Professional animal behaviorists and trainers have publicly opposed the alpha dog theory. According to these professionals, placing dogs into cages, forcing them to compete for resources, and using physical coercion during training can create long-term issues with dogs.
They explain that the concept of an alpha wolf was misapplied to domestic dogs and that any research supporting its validity has since been discredited.
What is Dominance?
Research over the last 30 years has demonstrated that dominance is much more complicated than originally believed. Dominance is not defined simply by mating frequently and controlling access to resources; dominant animals instead earn preferential access by demonstrating specific behavioral traits; for instance, wolves that display alpha rolls don’t forcefully roll lower-ranked ones; instead, the higher-ranking one initiates this appeasement ritual to show its status.
Dominance in dogs typically refers to them yielding their resources such as food or toys to another. This rarely includes aggressive behavior as this could leave animals more exposed to injury.
Unfortunately, this scientific understanding of dominance has been misinterpreted by some in the training and behavior worlds, leading to overuse of dominance-based solutions to fearful, frustrated or aggressive behaviors such as choke chains, prong collars and e-collars as possible solutions for fear, frustration or aggression in dogs – such solutions being frightening or counterproductive for both parties involved.
Why is Dominance Misunderstood?
Dominance training is based on an outdated understanding of wolves, yet has proven successful for some (although often leading to fear-based aggression or traumatic experiences between dogs and their humans). Even the researcher who popularized the term “alpha wolf” has rejected his initial theory; although some dogs may demonstrate dominance-related behaviors like chasing, posturing or guarding resources like food or toys by chasing, posturing or guarding, these behaviors don’t always signal dominance – people protect what’s important too – think how quickly waiters or waitresses try taking away plates!
Most respected animal behaviorists and trainers have come out against dominance theory. They argue that dogs do not resemble wolves and evolved from species no longer found in nature. Furthermore, studies conducted with captive littermates do not reveal any hierarchy – instead indicating that dogs use social signals to convey hierarchy.
How Does Dominance Play Out in Canine Relationships?
Many behaviors that dog owners mistakenly label as dominance are simply competitive interactions between two dogs competing for resources or trying to increase distance from them. When your pup jumps on you at the counter or chases another across the street, they might not want to become alpha but may simply feel insecure in their situation; their repeated action might have been reinforced in some way such as every time their owner walks past with food on their table!
One study that explored the social structures of feral dogs revealed no linear dominance hierarchy; rather, hierarchies were fluid and constantly shifting.
What Can We Do About Dominance?
Trainers should focus on creating strong bonds with their clients rather than striving to become alpha dogs themselves. Relationship-based training works alongside positive reinforcement training techniques whereby dogs are rewarded for doing what’s expected of them rather than punished when making errors.
Rudolph Schenkel’s misreading of animal behavior studies led him to misinterpret their findings as supporting an argument that dogs naturally organize into social hierarchy based on dominating behavior, which was furthered by assuming all aggression comes from dominance when in reality many conflicts can simply involve guarding resources (food, toys, bone or shoe etc). This false belief fuelled by misreading has had serious repercussions: both in terms of scientific validity as well as popular perception.
People often mistake the behavior of their dogs as evidence of dominance when they feel violated or their resources threatened, yet this behavior does not indicate an assertive and competitive stance from these pets. Conflict and aggression between humans are no guarantee either; both parties can assertively compete to gain resources that matter to them.