Dominance and Dog Training
The use of dominance and pack theory in explaining dog behavior has come under a great deal
of scrutiny as of late. The Association of Professional Dog Trainers wishes to inform the dog
owning public about the ramifications of a reliance on dominance theory as it relates to
understanding dogs, interpreting their behavior, and living harmoniously with our canine
companions.
Theory and Misconceptions
Contrary to popular thinking, research studies of wolves in their natural habitat demonstrate that
wolves are not dominated by an "Alpha Wolf" that is the most aggressive male, or male-female
pairing, of the pack. Rather, they have found that wolf packs are very similar to how human
families are organized, and there is little aggression or fights for "dominance." Wolves, whether it
be the parents or the cubs of a pack, depend on each other to survive in the wild; consequently
wolves that engage in aggressive behaviors toward each other would inhibit the pack's ability to
survive and flourish. While social hierarchies do exist (just as they do among human families)
they are not related to aggression in the way it is commonly portrayed (incorrectly) in popular
culture. As Senior Research Scientist L. David Mech recently wrote regarding his many years of
study of wolves, we should "once and for all end the outmoded view of the wolf pack as an
aggressive assortment of wolves consistently competing with each other to take over the pack."
(Mech, 2008)
In addition to our new understanding of wolf behavior, study into canine behavior has found that
dogs, while sharing some traits with their wolf cousins, have many more significant differences.
As a result, the idea that dog behavior can be explained through the application of wolf behavior
models is no more relevant than suggesting that chimpanzee behavior can be used to explain
human behavior. Unfortunately, this idea that dogs are basically "domesticated wolves" living in
our homes still persists among dog trainers and behavior counselors, as well as breeders, owners,
and the media.
One of the biggest misconceptions we find ourselves faced with is the definition of "dominance."
Dogs are often described as being "dominant" which is an incorrect usage of the term. Dominance
is not a personality trait. Dominance is "primarily a descriptive term for relationships between
pairs of individuals." and moreover, "the use of the expression 'dominant dog' is meaningless,
since "dominance" can apply only to a relationship between individuals. (Bradshaw et al., 2009)
Dominance comes into play in a relationship between members of the same species when one
individual wants to have the first pick of available resources such as food, beds, toys, bones, etc.
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
104 South Calhoun Street, Greenville, SC 29601 - 1-800-PET-DOGS (738--3647) )
information@apdt.com - www.apdt.com
Even between dogs, however, it is not achieved through force or coercion but through one
member of the relationship deferring to the other peacefully. In many households the status of one
dog over another is fluid; in other words, one dog may be the first to take his pick of toys, but will
defer to the other dog when it comes to choice of resting places. Dogs that use aggression to "get
what they want" are not displaying dominance, but rather anxiety-based behaviors, which will
only increase if they are faced with verbal and/or physical threats from their human owners.
Basing one's interaction with their dog on dominance is harmful to the dog-human relationship
and leads to further stress, anxiety and aggression from the dog, as well as fear and antipathy of
the owner.
Living with Dogs: What’s Important?
When it comes to living and working with dogs, the concept of dominance is largely irrelevant.
This may come as a surprise to many dog owners. The truth is, when working with dogs that
have a training or behavior issue, the goal of the dog professional is to develop a behavior
modification or training plan that will address the problem at hand. This generally does not
require understanding a dog’s motivation and emotional state, but rather focuses on what the dog
is doing (behavior), and what we want the dog to “do,” helping the dog understand how to
perform the desired behaviors and then rewarding him for doing so.
Far too many times dog owners have been given advice to “show the dog who’s boss” and “be the
alpha.” The unfortunate side effect of this thinking is that it creates an adversarial relationship
between the owner and their dog with the belief that the dog is somehow trying to control the
home and the owner’s life. Such misinformation damages the owner-dog relationship, and may
lead to fear, anxiety and /or aggressive behaviors from the dog. Dogs cannot speak our language
and they can find themselves thrust into situations in our homes that they find difficult to
comprehend, by owners trying to behave as they mistakenly believe “alpha” wolves do.
Rather than dominance, it is most often a lack of clear interspecies communication that leads to
behaviors we find troubling.. It is the human’s responsibility to teach our dogs the behaviors that
we find appropriate, and reward them when they do the things we like. Just as importantly, it is
our role to show them which behaviors are not appropriate in a constructive and compassionate
manner that does not lead to further anxiety on the dog's part.
Aggression is Not the Answer
Actions such as "alpha rolls" and "scruff shakes" have no basis in fact when studying wolf or dog
behavior, and they only lead to creating unnecessary fear on our dog's part toward us, fear that
ultimately can lead to aggression because the frightened dog knows of no other way to protect
itself other than using its teeth. We all owe it to our dogs to see the world from their point of view
in order to create a more harmonious relationship. Whether we are looking at a dog or a wolf,
actions such as grabbing a dog and forcing it into a down, growling at the dog, and other
aggressive behaviors directed toward the animal will only lead to the animal developing a "fight-
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
104 South Calhoun Street, Greenville, SC 29601 - 1-800-PET-DOGS (738--3647)
information@apdt.com - www.apdt.com
or-flight" response where the animal fears for its life. In this situation, the dog will either freeze
out of fear, flee far away from the threatening animal or person if an opportunity presents itself to
get away, or, fight to save itself. When we engage in such behaviors toward our dogs, we are not
telling the dog we are "boss," instead we are telling the dog we are dangerous creatures to be
avoided or fought off. There is no "dominance" in these scenarios—only terror and the instinct to
defend oneself against attack.
If Not Dominance, Then What Do We Use?
Fortunately, many trainers and behavior professionals now present concepts that focus on
building a caring and happy relationship with your dog, instead of relying on dominance. Some
trainers refer to the term "leadership" or other similar terms that are less adversarial than
"dominance" or "Alpha." What these trainers have in common is a desire to explain effective,
non-confrontational and humane ways of living successfully with dogs. These educated
approaches aim to strengthen the bond between the owner and the dog and teach owners more
effective ways of communicating with another species. For dogs with behavior problems, trainers
employ programs such as “Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF)” which works along the principal that
the dog must “do” something to earn what he wants (i.e. sit to get dinner, walk on a loose leash to
move forward, etc.) These programs are effective because the dog is issued a structured set of
rules that are consistently reinforced and the dog learns what he needs to do in order to get the
things that he wants such as food, petting, playtime, etc. Because dogs do not have the power of
human speech and language, behavior problems and anxiety can result when they are left to fend
for themselves in deciding how to live in our world without guidance that makes sense. Just like
with people, we behave better and thrive in a world that “makes sense” to us and has a clear
structure.
The myths that resonate in “dominance theory,” such as not allowing the dog to sleep on the bed,
or eat first, or go through doorways first, have no bearing on whether or not the dog will look to
the owner for guidance. The specific rules of the relationship are up to the owner and are based
on what they want in their household. Humane, educated trainers should strive to teach owners
to positively and gently influence and motivate their dogs to act in a manner that befits their own
home and tailor the "rules" to each individual. There is no scientifically validated data to uphold
the belief that you must eat before your dog, or keep them from sleeping on your bed, or walking
in front of you, and owners should not be led to believe this and live in a state of fear and anxiety
over their dog's possible takeover of their home. In fact, the vast majority of dogs and owners
have wonderful, mutually-rewarding relationships—even if the dog is allowed to sleep on the bed,
eats alongside the owner, and does many other things erroneously labeled “dominance.” To help
illustrate some of the myths about dominance, we have prepared a related document, "Dominance
Myths and Dog Training Realities."
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
104 South Calhoun Street, Greenville, SC 29601 - 1-800-PET-DOGS (738--3647)
information@apdt.com - www.apdt.com
Final Thoughts
When choosing a trainer or behavior counselor to work with you and your dog, keep in mind that
philosophies and methodologies among trainers varies. The Association of Professional Dog
Trainers recommends interviewing potential trainers to determine their beliefs regarding
dominance and using physical force and intimidation to train a dog, whether for obedience or for
behavior problems. An educated canine professional should be well-acquainted with the latest
scientific understandings of dog behavior and be willing to openly discuss their training
methodologies with you.
For further reading:
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior 2007. AVSAB Position Statement -
Punishment Guidelines: The use of punishment for dealing with animal behavior problems.
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/Combined_Punishm
ent_Statements.pdf.
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior 2009. AVSAB Position Statement on the
Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of animals.
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20state
ment.pdf.
Bradshaw J.W.S., Blackwell E.J., Casey R.A. 2009. Dominance in domestic dogs - useful
construct or bad habit? Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research,
May/June 2009, pp 135-144.
Herron M.E., Shofer F.S., Reisner I.R. 2009. Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational
and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors.
Applied Animal Behavior Science, 117, pp. 47-54.
Mech L.D. 2008. Whatever happened to the term alpha wolf? International Wolf.
(http://www.wolf.org/wolves/news/iwmag/2008/winter/winter2008.asp).
Yin S. 2009. Dominance vs. unruly behavior. The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, Mar/Apr 2009,
pp. 13-17.
Yin S. 2009. Low Stress Handling, Restraint, and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats.
Cattledog Publishing. Davis, CA.
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
104 South Calhoun Street, Greenville, SC 29601 - 1-800-PET-DOGS (738--3647)
information@apdt.com - www.apdt.com
Dominance Myths and Dog Training Realities
As dog trainers and behavior counselors, we are often told by our dog owner clients that their dog
is "dominant" because he or she did a particular behavior. In order to provide more insight into
why dogs do the things they do, and why it is not "dominance" that leads to these behaviors,
we've included a sampling of some of the most common ones below.
Behavior Myth Why Your Dog Really Does This How to Change the Behavior
Your dog barks at • There are numerous underlying • Train the dog to bark and be quiet on
you to tell you he's factors that can lead to excessive command.
in charge. barking such as boredom, fear, and
anxiety. • Proper daily exercise, interaction with
a dog's human family, and interactive
• Owners often inadvertently reinforce toys such as Kongs® can decrease
barking by giving the dog attention barking if the dog is barking out of
when they are barking, or yelling at boredom.
the dog, which only strengthens the
behavior over time. • For fearful and/or anxious dogs,
determine what is causing the dog's
fears and work to desensitize him to
them.
Your dog urinates • Inconsistent housetraining • Go back to "Square one" with your dog
in the house to techniques by the owner lead to and begin housetraining again.
show you that she dogs that are never 100%
owns the "territory" housetrained. • You must be supervise your dog 100%
and not you. and be able to take him out when he
• Inappropriate elimination can often needs to go and reward him for doing
be due to an underlying medical so in order for him to clearly
condition such as a urinary infection. understand what is being asked of him.
• Unneutered dogs will mark territory • Take your dog to a veterinarian to
more often than fixed dogs. determine if there is a physical cause
for the behavior.
Your dog believes • Dogs are scavengers by nature and • Teach your dog to stay out of the
he is in control of if food appears to be available, they kitchen and not to jump on the
the kitchen and is will take the chance to "go for it!" counters.
trying to eat before
you. • Dogs who are bored in the home • Give your dog interactive toys to play
may resort to counter surfing or with, such as Kongs that you can stuff
digging in the trash to alleviate their with food, so he can be steered toward
boredom. appropriate outlets for his energy.
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
104 South Calhoun Street, Greenville, SC 29601 - 1-800-PET-DOGS (738--3647)
information@apdt.com - www.apdt.com
Dogs jump up on • Dogs jump up because they have • Teach the dog to sit when visitors
people to assert been inadvertently reinforced to do enter the house and reward for this
their height and so by inconsistent dog owners. behavior.
rank over you.
• Dogs jump up because they want to • Teach the dog that he only gets
get closer to our faces to say hello. attention, treats, etc. when he has all
four paws on the floor.
• Dogs jump up because ... it's fun!
• Make sure everyone who interacts with
your dog is on the same page about
turning their back on the dog when he
jumps up so the behavior is not
reinforced in the future.
Dogs pull on leash • If every time the dog gets to go on a • Be absolutely consistent with your dog
so they can get out walk, they pull you along without and do not allow him or her to pull you
in front of you and being taught any different, they when you go out on a walk. Take the
be in charge of you reasonably understand that this is time to teach them what it is that you
and the walk. how walks are supposed to be! do want.
• Getting to go on a walk is a fun-filled • Reinforce the dog heavily for staying
and exciting activity for a dog. They next to you, and do not allow the dog
pull because they're enthusiastic and to move forward if he is pulling. Teach
want to get out and enjoy the sights the dog the "heel" command.
and smells of the outdoors.
• If your dog is too strong for you, use a
management device such as a head
halter or front clip harness, and use
this in conjunction with teaching the
dog not to pull so that you can
transition to using only a flat collar.
Dogs push you out • Just like with walking on leash, dogs • Teach your dog a wait command (or
of the way and run get easily excited and don't know stay command) in door ways and
through a doorway this is unacceptable behavior if you practice so they become used to the
ahead of you to don't teach them otherwise. idea that you get to come and go first.
show you they're in
charge. • You only get pushed because you're • Use baby-gates to block the dog from
in the way of whatever it is on the running through the house and use
other side that the dog finds them to teach behavior such as wait,
interesting and exciting. stay or sit at doorways.
Dogs who think • Dogs who have not been properly • Teach your dog the come command
they are boss will reinforced for coming back to you on-leash until your dog is coming every
ignore you when when called will not understand that time when called.
you call them "come" means "come here
because they know immediately!" • Reinforce the dog heavily when he
they don't have to does come - it should be 100% clear to
obey. • Dogs become stimulated by their him that he did a great thing by
environment and can be easily
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
104 South Calhoun Street, Greenville, SC 29615 - 1-800-PET-DOGS (738--3647)
information@apdt.com - www.apdt.com
distracted by other dogs or animals, complying.
people, children, grass, trees, cars,
etc. • Never punish the dog if he doesn't
come to you - this only teaches the
dog that coming to you when he is
called is not a "safe" thing to do.
Dogs mount other • Mounting occurs for several reasons • If the dog is doing this to you, simply
dogs or people to which include stress alleviation and give the dog an incompatible behavior
show that they are play. to do instead and reward them for
dominant. doing so, such as sit, down, a trick, or
• When dogs play they will often take anything else.
turns mounting each other for fun -
the position is one of playfulness
rather than an attempt to establish
status.
Dogs get on the • Dogs get on furniture and/or beds for • Teach your dog an "off" command so
furniture and/or the same reasons that people do - they learn to get down off the furniture
beds to show that because they're very comfortable. when you ask them to.
they rule the
household. • If you do not want your dog on the
furniture at any time, manage the
household so that the dog is not able
to get up on the furniture unawares. If
they do, this reinforces that it's ok to sit
on the furniture - you want to be able
to block this from happening using
baby gates, tethers, etc.
• Provide the dog with a comfy dog bed
or beds of his own and reinforce the
dog for choosing to lay on them.
• Finally, if you don't mind having your
dog on the furniture but are afraid this
means they're dominating you - relax!
As long as you are setting the rules
and guidelines in your house, it's ok for
your dog to be on the furniture with
you.
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
104 South Calhoun Street, Greenville, SC 29615 - 1-800-PET-DOGS (738--3647)
information@apdt.com - www.apdt.com
