Q: Does your dog want to take over the world?
A: No!
A great little book by Barry Eaton which explains it all. So increase your knowledge for only €12.50 and get the facts!
Dominance Fact or Fiction purchase it here www.dogtrainingireland.ie/shop/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=209
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Frequently the following problems are diagnosed as Dominance.
- Resource Guarding / Possession Aggression (growling around food or high value items)
- Pulling on the lead
- Jumping up on people
- Refusing to move off the couch
- Mouthing
- Sitting on your lap or on the couch
- Sitting in your way on a stairwell or landing etc
Firstly there is no such thing as Dominance or “Dominant Dog Syndrome” and to use this term is incorrect.
There are still many professionals whom advocate the “pack rules” and advise demotion techniques as a behaviour modification plan even though these have since been disproved. The problem is that demotion techniques only worsen problems such as resource guarding and possession aggression and frequently lead to bites.
So looking at this from a scientific and how dogs learn point of view and leaving aside human values (getting one up, jealousy, dominance, trying to lead, bullying etc) we must look at the dog and the individual behaviours that are being presented. We can then decide on an appropriate behaviour modification plan.
So we have the following:
Positive Punishment – Adding something unpleasant to an unwanted behaviour. The positive is + not positive as in good. EG of this would be adding a shock to a dog barking. We do not use positive punishment.
Negative Punishment – Removal of something the dog wants to reduce a behaviour. EG Ignoring your dog when they jump up.
Positive Reinforcement – Adding a reinforcer to a behaviour we want to repeat. EG using a piece of food to reward a sit.
Negative Reinforcement – Removal of something unpleasant to increase a behaviour. EG Loosening a choke chain when a dog sits. We do not use Negative Reinforcement.
With training we use Cue’s also referred to as commands and we apply those cues to behaviours that we want from our dogs. So for example we do the following to train
- Get the behaviour
- Mark/Reward the behaviour
- Add the cue to the behaviour
Dominance and Pack theories suggest that dogs have a pack structure, which includes humans and family members. Therefore we MUST be alpha in this pack in order for harmony to be present. This statement alone is seriously flawed since dogs understand the difference between themselves and cats, horses other animals so why would they see us as the same as them? Also there have only ever been a handful of scientific studies in the area of Dominance however there are thousands of studies to counteract the Dominance Theory.
Pack theories suggest we should do the following. I will explain why each one is flawed in each point.
1. Eat in front of the dog/Eat first.
This is supposed to show the dog that you are alpha since the dog sees you eating first and knows his place.
The reason this is incorrect is because when studying wild wolves it is NOT the alphas that eat first but the females in whelp or the vulnerable young. Also a dog is a dog so they do not have to hunt for their food so this does not have any effect at all.
2. Lead the hunt.
This part of the theory suggest that we should always walk in front of dogs, we enter doorways first, lead training should mean the dog is at the side of or behind the human.
So why then do working dogs work ahead? The study of wild wolves hunting shows that is it not the Alpha’s who work ahead and lead the pack.
3. Alpha Rolls or physically holding down the dog in order to teach it to be submissive. Scuffing the back of the neck until a puppy submits etc…
This is the dangerous part of dominance theories and where most people and children suffer bites. This displays a pure lack of understanding of canine body language especially when the dog is displaying high levels of fear and stress while being held. Of course fear and stress are displayed in such a way that the human will interpret this as further dominance so you can see where I am going with this.
Remove, control high value items
This is also dangerous if the dog is suffering from Resource Guarding as we are ignoring the warning signals and pushing the dog to increase his distance increasing signals. If we ignore warning signals then we will be bitten. Therefore it is vital that all cases of Resource Guarding are referred to us.
Terminology
Everyone understands the term ‘dominant’ differently. Therefore we do not use the terms dominant, assert yourself over your dog, submissive, trying to rule the roost etc when training as it is not useful at all.
Dogs who are termed ‘dominant’ are generally not helped by being pigeon holed. The term ‘dominant’ is often a get out clause for trainers. So what now? Being dominant is not a solution and will not help the dog or the owner with problems that they are experiencing. I get particularly annoyed when resource guarding dogs or aggressive dogs have been termed dominant and treated using demotion techniques. Of course the behaviours have become worse and now by the time the owner comes to us we are dealing with a far more dangerous dog. In many cases the dogs are pts as the previous prescribed treatment has failed the dog and created further behaviours that are too dangerous now to modify.
Reactive dogs who get held down and made to submit can become quiet. The dog is man handled to the point of exhaustion, chokers are used and the dog finally goes quiet. This QUIETNESS some call calm submission or a calm submissive state is incorrect. That is not an opinion but a fact. The dog displays exhaustion, fear, stress and anxiety. So now the dog does not react but all that has been done here is that the dogs voice and warning has been removed. Until one day when the dog gives NO warning and another dog, person or child approaches and bang… one heck of an attack happens. So that’s 2 dogs dead for the price of 1 IMO. I get very angry watching this.
Ian Dunbar and Jean Donaldson have an excellent DVD called “Fighting Dominance in a Dog Whispering World” and it explains so much including the studies done that support the dominance theory (I believe and the study was not completed) and the studies over 10 or more years done that support Animal Behaviour as it is without the dominance rules.
I believe anyone who is training dogs has a huge responsibility to the owner, the dog and other dogs and owners. Everything that comes out of your mouth is taken as the truth and they way it is. Therefore if trainers believe in the dominance and pack theories they should at least be aware of the studies behind these and the NEWER theories. It is never to late to change your opinion based on these newer studies.
As Barry Eaton says
“We don’t have to be Alpha, dominant or pack leader, and neither does our dog. All we need to be is an owner responsible for guiding our dog, shaping and influencing its behaviour through correct socialisation and training so they can live in harmony with us”
I hope this information helps. For more info google “dominance” and the authors names below:
Ray and Lorna Coppinger
Ian Dunbar
Jean Donaldson
Barry Eaton
Or watch this DVD available from Amazon.com
[url=http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Dominance-Dog-Whispering-World/dp/B0011CW4L4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1215356936&sr=8-1]Dominance DVD[/url]
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