The Myth - Do I need to be 'Alpha', 'Pack Leader', 'Top Dog'?
- poochesperfect
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
The Origin of the “Alpha” Dog Theory.
This idea came from a paper written by Rudolph Schenkel, the study was on unrelated wolves in captivity, in 1947. In his research, Schenkel suggested similar parallels existed in domestic dog behaviour.
This led to the development of the dominance theory in dogs and suggested that dogs use behaviours (often aggression) to try to dominate humans or other dogs and the only way to deal with it is for owners to ‘step up’ into the position of ‘alpha’.
Facts.
DNA from today’s grey wolf, as well as the jackal and coyotes are sprinkled in dogs, but dogs have evolved over the last 40,000 years to become domesticated.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/mutation-that-gave-us-tiny-dogs-found- in-ancient-wolves-180979467/
Dogs and wolves are both in the canine family, but dogs are not wolves,
as us ourselves are closely related to chimpanzees and bonobos,
but we are not monkeys.
Schenkel's findings and the application to dog behavior is now widely recognised as flawed and does not accurately reflect the social behaviour of either wolves or dogs.
More recent studies by David Mech (1999), and consequently other behaviourists, all came to a similar conclusion:
“One of the outdated pieces of information is the concept of the alpha wolf.”
Animal welfare league https://www.awla.org/uncategorized/alpha-dogs-dominance-theory-fact-or-fiction/
The study of street, free roaming or stray dogs has given more understanding of dog social structure and related behaviour.
There is no ‘alpha’, or ‘top dog’, who is constantly fighting for supremacy through aggression or dominance.
They live in small family groups.
Aggression is rare, but females are more aggressive after birth.
Dogs are very sociable and equipped with a huge array of body language postures to avoid conflict.
They are aware that any conflict is a risk of being injured and uses up unnecessary energy.
If a dog does get into a fight, it is usually because of an actual or perceived threat, or to guard a resource, such as food or shelter.
Free roaming dogs do not hunt together for food, but forage or scavenge independently.
You will not find domesticated stray or free roaming dogs living independently of humans. Where there are dogs, there will be humans.
Dogs do not consider humans are part of their social group or ‘pack’. But accept, if not revel in, co-existing, as they know it is for their survival and benefit – food, shelter, affection.
Social hierarchies can exist with domesticated dogs, but they are often fluid, much as in many other species, including humans. But dogs have a repertoire of ‘language’ using multiple and subtle body signals to communicate with others, to prevent any misunderstandings or conflict.
Dogs do have different personalities, some are more confident, bold or outgoing, some are shy, cautious or reserved.
An adult dog has the brain of a two-year-old child, so they do require a positive role model, and you can provide that with:
Some sort of routine - lets a dog know what to expect and that food supply is reliable, this will prevent any stress or anxiety led behaviours.
Boundaries and guidance - with environment and interaction with others, dogs and humans, will prevent reactive/fearful behaviour.
Enrichment - will fulfil natural behaviours and instincts and prevent unwanted behaviours.
Consistent and compassionate training - will teach a dog acceptable behaviour.
What this concept has caused.
Unfortunately, the concept of the “alpha dog” or “being the dominant” has caused some people to believe that strict or harsh treatment is required to control or train a dog.
‘One of the main consequences of this belief is that the dominance-based solutions to behaviour problems are often scary or aversive to the dog, involving intimidation, manhandling or applying pressure on the dog until they “submit” to the human. This can also have devastating effects on the dogs’ bond with their humans and risk escalating aggressive or fearful behaviours (Casey et al., 2014).’
Techniques that are often used based on 'dominance' training can include:
· Placing dogs on their back, also known as the “alpha roll”
· Pinning them to the ground
· Staring into their eyes
· Challenging them over access to food, places and resources
· Invading and blocking their space
· Using harsh equipment - on the 'softer' side - slip leads, halti/headcollars, 'vibration' collars, garotte leads, up to the more extreme - chain, prong & electric shock collars.
· Using harsh methods - shouting, spraying with water, using loud noise devices.
Unwanted dog behaviour such as resource guarding, growling, barking, pulling on a lead or even not coming back are still seen as ‘dominant’ behaviours and owners are led to believe they need to ‘show them who is boss.’
These behaviours are based on normal dog behaviour and either the environment has not been managed suitably, or the dog has not been taught the wanted behaviour.
Most dogs show aggression from fear, of a perceived threat or a risk to losing valuable resources – food or shelter. They can also become aggressive when they have a medical condition or injury, that is causing them stress or pain.
Some will argue that there are dogs who have been successfully trained using the dominance model and surely those trainers can’t be all wrong.
Harsh, force-based methods are especially good at shutting down behaviors, but this does not deal with the reason driving the behaviour and does not teach the dog the correct or wanted behaviour, it just teaches them to ‘retreat’ or withdraw from a behaviour.
This can create a dog that is a ‘ticking timebomb’ that may retaliate at any point, or cause the dog to shutdown, known as learned helplessness - https://www.canineprinciples.com/blog/dogs-learned-helplessness , or even become psychologically damaged and be anxious or fearful, which can come with a whole array of different behaviour problems.
Moving forward.
Over the last 20 years, there has been an emergence of positive reinforcement-based training, mainly established through the behavior professionals, such as, Jean Donaldson, Dr. Patricia McConnell, Dr. Karen Overall, and many others. Who all promote positive training and encourage dog training professionals to embracing the science of behavior and learning.
Educated trainers are aware that canine-human interactions are not driven by social rank and use positive, force free methods of training encompassing several techniques, such as:
Capturing, luring, marking, shaping and cueing. Often using treats, toys or attention.
A dog that benefits from displaying a certain behaviour, will most definitely repeat it.
Unwanted behaviours are ‘extinguished’ with consideration of several factors such as:
Inadvertent reinforcement, health issues, enrichment requirements, breed needs, dog's personal history, desensitisation and counter conditioning.
Under the five freedoms (Animal Welfare Act 2006) laid down by Defra, Department of farming and rural affairs, which is the governmental department responsible for the welfare of animals, it clearly states how dogs should be treated:
Dogs must have - 'Freedom from pain and suffering' - This would include creating a stable environment and using positive reinforcement training methods to avoid causing fear or distress.'
Dog owners have a legal and ethical responsibility to meet all five needs - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/section/9
What to do if you have concerns with your dogs behaviour.
If your dog shows any form of aggression, especially if it is new behaviour, the first consideration should be a possible health or injury concern, which are not always obvious. So, a visit to the vet is a must.
If they have a clean bill of health, a behaviourist will be able to determine the underlying cause and work with you to improve your dogs behaviour.
I am always happy to have a no obligation chat surrounding any concerns you may have with your dogs behaviour.
For more details on training terms used, please see blog - https://www.politepoochesessex.co.uk/post/why-i-use-certain-training-and-support-methods
Listed below are views on dominance theory and training from major and respected dog welfare organisations.
British Veterinary Association
‘The BVA strongly advises against using aversive techniques like punishment, shouting, or physical force in dog training.
These methods can lead to increased anxiety and stress for the dog, potentially triggering aggressive behaviors or causing fear-based aggression.
The BVA emphasizes the importance of positive reinforcement methods, which involve rewarding desired behaviors to encourage learning.
The BVA encourages owners to understand the reasons behind their dog's behavior and communicate effectively.
This requires learning about canine communication signals and understanding that dogs may display certain behaviors due to fear, anxiety, or other underlying issues.’
https://www.bva.co.uk/media/1156/full-bva-policy-position-on-the-use-of-aversive-training-devices-in-dogs-and-cats.pdf
RSPCA
‘The ‘dominance’ model for dog behaviour poses serious dog welfare problems.’
‘Aversive methods may also increase the dog’s underlying fear and anxiety which can actually make the unwanted behaviour much worse.’
Dogs Trust
‘It can offer the ‘quick fix’ that owners are often seeking when they experience problematic behaviour in their dog.’…’The dog now behaves as instructed because they are frightened of the consequences if they don’t, rather than because they enjoy the outcome of behaving in this way,..’
Blue Cross
‘Like a human parent teaches their child right from wrong, a dog owner is responsible for helping their pet adapt to the life they share with us. It's important to help them and those they interact with feel safe. But you do not need to pull rank – your dog is not competing with you for status.’
Battersea
‘Battersea Dogs & Cats Home strongly advises against dominance-based training methods, which are outdated and can be harmful to dogs. They advocate for positive reinforcement techniques that build trust and a strong bond between dogs and their owners. ‘
Wood green
‘Methods that claim to quickly stop a behaviour in its tracks need to be quite scary or unpleasant to the dog to work. They may look impressive, and you may see quick improvements, but often the unwanted behaviour is just supressed. The underlying emotions are still present and haven’t been changed. This means the behaviour could come back, possibly worse than before.’
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