Dominance Theory Debunked!

[RealPitBull]

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www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2007&PID=18203&O=Generic

Sarah Heath, BVSc, DECVBM-CA, MRCVS
Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice
Upton, Chester, England

Summary
Over recent years there has been an increasing interest in the application of what we know about wolf behaviour to our understanding of the behaviour of our domestic dogs. While this may have helped to increase our appreciation of some of their natural behaviours, we have to acknowledge that there are limitations to the application of information across species boundaries. One of the aspects of wolf behaviour that has been repeatedly applied to our own relationships with our pets has been that of hierarchy and relative status. There has been a lot written about dominance and the behavioural problems that are believed to be associated with it but recently a better understanding of the emotional basis of canine behaviour has resulted in a questioning of the dominance story and a belief that there is an alternative explanation for the "challenging" behaviours which have traditionally been interpreted as "dominant" gestures.

The Importance of Hierarchy
Dogs are social animals who have an inherent need to be with members of their own species and who co-operate with one another in all of the basic survival behaviours, including hunting and rearing of young. It is essential that the dogs that belong to the same pack get along well and that disruption and conflict is kept to a minimum. By living according to a hierarchical structure dogs are able to minimize tension and competition and thereby reduce the risk of physical confrontation, which could result in injury for pack members. Far from leading to aggression the presence of a high ranking individual within a pack should reduce aggression and make the pack more stable.

Dominance--A Trait or a Position?
In order for a hierarchy to be established, individuals within a social group need to be familiar with one another and some need to be prepared to show subordinate behavioural responses. Establishing relative rank is achieved by a series of confrontations over resources and these confrontations take place between individual members of the social group. At the end of these encounters the individual that retains the resource has established itself as the dominant partner in that relationship and it is important to remember that a dominance and submission relationship is one that exists between two individuals. Within a social group confrontations take place regularly and over time a hierarchy can become established whereby those dogs that have won more competitive encounters are given a higher rank than those that have failed to win. Of course it is important to avoid injury during these competitions and therefore the subordinate individual in any encounter will give clear signals to the other animal that confrontation is unnecessary. In this way the subordinate individual is effectively giving dominance away and the dominant individual has no need to prove his point with physical violence. In some of the literature regarding dog behaviour the issue of dominance is discussed in a way that suggests that dogs are born dominant and that their behaviour is governed by a congenital trait. Such a belief leads to dogs being labeled as dominant individuals from an early age and the unsubstantiated link between this state of dominance and the presence of aggression leads to many of these dogs being further labeled as dangerous. Certainly some individuals may be less inhibited in their behaviour than others and these dogs may be less likely to diffuse a situation with submissive signaling but the question of their dominance can only be settled by an encounter with another individual. If that animal is inhibited in terms of its behaviour then the less inhibited individual is more likely to assume a dominant position in that relationship, but this does not guarantee that he will be dominant in all relationships or that he will necessarily give clear signals of that superiority in all encounters with that partner.

A Flexible and Dynamic Situation
Once a hierarchy has been established through repeated competition the highest ranking individual is secure in its position of leadership, but this does not mean that this animal will always "win" in every encounter with other pack members and there is a lot of room for flexibility within the system. For many dog owners this flexibility leads to confusion and it is common for people to comment that their dog appears to be "dominant" but that there are certain circumstances in which he shows no signs of challenging other pack members and seems happy to tow the party line. In order to understand this it is important to consider the issue of resource holding potential since this holds the key to relative rank and to predicting the outcome of confrontations between pack members. Resource holding potential or RHP is the ability of an individual to retain possession of a resource and it is governed by a number of different factors. The past experience of the individual has a significant effect on RHP and if an individual has won more encounters than it has lost in the past this will lead to a relative increase in potential to gain access to the resource in the future. Physical attributes of the individual such as size, age, sex and physical strength are important factors and a strong, large, young adult male will have a relatively high RHP when compared to a small, weak elderly female. However, the outcome of an encounter does not rely on RHP alone and it is important to consider other factors relating to the resource under dispute before jumping to conclusion as to who is going to win. In fact the outcome is governed by the following equation in which RHP is resource holding potential, V is the value of the resource to each individual and C is the potential cost to the individual if the confrontation continues.



In any particular encounter the outcome will be determined by the relative value of the above equation to each individual and when the equation on the left is greater than the one on the right it is the individual on the left that wins.



Example
If a dog is very excited by the chance of a game with a ball (dog A) and the other dog in the household is very food orientated (dog B) it is likely that the outcome of confrontation between the dogs will differ depending on the resource that is under dispute.

In a confrontation over a tasty tidbit dog A may give way to dog B simply because the value of the tidbit is very low to him and the potential cost in challenging dog B, who regards the food treat as a highly desirable resource that is worth fighting over, is too high. This does not necessarily mean that the RHP of dog A is lower than that of dog B and indeed dog A may be the dominant individual in the majority of encounters between the two dogs and therefore the higher ranking dog within the pack but on this occasion it will dog B that gains access to the resource.

The Importance of Consistency
When considering the relationship between an owner and their dog clinical evidence suggests that it is the consistency of the relationship that is the most important factor in establishing relationships between dogs and humans. For most dogs a low ranking position within a human pack is just what they want and when owners give clear, unambiguous signals of leadership the dog feels reassured. Unfortunately for many dogs this clear leadership is missing and the signals that they receive from the humans in their social group are confusing. In most cases the dog is not a naturally high ranking individual and when owners fail to give consistent signals of leadership this creates anxiety in the dog and a range of behavioural problems can arise as a result. Far from challenging these dogs with clear signals of rank, owners need to make them feel secure by establishing clear unambiguous signals to the dog as to how and when it can gain access to valuable resources, such as attention, food and play.

The Human Dimension
Humans are remarkably inconsistent and their behaviour fosters anxiety and a lack of self confidence in the domestic dog. As the dog searches for information its behaviour is commonly misinterpreted as demanding and dominant and the human response is to "show him who's boss". The result of this miscommunication is a canine expectation of social interaction mixed with an expectation of confrontation and this situation of "I love you but you scare me" contributes to displays of defensive behaviour. Indeed when the owner exhibits their unpredictable and confrontational behaviour the dog responds with signals such as lip curling and growling that are intended to deflect the threat and encourage the owner to back off. If they succeed the dog will learn that defensive signals are necessary in order to avoid confrontation and will be more likely to display these behaviours in situations where it anticipates confrontation in the future. On the other hand if the owner refuses to "give in" to these inappropriate behaviours and decides to "stand his ground" the dog confirms his suspicions that his owner is a threat and learns that he needs to defend himself more effectively the next time.

Bringing Resources Under Human Control
The basic flaw in the dominance myth is that canine society is not regulated through the use of physical conflict but rather through the consistent control of access to important resources. In order to establish a stable and secure relationship between dog and owner, it is important to avoid unnecessary physical confrontation and therefore owners need to establish consistent social rules and give clear signals of resource control. This will create a safe and secure environment in which the dog can relax. When the access to resources is consistently controlled by the owner, dogs can learn to look for cues and signals which indicate that the resource is about to be released to them. This enables them to predict when resources are available and reduces the need to engage in attention seeking and demanding behaviours, which are designed to gain access to resources at other times. Dogs can get very confused when owners sometimes respond to their behaviour by giving them the resource they desire and at other times punish them for exactly the same behaviour. This unpredictable behaviour from owners can lead to problems of anxiety, insecurity and frustration for the dog and these emotions can in turn cause situations of confrontation and aggression.

"Dominance Aggression"--A Common Misdiagnosis
One of the most common misdiagnoses in the field of behavioural medicine is that of "dominance" aggression. In dog to human relationships it is the factors of consistency, predictability and control that are the most important and the behaviours that are so often interpreted as "signs of dominance" can be better explained in terms of emotional conflict. Dogs react to the apparently threatening interactions from their owners with defensive signals which are all too readily misinterpreted as signs of challenge and confrontation and in a large number of behavioural cases, the use of inappropriate and unjustified attempts to assert the owner's dominance leads to escalating conflict and a misperception that the dog is attempting to be "dominant" in return. Far from being "dominant" these dogs are anxious individuals who find the world around them to be inconsistent and unpredictable. When they are provided with clear and consistent signals their anxiety subsides and they can begin to learn how to behave appropriately in a social context.

[RealPitBull]

And more important information debunking dominance theory:

www.4pawsu.com/dominancemyth.pdf
www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm
www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB767
www.diamondsintheruff.com/whisperer.html
www.4pawsu.com/MOVING%20BEYOND%20THE%20DOMINANCE%20MYTH.pdf
www.dogwhispererdvd.com/article-domin-myth.html
behaviorcorner.com/blog/category/dog-behavior/dominance/
www.nonlineardogs.com/
www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6361.html

[bullymommy25]

On "certain shows" we are told that when walking our dogs, they should always walk at our side and perhaps even a step behind, as this shows our "dominance" over them. While I agree that a dog should know the heel command and be ABLE to walk at our side, I find this a bit to rigid for our "pack"! Our dog appreciates a relax time, where she is able to walk as she pleases as long as it is forward, weaving around to the interesting smells. We do this in wooded areas or natural settings, and I think it's healthy and a part of what she needs! I think that this is a more natural way of traveling than keeping her glued to my side... any thoughts?

[RealPitBull]

Yes, I disagree with the sentiment that a dog will think it is "dominating" you if allowed to move ahead of you on a leash. All dogs should walk politely on a leash, but "heel" and walking nicely are too seperate things. Heel is a specific cue and there is a specific behavior I expect from my dog when I ask this. When I snap a leash on my dog, I don't necessarily want him glued to my side. He is free to walk ahead of me, sniff and enjoy being a dog. Is he dominating me? I think that's a really silly assumption. Is your child being "the boss" if he/she walks ahead of you, or runs forward in excitement to point out a butterfly on a flower?

[goldie]

Great Article- Thank you!

And, also thank you for making me feel better about my dogs not walking beside me... I always felt that they should be able to sniff and meander while walking with me, and I always felt a bit guilty that they weren't walking "properly"...but felt that they deserved some "fun" time while out on a walk!

[AmyJo27]

I agree, my dogs love sniffing at things and just relaxing. But if any of you have ever seen the Dog Whisperer:National Geographic Channel:Cesar Millan, most of the things he says I believe in and follow his guidelines!!! But I dont think my dogs see themselves as the alphas just because they were walking a few steps ahead of me!

[bullygrrl]

This really isnt a 'debunking' The way I am reading it, it proves that the human needs to be calm and consistant and "pack leader" as in controlling resources.

[RealPitBull]

Apr 16, 2008 20:18:13 GMT -5 bullygrrl said:

This really isnt a 'debunking' The way I am reading it, it proves that the human needs to be calm and consistant and "pack leader" as in controlling resources.

Dominance theory states that dogs will try to dominate humans to become alpha and control all resources. This idea came from a faulty study done on captive, non-related wolves. It was thought a single wolf was "dominate" over an entire pack, at all times. All other wolves would constantly try to win dominance, so the current dominant wolf was constantly in a power struggle. This, translated in terms of dog-human relationships, meant that if you didn't constantly be strict with your dog, alpha roll him, and 'show him who is boss', he'd take over, get aggressive with you, and wreak havoc on your household. Pretty much all misbehavior was attributed to dominance. Never mind the fact that humans and dogs are two seperate species and have different modes of living/behaving, and that it is LOGICAL to assume that a dog would not be born knowing human rules so would need to be trained to fit into a human household.

Fast forward several decades, and famed wolf researcher L David Mech explains that wolf pack structure is fluid, and that dominance is not a set trait - different members of the pack can be dominant under different circumstances. Also, wolfs do not forcably alpha roll each other.

It also has never been proven that one species will try to dominate another species, or that psychologically a dog will attempt to 'gain alpha power' over a human.

Lastly, wolf-to-wolf behavior is not the same thing as dog-to-human behavior. Studying wolves and then using that research to interpret how dogs behave towards people, or how people should behave towards dogs is silly.

Dogs learn through consequences. If I want my dog to walk by my side and not pull me, I use positive reinforcement to teach him to walk by my side. Good consequences. If I do not teach my dog this behavior, he doesn't know any better and will likely pull me. This doesn't mean he is 'dominating me' - it just means he hasn't been taught a different behavior.

Also, dogs perform unwanted behaviors all the time, but that just means those behavior are unwanted by HUMANS. Doesn't mean another dog would dislike those behaviors or view them as dominate behaviors. Dogs simply do what 'works' - what gets them something good. This is their motivation for behavior. If you show a dog it is worth his while to lay calmly at your feet, he'll do it. It has nothing to do with a mental attitude of "I am dominating you, dog!!!"

This debate at its essence is about semantics and a mindset - one mindset uses outdated, unscientific thoughts about dominating to prevent a canine takeover, and the other mindset uses scientific explanations of how dogs learn to explain canine behavior and to teach new behavior. The end result of training based on both of these mindets may be a trained dog, but the explanation of the hows/whys will be completely different.

I also dislike the alpha mindset (aside from it being scientifically invalid) is that it sets up a power-struggle scenario, in which you constantly have to be on the lookout for a takeover from your dog. I like to look at my relationship with my dog as one of partnership and friendship, one in which I teach my dog proper human society behaviors to help my dog co-exist with a seperate species.

[bullymommy25]

ehh.... me and my dog are buddies. i don't worry about dominance, i know i'm the human who pays the bills and stuff. Like any relationship, we have rules and boundaries that can't be crossed, and we celebrate things that make our relationship easier!

[largentfamily]

We make Ellie heel when walking her, but are really only strict about her position when we're in the park or if we can see another dog or person up ahead of us. We'll make her heel close to us if we're in a strange place to her. Most of the time, she heels close to us in these situations anyway because she's scared and we are her source of comfort. I like for her to be at my side and not pull on the leash. I sort let her pick her own position at my side and go from there. Usually her shoulders are about even with my legs. Honestly, I don't really mind if she's a little bit a head of me. Most of the time, it's late evening, or even after dark when we go for a walk. Her eyesight is way better than mine. SHe's going to be better at seeing a potential attacker than I will be!

The only thing that we do to show any dominance over her is at feeding time. She's fed twice a day. She's not allowed to stand in the kitchen when we're preparing her food. She has to wait until she's called into the kitchen. We don't put her dish down until she sits. Once the dish is down, we make her wait until we say "OK" and then she can eat. No, we don't make her wait long, maybe only a second or two. But it does show her that we control the food, just as a pack leader would do. We were having an issue with Ellie not listening to our daughter so we started having Nicole feed Ellie like we feed her, and now Nicole can give her a command and Ellie will listen.

[RealPitBull]

I think you venture into sticky territory when you start trying to analyze a dog's psychological state when you witness behavior. A dog will sit and wait for his food because he's been trained through conditioning to expect food to come only when he is sitting nicely (I admit, in my dog's older age, I've let that sit-for-food rule slide, as there is just no reason to make him sit every time I am putting food on the floor for him - he hasn't tried to dominate me yet! )

In my mind, 'dominance' is a psychological concept the human part of the equation places on certain interactions between dog and human. There is nothing in the scientific literature that demonstrates a dog who is made to sit for things, or walk next to/behind their human is understanding that the human is 'dominate'. It's just a matter of training - conditioning certain behaviors in your dog, so that you have good control over him.

In my not-always-so-humble opinion ;D

[snipe]

Wow it's neat that I saw this thread, I just read a book about a man and his dog, in which neither was dominant. They were equals. It is an interesting look into domestication, and all the other intricacies of the dog brain. The author, Ted Kerasote, has written many books on the outdoors and about animals, and combines his story with scientific evidence to provide us with a touching, as well as informational story. However, the end is the saddest of any story I have ever read. Although you know the dog dies in the end, you can't help but ache. It's a true story too! I know its not about any kind of pitbull related breed but, but the values relate to the topic. I would recommend it to anyone trying to better understand their furry companion.

Merle's Door: Lessons From A Freethinking Dog

www.kerasote.com/

[bamapitbullmom]

I see firsthand far too many owners focusing on the whole dominance thing, most, if not all have continual issues. Personally, I prefer my dogs to keep a bit of tension on the leash, of course it's sometimes necessary for me as they work as Service Dogs and *must* find my car or lead me out of a public building at times.

I have not and have no plans to train a heel, though both know a finish and swing, just for the heck of it and b/c I can.

I find it laughable that owners assume their dogs are dominating them if they walk a few paces ahead or go through doors first. I think it all goes back to people comparing our domesticated dogs to wolves. Even wolves, the leaders of the pack do not require the rest of the wolves to stay behind and when was the last time any wolf had to navigate doorways??

A dog is a dog and essentially, we own them for our own selfish reasons. Allow them to be dogs, require some happy behaviors, set limits nicely and constructively and make it beneficial for the dog. After all, we are the evolved species.

[snipe]

Jan 20, 2009 18:10:50 GMT -5 bamapitbullmom said:

I see firsthand far too many owners focusing on the whole dominance thing, most, if not all have continual issues. Personally, I prefer my dogs to keep a bit of tension on the leash, of course it's sometimes necessary for me as they work as Service Dogs and *must* find my car or lead me out of a public building at times.

I have not and have no plans to train a heel, though both know a finish and swing, just for the heck of it and b/c I can.

I find it laughable that owners assume their dogs are dominating them if they walk a few paces ahead or go through doors first. I think it all goes back to people comparing our domesticated dogs to wolves. Even wolves, the leaders of the pack do not require the rest of the wolves to stay behind and when was the last time any wolf had to navigate doorways??

A dog is a dog and essentially, we own them for our own selfish reasons. Allow them to be dogs, require some happy behaviors, set limits nicely and constructively and make it beneficial for the dog. After all, we are the evolved species.

ya i agree i like letting my dog has freedom as long as she knows to return on command. it helps them learn by themselves and experience life as they want to.

[RealPitBull]

Snipe, I have had Merle's Door on my to-read list for a while. Sounds like it's a worthwhile read, and I will have to bump it up on that list

[bamapitbullmom]

I haven't read it yet but a close friend who has great taste in books HIGHLY recommends it! I can't wait to read that one.

[hammer4]

Apr 17, 2008 8:01:37 GMT -5 RealPitBull said:

Apr 16, 2008 20:18:13 GMT -5 bullygrrl said:

Dogs learn through consequences. If I want my dog to walk by my side and not pull me, I use positive reinforcement to teach him to walk by my side. Good consequences. If I do not teach my dog this behavior, he doesn't know any better and will likely pull me. This doesn't mean he is 'dominating me' - it just means he hasn't been taught a different behavior.

Also, dogs perform unwanted behaviors all the time, but that just means those behavior are unwanted by HUMANS. Doesn't mean another dog would dislike those behaviors or view them as dominate behaviors. Dogs simply do what 'works' - what gets them something good. This is their motivation for behavior. If you show a dog it is worth his while to lay calmly at your feet, he'll do it. It has nothing to do with a mental attitude of "I am dominating you, dog!!!"

This debate at its essence is about semantics and a mindset - one mindset uses outdated, unscientific thoughts about dominating to prevent a canine takeover, and the other mindset uses scientific explanations of how dogs learn to explain canine behavior and to teach new behavior. The end result of training based on both of these mindets may be a trained dog, but the explanation of the hows/whys will be completely different.

I also dislike the alpha mindset (aside from it being scientifically invalid) is that it sets up a power-struggle scenario, in which you constantly have to be on the lookout for a takeover from your dog. I like to look at my relationship with my dog as one of partnership and friendship, one in which I teach my dog proper human society behaviors to help my dog co-exist with a seperate species.

Boy I'm glad you posted the above. I try to do structured walks with Chance, but sometimes I let him do his doggy thing, i.e. sniff and such. Thanks Mary.. ;D

[snipe]

Jan 22, 2009 8:14:18 GMT -5 RealPitBull said:

Snipe, I have had Merle's Door on my to-read list for a while. Sounds like it's a worthwhile read, and I will have to bump it up on that list

ya definitely do. it shows you how truly thoughtful and observant dogs are. although i think the author was really lucky he found this dog, he uses many different past experiments to back his opinions. but mostly it's just about a dog being a dog smelling, running, jumping, playing, and hunting. but the most important thing to remember is that the vast majority of us don't live as he did/does. the book takes place near many wildlife reserves in Wyoming and there a dog can have almost limitless freedom. but back where the houses are closer together more structure is needed not only to make our lives easier but to keep our dogs safe.

[adoptapitbull]

I had a friend tell me that if my dogs lie against me as I sleep, they are trying to dominate me. I laughed. This was also coming from the same guy who doesn't know that dogs have anal glands and thought some breeds had a 700lb PSI bite. I think people take everything today as "dominant" because they watch Cesar way too much!

[loverocksalot]

Dec 20, 2009 21:14:30 GMT -5 adoptapitbull said:

I had a friend tell me that if my dogs lie against me as I sleep, they are trying to dominate me. I laughed. This was also coming from the same guy who doesn't know that dogs have anal glands and thought some breeds had a 700lb PSI bite. I think people take everything today as "dominant" because they watch Cesar way too much!

Oh My if pushing you while sleeping was true to be dominance I would be in big trouble. Rocky is famous for doing this the few times he is allowed on the couch with me or on the bed with the kids. He will sprawl and push his way to taking up the whole space. Did anyone ever read Merels door. I have had the book for two years. Started to read never finished. I am not one to read. I should start though.