Debunking Dominance Theory
What started out as a walkthrough with a drywall contractor ended as lessons in debunking the outdated dominance theory and introducing modern, scientifically proven behavior theory.
It was also a major step outside my comfort zone.
During a meeting to discuss an estimate for drywall installation, the contractor and I struck up a conversation about (what else?) our love of dogs. When he heard one of our dogs barking from the other end of the house, he mentioned that he had two pure bred dogs, and that he was a long time, loyal fan of that particular breed. Talk naturally drifted to how he found reputable breeders and the story behind each of his dog’s arrival into his family.
The man clearly loved his dogs. He did his research and brought his puppies home, at around 12 weeks of age, several years apart. He then shared with me his “secret to curing puppy biting”. He said that it sounded weird to most people, but resulted in 100% success.
I had to know! What was his secret?
He shared that if the puppy got too nippy, he just bit them back. He held their head and bit them on the muzzle. And that, amazingly, ended the biting immediately. If the puppy forgot his lesson, the man would hold the puppy’s muzzle shut with his hand and pin him down. And the puppy wouldn’t try again, because the man established his “pack dominance” and “did exactly as the alpha wolves do to their young”.
Wait a second…
Did I just hear him say that he bites his puppies to exert his alpha status?
Yes. Yes, I did.
You Did What???
Warning bells started going off when he described his methods as “weird”, and I will confess that my palms started sweating and my heart rate sped up as soon as he said “100% cure”.
I knew I had to say something as his story unfolded, but I really, really didn’t want to. I also realized that what I needed to say had the potential to embarrass him and make him defensive, and I abhor making others feel that way.
But if I did keep my mouth closed, that man would continue to use his “100% cure” on all his subsequent puppies. And his children would grow up thinking that that was how humans should interact with dogs.
How many dogs and how many humans would be affected if I stayed inside my comfort zone, nodded, smiled… and let it go?
My husband has a saying when we are forced to do something uncomfortable or a little scary: ‘Put your big girl (or big boy) pants on, and do what needs to be done.’ At that moment, I knew I had to put my ‘big girl pants’ on and take the risk. I may have ended up earning this man’s scorn, but maybe, if I was empathetic and not accusatory, I could plant the seed that changed the way he thought about his relationship with his dogs.
The silence was deafening as the man waited for my comment, so I organized my thoughts, took a big, shaky breath, and tried to distill centuries of evolving behavior theory into a few sentences:
“Dogs realize that we humans are not dogs. Physically ‘managing’ the puppies, as if we were their biological mother is confusing and scary to the puppy.“
How can the puppy learn to trust us if we thrust our face into theirs, growl, and bite them hard enough to make them squeal, when they are exhibiting perfectly normal, albeit painful, puppy behavior?
Instead of thinking “punishment”, we should think “redirection”. Those needle-sharp teeth do hurt, but teething is developmentally appropriate. If we don’t want our hands to be chew toys, then our job is to offer more appealing, safer outlets for teething.
“The dominance theory was originally put forth by behaviorist Robert Schenkel who studied captive grey wolves in 1947. Science has come a long way since then, and current studies have proven that captive wolves behave very differently from wolves in their natural habitat.“
Most importantly, wolves and dogs diverged because of domestication between 36,900 and 41,500 years ago, so in order to understand the ethology of dogs, one must actually study dogs, not a distant ancestor.
The term “alpha” was coined by another scientist, David L. Meck, who later retracted his initial theories on the structure of a wolf pack (also based on captive, not wild, wolves) and tried to correct the misconception that there is one ranking alpha, but the damage was done.
“Rather than think of a breeding pair of dogs (or wolves) as alpha or dominant, we should instead simply think of them as parents.“
As they raise their young, they use as little physical force as necessary, and mostly rely on their incredibly subtle and nuanced body language to teach the puppies their life lessons.
Sudden outbursts of violence do not promote stability or trust, and without a foundation of trust, the family unit falls apart. What may be appropriate for a canine parent to do to a puppy does not give us the license to clumsily attempt to replicate their species-specific dynamic.
The problem is that as new information becomes available, dog trainers, veterinarians, groomers, doggy daycare providers, and all the other professionals who come in contact with dogs on a daily basis may not be up to date on their education, or can’t effectively spread current information to the people who actually live with the dogs.
“The families who live with the dogs have no idea that there is a more current, scientifically proven (and kinder) way to interact with their four-legged family members.“
My Way or the Highway
Around 40 years ago, popular training practices slowly started moving away from punishment-based methods, towards positive reinforcement. Trainers employed operant conditioning but concentrated on rewarding the dog for correct behavior, rather than correcting for undesired behavior by tightening a slip chain or prong collar, using shock collars or physical discipline.
The results spoke for themselves. One didn’t need strength, an intimidating build, or a conscience that turned a blind eye to inflicting discomfort and pain. Dogs were eager to work, able to learn quickly, and bonded with their trainer in ways that could not be achieved with coercion and fear.
Positive reinforcement training took a severe blow when the idea of pack leader, alpha status, and dominance hierarchy was reintroduced in 2004 to a whole new generation with the advent of a widely watched television show. In 30-60 minute heavily edited segments, the general public was led to believe that if they acted as alpha, dogs would respect them and behave deferentially simply because the leader said so.
But what if the dog didn’t understand? Or wasn’t motivated? Distracted? Scared? That’s when the “alpha” further asserted dominance by using aversive techniques and equipment to show the dog who was boss.
Sadly, this pervasive attitude still exists today, despite advances in science and education.
If animals (humans included) are anxious or frightened, then the ability to learn and retain information rapidly decreases as their minds and bodies revert completely to survival mode: freeze, fight or flight.
If a human’s relationship with a dog is based on force, coercion and fear (because that’s what the debunked, dominance hierarchy espouses) you may get a dog who complies with your demands but remains insecure and disconnected.
Anytime behavior is forced or suppressed by fear and pain, there is a good chance that other, unwanted behaviors manifest themselves over time. Intimidation does not teach confidence, foster trust, or build a mutually beneficial relationship.
Isn’t that why people get dogs to begin with?
Canis Familiaris: Ruler of the Universe?
Fortunately, modern behavior theory gives us very clear guidelines as to how we can happily coexist with our dogs. New skills can be taught and reinforced by rewarding correct (or approximate) responses with food, toys or play.
The reinforcer (e.g. food) is added to make the frequency of the behavior increase. Positive reinforcement, or R+ training, relies on rewarding the behavior you want to see more of, or substituting an unwanted behavior for an incompatible behavior. These training techniques may be referred to as ‘force-free’ because there is no physical or emotional coercion.
Will R+ training allow your dog to plot the overthrow of your household while lounging on the couch? Is she “Queen of the World” just because she hogs the bed? Eats before you? Walks through doorways first?
The answer is no.
Your dog likes being comfortable, is always up for some good chow, enjoys going outside, and may rush to get there quickly.
That’s not dominance…that’s a dog.
Your job as the one with the opposable thumbs and the treat jar is to gently teach your dog that there is a time and place for lounging, eating, and running. And you can do it all by teaching behaviors that address these situations and reward heavily when your dog gets it right.
It Takes Time and Teamwork
The three biggest shortcomings of any kind of training are making the behavior too hard, expecting too much too fast, or not matching the value of the treat to the difficulty of the behavior. When a dog appears “defiant”, “stubborn”, “lazy” or “stupid”, it’s generally because the dog hasn’t been taught well, is over threshold (and can’t learn at that moment), or isn’t sufficiently motivated.
It’s the job of the human to figure out how to make the dog successful and eager to learn, and that calls on the skills of a benevolent “team captain”. Observation skills, a great sense of timing, ability to sequence, a thorough knowledge of dog body language, and dynamic, fun interactions make you teammates, not adversaries; you are working together for the best possible outcome for both of you.
If fear is the driving motivator behind certain behaviors, then there’s a scientific principle for that, too. It’s called classical conditioning. Classical conditioning doesn’t ask a dog to offer a specific behavior, but rather with the introduction of high-value treats, sufficient distance and time, can actually change the emotion experienced when in proximity to a trigger.
You are helping your dog form a positive conditioned emotional response (+CER) with no physical or verbal corrections, and that’s some pretty cool science, without an alpha in sight.
Change Begins With Just One Person
I don’t know if I changed that man’s methods of interacting with his dogs that day, but I tried my very best to set the record straight. Since he didn’t storm out of the house or try to “assert his alpha status” on me when his “dominance was challenged”, I guess leaving my comfort zone was worth the risk.
If nothing else, it posed the question: Is there a better, kinder, more humane way of co-existing with “human’s best friend”.
The answer is a resounding yes!
Looking for additional resources on this topic? Here are a few of my favorites:
The Evolution of Modern-Day Dog Training & Obedience
Traditional and Modern Canine Psychology Theories (PDF)
David Mech’s Theory on the Wolf Alpha Role
Age-Graded Dominance Hierarchies and Social Tolerance in Packs of Free-Ranging Dogs
A Fresh Look at the Wolf-Pack Theory of Companion-Animal Dog Social Behavior
Social Behavior of the Domestic Dog
Dominance in Dogs: Is It True? (YouTube)
Tough Love: A Meditation on Dominance and Dogs (YouTube)
WARNING: Punitive methods are shown. This video may be upsetting for some viewers.
Language Matters – Why Wolf-Pack Terminology is Bad for Dogs
The Case Against Dominance/Pack Theory (YouTube)
NOTE: Since this documentary was released, Petco has removed all shock collars from their website and retail locations.
Thank you Tracy Rehmel and Lindsey Brooke Levine for providing some of these additional resources.
Photo Credit: Shanblan4 form Pixabay
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