11/19/2019
BONE TO PICK: Dominance is one word that I really, really, really would like to remove from the dog owner's vocabulary.
Let me start by saying that what people think is dominance almost never is. In fact, out of the over 4,000 dogs that I have worked with in group classes and private lessons over the last 15 years, I have never seen a behavior that didn't have a more reasonable explanation than a quest for total domination.
Aggression and dominance are not the same thing. They do not have the same meaning. Just because a dog has exhibited aggression does not mean it has anything to do with dominance.
Fear. Frustration. Incomplete training. Learning history.
The causes of every behavior problem I see. And, before your reply to this post with, "But you don't work with aggressive dogs," know that my practice is limited to fear and aggression. That's all I work with these days. Still, no dominance to be found.
Fear. Frustration. Incomplete training. Learning history.
Take a look at any behavior that you might consider to be dominance and then ask if any of those explanations might make more sense.
-The dog at the dog park who growls at other dogs. Fear, not dominance.
-The dog who doesn't "listen" when called. Incomplete training and learning history, not dominance.
-The dog who snaps at the vet. Fear and learning history, not dominance.
-The dog who lunges and barks at other dogs on-leash, but plays well with dogs in the dog park. Frustration and incomplete leash training, not dominance.
-The dog who bolts out the front door and leads his family on a 45 minute chase through the neighborhood. Incomplete training and learning history, not dominance.
I'm not dismissing the scientific concept of dominance entirely. However, it is very complex, with multiple definitions depending on who is defining it and what they apply it to. And if it comes from the mouth of a trainer using dominance to justify a particular training method or equipment, the definition is not even close to accurate and they're missing the signs of fear, frustration, or the fact that something has gone wrong in the training process.
The most simplified and scientifically-accurate definition, as presented by Patricia McConnell, PhD, is "priority access to preferred resources." That's basically what it's about. Who gets first dibs.
Now, who, with their bigger brain and opposable thumbs, has first dibs on things the dog wants, the dog or the human? Hint: Dogs don't have thumbs. That means, by a stroke of evolutionary luck, you already have priority access to everything, since your dog can't get food, water, toys, etc., without your thumbs...not to mention your debit card.
You're ALREADY dominant. No need to jerk, roll, hang, poke, pinch, or shock the dog, just use those preferred resources wisely in exchange for good behavior (see prior post on Premack Principle).
Dogs don't get to choose where they live or who they live with. They don't get to choose where they walk or even if they get outside for walks. They don't get to choose what you feed them or when. They don't get to choose whether or not you take them to the dog park or the beach. They don't get to choose what vet they see or what medical treatment they receive. They don't get to choose whether or not they accompany you on vacation or where they get boarded. They don't get to choose whether they live with you for the rest of their lives or get returned to the shelter.
Their safety and survival is subject to our every whim.
And we're obsessed with whether or not we're dominant???
Instead of worrying about whether your dog IS dominant, is BEING dominant, or THINKS he's dominant, focus on what your dog DOES. She growls at people who reach for her rawhide. She jumps on the counter when you're preparing food.
Now, rather than try to punish out a dog's thoughts (a'la Harrison Bergeron - great short story, BTW), we can focus on teaching our dogs what we want them to do. That's where a training or behavior modification plan comes in.
Dominance is just not a useful concept. It relies on assumptions about what a dog is thinking. You're never going to know what your dog is thinking (at least not until they invent the collars from "Up"...Squirrel!).
Frankly, I'm not concerned with what a dog is thinking, I'm concerned with what they're doing. And, when they are relaxed and lying on a mat and looking at me in anticipation of something good instead of growling and lunging at visitors, I've already solved the problem without trying to read their thoughts.
And, yes, that includes feral Malipits from working lines who were born under a full moon on Leap Year. Or Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and any other breed that anyone might want to claim have super special different brains and learn differently from every other species on the planet.
Don't just take my word on the issue of dominance, here's information from people who study the behavior of dogs and wolves for a living:
http://img2.timg.co.il/forums/1_139885255.pdf
http://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/dominance_statement.pdf
http://4pawsu.com/alphawolf.pdf
BUTS
"But, what about dogs in the same household who fight? Isn't THAT dominance???" Again, that requires us to make assumptions about what the dogs are thinking, to assume that they are fighting for status in a hierarchy of their imagination.
Usually, it's a complex combination of access to resources (including access to owner, sleeping areas, toys, bones, etc.) AND learning history. In other words, once fights start to happen, the dogs are living under a heightened level of stress and overly defensive, especially in situations or locations where fights happened before.
This article accurately describes "status-related aggression." However, notice that the reference is is a small paragraph, not the basis of the entire article. Because there are many other reasons that dogs in the same household may begin to fight.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_4/features/Dog-Fighting-Behavior-Aggression_16214-1.html
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Because there are some [expletive deleted] people out there who have begun to take and modify my materials, please note: These images and the articles that accompany them (along with the typos) are free to share on FaceBook via the “Share” link. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited. ©2015 Lisa Mullinax. All rights reserved.
