You might think that after 20-plus years of moving toward a deeper and more scientific understanding of dog training and behavior in the dog-training profession, all of the alpha/dominance myths would have vanished into the sunset. Sadly, you would be wrong. Far too many trainers still promote the old-fashioned “you have to show them who’s boss” approach to training, and far too many caring but misguided dog owners still believe them. Nat Geo’s recently launched “new” Cesar Millan show is stark evidence of this.
“Dominance” is a legitimate construct in the behavior world. However, it’s not about who can forcefully pin the other to the ground, shake them by the scruff, or sit higher up on the furniture. It is simply about priority access to a mutually desired resource.
This is more often than not accomplished peacefully. For example, two dogs come upon a bone. The first dog says (with body language of course), “Gee, I’d like to have that bone!” The second dog says, “Oh, but I really want to have that bone!” The first dog backs off, and the second dog gets the bone. The second dog was dominant in that interaction. He may or may not be dominant in the next one.
While stable social groups do tend to develop some type of hierarchy, social groups work primarily because of deference, not dominance. Willingness to defer avoids conflict, and conflict in social groups is not healthy for the survival of the group – it can cause injury and death to individuals as well as damage to the social fabric.
Conflict was avoided in the above scenario because dog number one was willing to say, “Okay, you really want it, you can have it!” A dog (or other organism) who consistently uses aggression rather than healthy and appropriate communication signals is a bully who threatens the well-being of others in the social group. Dog trainers who still use and promote old-fashioned dominance-based training theory and methods are simply that: bullies.
Social groups are made up of conspecifics – members of the same species. As much as we may consider them members of our family, we aren’t conspecifics to our dogs – we are a different species entirely, which calls into even greater question the debunked idea that we have to establish ourselves as “alpha.”

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The erroneous approach to canine social behavior known as dominance theory originated in the 1930s and 1940s with Swiss animal behaviorist Rudolph Schenkel. Observing captive wolves in a zoo, the scientist concluded that wolves in a pack fight to gain dominance and the winner is the alpha wolf.
Schenkel’s observations of captive wolf behavior were erroneously extrapolated to wild wolf behavior and then to domestic dogs. It was postulated that wolves were in constant competition for higher rank in the hierarchy and only the aggressive actions of the alpha male and female held the contenders in check.
The first problem is, that’s not normal wolf behavior. As David Mech stated in the introduction to his study of wild wolves, “Attempting to apply information about the behavior of assemblages of unrelated captive wolves to the familial structure of natural packs has resulted in considerable confusion. Such an approach is analogous to trying to draw inferences about human family dynamics by studying humans in refugee camps. The concept of the alpha wolf as a ‘top dog’ ruling a group of similar-aged compatriots is particularly misleading.”
What we know now, thanks to Mech and others, is that in the wild, a wolf pack is a family, consisting of a mated pair and their offspring of the past one to three years. Occasionally two or three families may group together. As the offspring mature they disperse from the pack; the only long-term members of the group are the breeding pair. By contrast, in captivity, unrelated wolves are forced to live together for many years, creating tension between mature adults that doesn’t happen in a natural, wild pack.
The second problem is that none of this relates to dog behavior. Dogs are not wolves. Most of our canine companions don’t live in stable familial groups, but are randomly adopted into various homes, sometimes (sadly) multiple homes over their lifetimes. Trying to apply conclusions about wolf behavior to our understanding of dog behavior is simply an exercise in futility, guaranteed to lead to inappropriate and ineffective training methods. Dogs are not wolves.
GIVE UP THE POWER STRUGGLE
So what do you do when you have a dog who seems like he’s trying to rule your world? For starters, you can change your perspective.
All living things do what works. The behaviors that strike you as a potential power grab are simply his efforts to make the world work for him.
A basic good manners training program (featuring force-free methods, of course) will lay an excellent foundation for communication and understanding between you and your canine pal.
These strategies will help:
- Implement solid management strategies to prevent him from receiving reinforcement for the behaviors you don’t want (i.e., put the garbage can in a cabinet under the sink, don’t leave food on the counter, give him a bed that is equal to the sofa in comfort, etc.).
- Create structure in his daily life. Some dogs are happy to roll with anything and everything we put them through as our life companions. Fearful or defensive dogs generally do better with structure and routine. Unknowns and things that are unexpected are stressful. Being able to anticipate what is going to happen (thanks to structure and routine) decreases stress for fearful and defensive dogs. This helps them be less fearful and defensive, and eliminates – or at least decreases – their need to be aggressive.
- Make sure he gets reinforced for the behaviors you do want. Focus on the things you want him to do and reward his efforts. This will help boost his confidence in his ability to succeed – and his trust that you are a consistently kind person that he can trust.
- Whenever possible, try to find a nonconfrontational way to get your dog to do what you want him to do. If you don’t want him on your bed, and he jumps on it anyway, toss a treat or his favorite toy (have some ready by your bedside) onto his bed. Or, toss it outside the bedroom door, and then get up and shut the door behind him! As the one with the opposable thumbs and the ability to control all the good stuff, you should be able to do this.
- Be a benevolent leader. True authority doesn’t look angry or confrontational in any species. Think about your own life. Are you more likely to follow someone who kindly guides you or one who bullies you? Cooperation, not conflict.
A dog’s aggressive behavior is all too often mistakenly perceived as a dog’s attempts to be “alpha.” That’s not what it is. The most common presentation of canine aggression is fear-related or defensive aggression. While there are many reasons why a dog may be defensively aggressive, it stands to reason that a dog who has been randomly and unpredictably punished for normal dog behaviors such as trying to walk through a door or protect his valuable possessions, might become defensive.
With the extremely rare exception of idiopathic aggression, aggression is, across the board, caused by stress. A dog who is subjected to alpha rolls and other unreasonable and inappropriate human behavior is quite likely stressed.
The first step to dealing with his defensive aggression is to stop doing whatever it is that is causing him to react aggressively. Find ways to get him to do what you need him to do without using force or coercion. The goal is willing cooperation – and there are numerous effective, dog-friendly tactics available to you today, taught and practiced by trainers using modern behavior-modification techniques, at your disposal.
If positive-reinforcement-based training techniques significantly reduce or eliminate the aggression, you can continue with your training program to improve communication and relationship. If the aggression continues, seek the assistance of a qualified force-free professional to help you modify the aggression and heal the relationship.
Here are good resources for finding qualified force-free professionals:
- International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) m.iaabc.org/consultant
- Jean Donaldson Academy Trainers academyfordogtrainers.com/find-a-trainer/
- Karen Pryor Academy Trainers karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer/#!directory/map
- Peaceable Paws Trainer Referrals peaceablepaws.com/trainer-referrals/
- Pet Professional Guild Trainer Search Page petprofessionalguild.com/Zip-Code-Search
- Victoria Stilwell Academy Trainers vsdogtrainingacademy.com/trainersearch/
OBSERVE “MAGICAL” TRAINERS
Have you ever taken a class with a dog training professional who uses “dog-friendly” techniques and marveled at how easily they seemed to be able to get your dog to understand and do what they wanted him to do? This is not because they are “dog whisperers” or have special “energy.” It’s because they:
- Pay close attention to the dog we are working with.
- Understand and respond appropriately to canine body language signals.
- Communicate cheerfully and clearly to them with consistent cues and body language.
- Manage them well to prevent reinforcement for behaviors we don’t want.
- Generously reinforce behaviors that we want/like.
- Consistently set the dog up to succeed.
If your dog has behaviors that concern you and the basic training and management steps don’t resolve them, seek the assistance of a qualified force-free behavior professional to help you find solutions using methods that will preserve a relationship between you and your dog that is based on mutual trust and willing cooperation.
LONG TIME TOGETHER, NO TAKEOVERS YET
Dogs and humans have had close relationships for at least 15,000 years, with current research suggesting that domestication of our canine companions may go back as far as 40,000 years. One might think that if they were bound and determined to take over, it would have happened eons ago. It really is time to stop thinking about our dogs as adversaries and just relax and enjoy life with them as our cooperative partners and companions.
We would like to remind you of all the flaws in the following absurd – but potentially very harmful – alpha/dominance myths about our relationships with our dogs that are still circulating around the dog world:
You must use an “Alpha roll” (or “scruff shake” or “hanging”) to “correct” your dog’s alpha behavior. This is probably one of the most harmful and dangerous myths. When you see a dog go “belly up” to another, that dog is voluntarily offering an appeasement behavior to avoid or defuse conflict. In contrast, when you aggressively force your dog onto her back, all you do is either intimidate your dog into shutting down – or provoke her into fighting back. In either case, it can cause serious, potentially irreparable damage to the relationship between dog and human, and can cause significant injury or even death to the dog. Just. Don’t. Do. It.
You always have to eat before your dog does. This is based on the misconception that the “alpha” always eats first. This is not the case. While a more assertive member may choose priority access to a resource, they don’t always.
You must go through doorways first. In truth, the canine group leader (if there is one) does not always go first. We may want to train our dogs to wait for us to go through the door for safety reasons and general politeness, but don’t be fooled – it’s not about dominance.
Letting your dog sleep on the furniture will make him dominant. This myth has to do with the absurd idea that the alpha has to be physically positioned higher than other group members at all times and that allowing dogs on the furniture gives them too much “status.” You are perfectly within your rights to not allow your dogs on furniture for other lifestyle reasons, but don’t buy into the “status” garbage.
You shouldn’t play tug with your dog – or, if you do, you shouldn’t let him win. Actually, tug is a great game for teaching your dog to trade politely when she has something in her mouth – but this is about safety not dominance. (See “Rules for Playing Tug,” December 2016.)
You have the right to anything your dog has and you should demonstrate this regularly. Some people really do believe that you should be able to take away your dog’s food, toys, bone, bed, or anything else, without any resistance from her. But resource-guarding is a natural, normal behavior. Organisms who don’t protect their possessions (food, water, home) will die. There is great value in teaching our dogs to share their possessions with us, and to be relaxed when we are in proximity of their valuables, but that doesn’t give us the right to just willy-nilly take anything and everything away from them on a whim. (See “Changing a Resource Guarder,” April 2020.)
Your dog should earn everything he gets from you. According to the “Nothing in life is free” school of thought, everything your dog wants has to be earned, in order to maintain her lower status. While I do encourage a “Say Please” behavior (my dog sits to “ask” for something), it is just about polite manners, not about my maintaining dominance over my dog. And some things in life are free! My dogs don’t always have to do something to earn my pets and kisses.
If you do not establish yourself as the alpha/pack leader your dog will assume the role. Well, since the whole alpha/pack leader thing is wrong, this one makes no sense. Structure, rules, and consistency are important; they help a dog understand his environment. But it’s not about being an alpha; it’s about simple good manners when living with others!
If your dog is lying in your path, you should either move the dog or step over her. The implication here is that if you walk around your dog you are deferring to her and thereby giving her control. This is just absurd! There is nothing wrong with being polite. Heck, I bet even the President of the United States sometimes walks around folks who are in his path, and I sincerely doubt he ever steps over them!
You should never back down or look away from a “staring contest” with your dog. Oh my. This is an excellent way to get bitten in the face! In the canine world, a direct, hard stare is a threat. I see a lot of dogs with aggressive behaviors in my behavior-consultation practice, and if a dog is giving me a hard stare, the very first thing I do is look away to defuse the tension and give her a better option than escalating her aggressive acts. Dogs use many behaviors, including a hard stare, in order to warn others to back away and give them some space. If you ignore their less-aggressive warnings, they may feel forced to intensify their behavior. If you plan on staring back, make sure your medical insurance is current.
You must punish your dog for growling, snarling, or showing any grouchiness toward you, other humans, or other dogs. Again, this totally overlooks the fact that all of these valuable canine communications are your dog’s efforts to tell you she is uncomfortable. They are not her attempt to rule your world. She is trying her hardest to ask you to back away and give her some space, to not to bite you. Punishing her for these signals will likely to push her to more aggressive communication such as biting. Instead, stop doing whatever is causing her discomfort, and either don’t do it anymore or figure out how to help her be comfortable with it.
You should do (X), because this is how mother dogs (or wolves) do it. 1) It’s probably not, and 2) even if it is, we are not mother dogs or wolves and are likely to be very clumsy and ineffective at communicating what other canines are communicating.
Dogs need to learn that they are dogs. Seriously? Do we really think that dogs don’t know that they are dogs and that we are humans?
Don’t let your dog see you clean up his house-training accidents. According to the myth, if the dog were to witness the human cleaning up, the dog would think that that human is the servant. This is a relatively harmless myth, but … seriously? Where do people get this stuff?