22/09/2022
The dominance theory and being Pack Leader.
I can't believe that i still have to write posts about this, I can't believe its actually still being promoted and used by people.
I can't believe that a theory that was so flawed that Mech himself a year later wrote another piece on how wrong he had got it and yet still its still in circulation....why?
Because it looks like it works, it can shut behaviour down and make it look " cured' cue me wincing as I type that word.
Its still far to comnon for some humans to seek compliance, to be the master and have a dog that obeys.
If you ask a lot of people to explain the dominance theory and how it came about they can't, they have no real understanding of the mistake that Mech made, they just like the sound of an animal being subordinate and "loyal
I dont want to be a pack leader, I dont want to be in charge, alpha or any other of those cring worthy titles.
I want to be a guardian, I want to be a safety net, I want to the person they CHOOSE to spend time and co exist with.
I want to listen and learn from my dogs and enjoy everything that they are because they are pretty flipping marvellous and we can learn so much from them.
I have 13 working dogs who all live together in the house ( yes I clean and hoover A LOT) and yet simple compassion, empathy and understanding is the ethos of our home
Yes we have to try and teach dogs certain skills to be safe but that doesn't mean we have to teach them to show them we are in charge.
Its been decades, yes DECADES since this whole dominance theory tosh was debunked, come on people, I beg you, it belongs in the past along with paisley carpets, Austin metros, and smoking in pubs.
We have to stop, we have to be our dogs champion, we have to take a long hard look at how we view our relationships with dogs.
Ditch the dominance and come smell the roses 🌹 your dog will thank you for it.