Why Not Dominance?

Imagine two children are playing and one takes the toy harshly from the other child. You, the parent, run up to your child screaming "NO" and grab them by their hair and slam them onto the ground while they struggle. You do not chose to release pressure from your grip until your child has "submitted" and "learned their lesson". After the incident, you allow your child back to their game with their playmate. All of a sudden you see your child sitting in the corner very somber. They glance your direction every few seconds and are jumpy any time you make a move. This scenario sounds pretty bizarre and many people would think, "Wow, what a horrible parent! Parenting is important but he or she didn't need to slam their child onto the floor and use physical force..." Sadly, this is what many dogs go through at dog parks, day cares and just about any other time a dog interacts with another or they get into a small scuffle. This is to teach a dog who is "dominant" and it's become a major problem in the dog world.

We have a problem that has been a hot debate amongst many different people. It causes many people to get angry and turn to name calling and hateful words. It angers some people and makes others frustrated. Some people feel like they'll never get through to the opposing party. But, many of us generally have a side on this. Dominance based training versus Positive based training has been a very huge topic lately. There are televised shows that show case "trainers" or "behaviorists" working with dogs. Some use dominance theory while others use the ideas of shaping and luring. Unfortunately, the problem that has been seen and the word that many positive trainers are trying to get out is that dominance based methods have been proven to be outdated and scientifically invalidated. Much research has been done in the past and is still being done today to learn more about the canine companions we have with us. We don't speak the same language so communication can often be a barrier and we struggle to find ways to make our dogs understand.

The big argument that I would like to mention is that through much of what I've learned, I'm still learning. Positive reinforcement trainers seem to understand that there is always much more to learn. New articles are consistently being published and trainers are sharing information and discussing how they themselves can still become better and even more concise in their communication. I can only speak from my personal experiences but from what I have seen, many people who are still convinced that dominance based training is the way to teach a dog, have not seemed to realize that the very methods they are employing on their animals is doing them physical and mental harm as well as having been dis-proven by science.

Don't we always mention that there is always more to learn? Do we not always say that one can always learn more and that we were given two ears and one mouth because we should listen twice as much as we speak? I can assure anyone that may stumble across this post and read it full and through that in the time I have had my personal dogs, I have done constant research, read articles, joined webinars to watch and observe, and read countless books emphasizing the new findings on how dogs think and learn and how we can achieve the best results with the kindest treatment.

A large problem I see is that I feel people do not have patience. People ask, "Do forceful methods work?" and I mention that of course they do. If they didn't people wouldn't use them. But, my response is always, "Would you like to build a relationship based on trust and understanding or fear and worry?" I would much rather have my dog's eyes light up as I bring out my training gear such as treats, my pouch, clicker and toys. When we use painful methods that scare dogs into submission we may have a dog that listens, but often than not I have observed these dogs have little to no life in their actions. They slink around and seem to hang their head low. Training has not become fun and exciting. Instead, it has become an unpredictable storm of leash jerks, pops, alpha rolls and scary experiences.

Many trainers, like myself, began using these pain based methods. I, myself, used to believe the myth of having to walk through the doorway before your dog, feeding your dog after you ate and that a growl was not allowed when around other dogs. That was just NAUGHTY behavior and mounting was certainly dominance. Little did I know that everything I was telling myself was a story and my dog was very confused. My dog didn't understand why I did these things and the way I did these things did not mean a thing in the world to her. She simply wanted to do what was reinforcing and communicate with other creatures of the same species.

I have now learned that a growl or snap is incredibly inhibited and to be thankful for the fact that my dog chooses to warn before simply deciding to bite. I have learned that my dog simply does what is reinforcing and if I want her attention that I must learn to have what reinforces her. I am in control of the resources. I am the one with opposable thumbs. I am the one who controls when we eat and what we eat. My dog is in no way out for a bid to dominate me. Because truly, what could they do? Grab the car keys and drive to the nearest pet store for a shopping spree? Grab the phone and call all their doggie friends over for a slumber party? You, and only you, are in control of the resources. Use those resources to your advantage and show your dog how wonderful it is to work with you. Show your dog that by making good choices, he will receive what he wants. It is a give and take relationship. There is no bribery, there is simply understanding of rules and criteria. If the dog does not understand these, don't wait for him to make the wrong guess and punish him. We certainly do not punish children in school for not knowing how to multiply if they are still in kindergarten and have yet to learn this skill! We cannot expect dogs to be mind readers because they certainly are not. We cannot expect our dog to make the right guess and we certainly should not wait for them to guess wrong so we may hand out a punishment. Because, studies have shown, punishment does little for learning. In fact, punishment becomes associated with you, the owner, and then working with you becomes less appealing.

Dogs are creatures just as humans or any other species and are allowed to feel and are subject to the laws of learning. They are allowed not to be comfortable with everyone because we as people do not love every person we come into contact with. Our dogs are allowed to communicate discomfort with a growl or snap. Teach your dog how to communicate effectively by setting boundaries and not punishing for the correct communication. Set limits and allow for time outs if a wrong choice was made when criteria was set. Allow a dog to learn that he can make mistakes without the fear of being hit or yelled at. Mistakes are part of learning. We want our dogs to learn that mistakes just mean there is no reward coming and that they can try again. Make it a game, make it rewarding and make it fun.

Humans are intelligent. We have come a vast way from where we used to be. We have researched and cured disease and helped aid those in need. We have discovered how to send people to space. We have managed heart transplants. We have cloned creatures. With so much intelligence and an upper hand on the learning curve compared to our canine counterparts, we should be able to have enough smarts to teach our dogs without having to resort to pain and harm.

Not only do I and other positive trainers have these opinions, but studies by veterinarians as well as behaviorists have been done and many site that painful devices such as prong collars, choke chains and electronic collars are painful and do more harm than good. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers promotes kind methods and understanding of how we communicate. Many trainers have done research and evaluated dogs and written books about specific issues such as resource guarding, calming signals and shaping or capturing behaviors. Many people have written broad books that explain things step by step for those who are new to the world of positive reinforcement. So, why are all of these people trying so hard to move forward and use the new discoveries made? Why are people urging those who use primitive methods to step out of their comfort zone and give clicker training or positive reinforcement a shot? It is likely the same reason I am writing this blog post. We owe it to those dogs we call best friends, service animals, agility partners and pets to learn how to teach them. We owe them our best shot at understanding them. This, more than anything, constitutes educating ourselves and realizing that there is constantly more to be learned.

In order to share some of not only what I know, I asked several people, some that I know and others that I do not know, to share what they think is lovely about positive reinforcement and why they chose not to employ dominance techniques on their dogs. Words speak volumes, but until you see the change yourself, I can only offer my words.

“Why dominate? It's never been an ego thing for me, I don't need to feel good about myself to have a dog ‘submit’ to my will.” –Lisa G White

”Dominance base methods just don't make sense to me. Aggression creates more aggression. Why would a timid or fearful dog respond positively to being dominated and treated forcefully? I've always thought that your dogs should respond to out of respect and love, not the fear of harsh punishment, like being kicked in the side or rolled over on their backs. We spent all this time domesticating dogs and yet people STILL want to treat them like wolves. And even then, it’s been proven that wild wolves don't 'alpha roll' each other around.” –Ally Farrell

”Dogs know we are not nonspecific! May want to look into Temple Grandin (I think) and how she explains peademorphosis also effects dominance in dogs. ‘They only retain fragmented parts at best’ (not an exact quote). Hence, dominance is irrelevant in training. Yes, it works, of course it does.......because dogs are malleable (and very willing to please) and +P/-R is proven to work in the Skinner box.” –Strunky KC CiSh

“Dominance produces fear - not trust.” –Vicki L Baker

“Clicker training is useful for many reasons, but my two main reasons are the quick response to tell when the dog is giving the desired behavior. The second reason is it builds wonderful thinking skills and confidence as the dog is always right when using the clicker.” –Kara Corn

“When a dog is confronted, there are two options it can respond with: fight or flight. When a dog cannot escape, it then gives several warnings that it may bite. If the owner does not recognize these signals, the owner could be bitten.” –Carly Treinen

“I like to use the positive route because for  1. Happy responds to it better and 2. I, myself, have more fun working with her when I get better results! I don't like dominance because 1. I don't want Happy to be afraid of me or what she might do next! Learning should be fun...isn't that what we were taught in elementary school?! Well, that also applies for our furry children! Another reason I don't like dominance is that Happy is a submissive pee-er and if I used dominance, my house would smell like a dog hoarders house! Dominance just does not have as good of effects, if any, as the positive route!” –Becca Shipley

“Dogs are not human enough to want to dominate.” –Leah Mouatt

“Claiming dominance implies using force to maintain my position (above another creature). At some point, I run into some situation where using force would put me at risk for being hurt. So then what do you do? There is no plan B once you cannot physically impose your will upon another. You can only hope to add more force or pain in hopes that will change the situation around to your liking. And what if that doesn't work? If you think about it, dominance is not a universal option for controlling all animals. One cannot begin with dominating a dolphin, killer whale, giraffe, lion, tiger or bear. Since you have to use positive training (operant conditioning) for these animals, why wouldn't you use it for all the animals as all animals are subject to the same laws of learning?” –Abby Harrison Melott

“I want a happy dog that offers behaviors. I love capturing some of those behaviors, rewarding them, and then turning them into tricks. I chose the positive route because it works.” –Judy Beile Walter

“I prefer to use training methods that are base on the latest research in canine behavior. Dominance theory (as it has been applied in the past by old-school trainers) has been discredited by the top names in the field of canine behavior. Also, using positive based methods creates a partnership between me and my dogs that really allows us to communicate. I feel that dogs, trained using dominance theory have their communication completely stunted by anxiety and fear of correction.” –Meghan McMillan

“Because in the end, I want my dogs to strive to work with me. Not feel like they must to avoid pain/punishment/etc.” –Ashley Pruitt

“We now know that the best way for a dog to learn is from the inside out and not by way of force put upon them. If you have to use force on a different species, what will the trust base be between those 2 different species? Only let respect and patience flowing through your leash will your dog be able to learn your world. Using force will leave a gap between owner and dog...” –Hans Dutchie

 

 

"As a crossover owner/trainer, I have found positive methods to not only work faster, but also guarantee me a quick and happy response from my dogs, even if it is calling off of a level 10 distraction like squirrels or tennis balls." -Ginny Krudewig

 

"You want your dog to both trust and respect you, and dominating your dog does not accomplish this. Think of it this way....if you had someone over you, constantly trying to show you who was alpha....what would you think of that person? You might fear that person....but that doesn't exactly inspire trust! Plus it might cause the dog to redirect the issue in another way.....perhaps even aggressively, and all you've really done is created another issue." -Lindsay O

Thank you to all those who gave input and shared what they have learned. The more we listen, the more we learn. Give positive reinforcement a shot and watch as the eyes of the creature looking back at you light up. Our dogs try so very hard to understand us; we need to begin to try and understand them.

Dogs Speak Dog Training is committed to force free training methods and creating a better and happier relationship with your dogs. For more information you can visit dogsspeakdogtraining.weebly.com or e-mail marcella.ward@tamu.edu