THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DOG TRAINING: The Dominance Myth
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DOG TRAINING (BOOK)
BY: TEOTI ANDERSON CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP
TAKEN RIGHT FROM THE BOOK!! NOT MY WORDS!
A common myth is that dogs misbehave because they are trying to be "dominant". It's as if your dog aspires to be the ruler of your household--the "alpha"--and make you and your family his royal subjects. The truth is that dogs aren't that complicated. They don't spend hours plotting intricate maneuvers to storm your castle. You know how your dog will be happily running to you one second and then get distracted by something in the dirt? How is that creature capable of masterminding a takeover?
Some of this myth stems from the early concepts that dog behavior was overly similar to wolf behavior. In a wolf pack, there is an alpha male and alpha female, who determine pack rules and responsibilities. Other wolves in the pack have varying ranks, and there can be jockeying for position at times. Popular myths of the alpha wolf have trickled down into our relationship with our domestic dogs, which are leagues away from their lupine cousins.
You may have heard that the alpha wolf always eats first, so, before feeding your dog, you should always eat something first, in front of him, to maintain your leadership position. This is simply not true. The alpha wolf in a pack does decide who gets to eat first, but it isn't always him. Alphas often let the youngsters eat first, out of practicality--young wolves need the nutrition to survive much more than their older relatives.
Your dog already knows that he can't eat without you. You control the food he eats, when he eats it, and where he eats it. Munching on a cracker in front of him right before you present his food bowl is irrelevant.
Dogs do not steal things, chew things, pee or poop on things, bite, pull on leash, bolt out the door first, or many other behaviors because they are dominant. The reason why they do those things is much simpler. They're dogs. These behaviors are rewarding to them. Dominance is also not a personality trait. A dog can be social, shy, or a goofball, but he can't be dominant as a personality descriptor.
So is there such a thing, then, as dominance aggression? Yes. Dominance is defined in animal behavior as a relationship between individuals that is established by force, aggression, and submission in order to determine who has priority access to resources such as food, preferred resting spots, and access to mates. If your dog is on his bed, and he growls at another dog that tries to lie down next to him, this is dominance. He is saying that the bed belongs to him, and he doesn't want another dog on it.
If your dog runs out the door ahead of you, however, what is the resource that he is challenging you for? The door? Access to outside? This makes no sense. He just wants to go outside because it's exciting out there, or maybe he really needs to eliminate.
Don't mistake normal puppy and dog play for dominance. Some dogs growl when they play tug-of-war, and they are not threatening you at all. They're playing. If your dog nabs a toy and runs off, looking over his shoulder for you to chase him, this is not dominance, either. He wants you to chase him and play. True instances of dominant aggression occur less frequently than common culture would have you think. So if your dog misbehaves, please don't assume that he's trying to outrank you!
