'It's me or the dog".

Edited by Christmas_hamster, 13 November 2011 - 09:44 AM.

[SouthPaw]

tkdg3r: I get what you're saying. Alpha and dominant are definitely perceived negatively, but I've found that the word "leader" is not frowned upon as much. I think it all depends on WHO is using those terms. Cesar Milan likes to talk about alpha and dominance, and I think it leaves a bitter taste because of the things he does to achieve that status--such as physically overpowering dogs and intimidating them. I've found that the word leader is most often used by folks who train using positive reinforcement, and so therefore people are more accepting of it because the actions behind it aren't as harsh. I think all those terms basically mean the same thing, but alpha and dominance just have more negative history behind them. And I think people just want to move away from those terms because now, when someone mentions dominance, it usually conjures up images of alpha rolling and this never-ending battle between human and dog.

But basically I do think that being alpha, being leader, being dominant--whatever you want to call it, they all mean guiding your dog and setting rules & boundaries for them. It just seems that the term you choose to use can give insight to the way you train your dog.

I have read a couple of Cesar's books and actually enjoyed them for the most part; I do agree with his general message, and his books were definitely geared more toward the "average" dog. I really can't stand his TV show though and some of the things he does on there--but I do acknowledge that he showcases some more difficult dogs on there, and that he wouldn't necessarily use those techniques on ALL dogs.

I just have a question maybe you could answer, we have a 2 and a half English Bulldog she is very strong and sometimes she gets really rough with me when playing and if you say like "ok isabella that enough" or something, she'll try even harder and kinda like an stack mode but not, she also likes chewing on my fingers and then gets mad and jumps on me when i take my fingers away, and I was just wondering what can i do to make her stop doing these things when they get outta hand?

I'd completely ignore her when she starts doing these things. Stand up and don't look at her, don't touch her, don't talk to her. When she calms down, let her know how GOOD she is. If she starts getting worked up again, go back to ignoring her. If the jumping and nipping is too hard to just stand and ignore, then walk into a different room and shut the door for a couple seconds, then come out and praise her if she's calm. She's just frustrated and trying to get your attention, so you want to show her that doing those things is a sure way to NOT get attention.

[SyrianPumpkin]

Thank you SouthPaw I will defiantly try those!

[Tsuki]

I love cesar millan ^O^

[Christmas_hamster]

I don't see how the comment is relative to the conversation except to possibly stir something up, seeing as we are providing evidence against everything that CM holds dear.

Edited by Christmas_hamster, 04 December 2011 - 12:34 PM.
typographical error

[Christmas_hamster]

I recently came across a factual article that addresses Cesar Millan and his methods. It is well written and I don't believe it is a personal attack on the guy at all. The Dog Whisperer Controversy. It was also follwed up by addressing concerns brought up by CM followers: Cesar Millan: FAQ.

[Elyse]

I've never cared for Cesar Millan and I think the guy is a quack when it comes to his methods; my boyfriend thinks the guy is great and we get into arguments about him. I've watched his show a few times and I feel his methods are wrong; the articles that CH posted just proved it to me on why this guy isn't a "dog whisper".

[emilystar]

I never really applied any strategies to our dogs. We just kinda watched how they acted and then used common sense. I never really watch animal training shows except the occasional Victoria Stilwell. All our dogs are well behaved for the most part. I don't agree with flipping a dog on it's back unless you plan to give a razzberry to it's tummy The most I have done is pick a dog up, make her look at me, and say no firmly, not yelling unless they are in another room or outside and are doing something bad like stealing food or barking.