13/02/2020
Dominance-based dog training is ineffective, outdated, and inhumane. Using force or fear to train your dog does not result in a trusting, obedient companion.
Here's an example- a person encourages a dogs' excitement because it is cute, but then gets annoyed and expects the dog to immediately cease the behavior. If the animal doesn't comply, he or she gets yelled at for the behavior that was rewarded a moment ago- sometimes even hit, or pushed to the ground, in an attempt to convey dominance over the dog. This is confusing to the dog and damages their relationship with the person, who is often their caretaker.
"Dogs are often described as being “dominant” which is an incorrect usage of the term. Dominance is not a personality trait. ..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. Even between dogs, however, it is not achieved through force or coercion ⬅️ but through one member of the relationship deferring to the other peacefully. ..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."
PDF Version 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...
