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Name & Shame: The Dominance Theory... Jaq Bunn Its hard to believe that some people in the canine education industry, i.e. dog trainers and behaviourists are still promoting the Dominance Theory. In recent years we have come full circle since this theory first started being distributed through dog training clubs, books and the media. We have come to realise that the relationship between dog and human cannot have the same rules as the relationship between dog and dog, and are adjusting the way we interact with our dogs as a result. Yes, dogs are pack animals. You have more than two dogs living together and you can see the pack instincts coming through. Dogs have a unique and complex ritualistic method of communication that humans are only just beginning to understand after 15,000 years of living alongside them... Dogs learned to read us long before now! We are not dogs. We are a totally separate species. Trainers in the past have told us how we cannot communicate with dogs because we don't share their anatomy, i.e. can't wag our tails or lick our lips, so they have devised a 'Rank Reduction Programme' to communicate our superiority and leadership to our dogs... But hang on, they've taught us that the two species can't communicate - so why on earth would a dog understand why we are eating something right in front of him while his dinner is sitting on the kitchen top? What message is that relaying to him? Likewise, this instinct-driven 'wolf-indogs-clothing' is to be chastised when it is naturally excited at the prospect of going out into the big wide world for a walk so that he can explore and have fun and tries to get through the door first? It doesnt work both ways So let's get this straight once and for all... DOGS ARE NOT WOLVES! In the same way that we are not primates, comparing a dog to a wolf in the context of dog/human relationships is outdated and now regarded as ridiculous by all of the world's leading canine behaviourists. Some aspects of the 'Dominance' theory have merit, i.e. consistency of commands, the introduction of discipline and order, a more structured approach to the relationship, but it was merely these few concepts that gave owners the tools they needed to make the theory a partial success and it was
Copyright Jacqueline Bunn 2009

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this partial success that gave owners false hope and their dogs, depression and frustration. Furthermore, some of the theories such as puppy type behaviour needing to be checked because it is a sign of dominance are simply ridiculous. Nowhere in this theory does it allow for the fact that, after 15,000 years of co-existence with us, some dogs actually like to invite us to play! Yes it can be a distracting behaviour, i.e. you give the dog a command to sit and the dog play-bows and ducks and dives playfully having learned that this behaviour makes you laugh and may distract you from enforcing the command, but what is 'dominant' about that? According to the 'Dominance' theory, we are never to play with our dogs unless WE initiate it. The dog is a sentient, intelligent animal that has moods and emotions and actively seeks out our company for no other reason at times than just to engage in play. We should be grateful that an intelligent species finds us so engaging, not worried about the dog dominating us with its demands. The cure to the curse that was Dominance was the 'Rank Reduction Programme' and although had some success with some dogs, this was more to do with the fact that owners were applying consistency to the way they interacted with their dogs - nothing more, nothing less. Detailed below are elements of a typical Rank Reduction Programme handed out to unsuspecting owners of Dominant dogs o Feed AFTER humans eat and pretend to eat from their bowl before feeding. o Dogs always go through all doorways and entrances AFTER humans. o Never play tug-of-war with your dog. o If you stare at your dog, the dog must avert gaze first. o Games with toys, especially fetch, are only ever initiated by the owner. Toys are then put away. o Never put yourself in an equal or lesser height position than your dog. People are not allowed to sit on the floor. The dog must never be allowed to sit at the top of the stairs. o Petting or attention to the dog should be given when you decide attention is to be given (absolutely no interaction when the dog nudges or paws you or your hand) o When on a walk, dog must not be allowed to sniff or eliminate/toilet anywhere he wants until you get to the park. o The dog should NEVER be allowed on furniture. o Dogs should NEVER be left with anybody who cannot maintain leadership over dog. o When given a command, if playful, puppy-like behaviour is displayed, this is actually a refusal to comply and must be stopped.

Copyright Jacqueline Bunn 2009

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o The dog must be made to move if in your path on a floor or stairway, etc. even if you are able to step over him. o The dog is a pack animal. Treated incorrectly, a dog will become stressed, aggressive, or depressed, and could end up with serious behavioural traits. In ALL of the 'rules' above, where does it say to interact positively with your dog? Where does it say to make your dog's tail wag with happiness? Where does it say allow for breed differences, i.e. the average mastiff breed does at times lay down where it is 'inconvenient' to us simply because of its size, but if a dog has dysplasia or arthritis, do we then, as in the rank reduction programme, move it every single time and cause it pain or discomfort? Even more importantly, remember that a mastiff type would only be comfortable with someone it trusted implicitly stepping over it; with some dogs weighing up to 18 stones, mutual trust is more important than the ability to force it to move whenever we feel like it... This was the main fault running through the whole Rank Reduction Programme craze of the eighties and nineties - people followed all of these negative rules to the letter, but nowhere were they told to balance this with play and mutually enjoyable interaction. Countless dogs relapsed with more serious behavioural problems stemming from depression and frustration where the relationship with their human was no longer one of trust and joy, but control and dominance. One of the checklist rules above is actually highly inadvisable; 'If you establish eye contact, the dog must avert gaze first'. This implies that you are to stare directly into the eyes of the dog until it turns away. Be under no misapprehension, this kind of nose-to-nose stare out makes the most amiable dog uncomfortable, and can have far more serious effects with a confident, naturally wary mastiff-type that probably weighs more than you do... So let me reiterate, in the worrying event that you found the above Rank Reduction Programme promising: DOGS ARE NOT WOLVES!!! WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE ALPHA!!! They are a similar but altogether separate species and when living in multidog households, will display similar behaviours to wolves when interacting with each other... But not with us. The relationships between dog/dog and dog/human are fundamentally different and it is simply not feasible to apply the same rules to both types of relationship.
Copyright Jacqueline Bunn 2009

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One thing in the above listing that is actually correct is the final comment about your dog becoming stressed, aggressive or depressed if treated incorrectly. Rank Reduction Programmes can invoke negative, disrespectful, one-sided relationships with dogs, causing them to become stressed, aggressive and depressed. If this is the case, would it not be fair to conclude that to follow one of these programmes to the letter, according to this final comment, is treating them incorrectly? Food for thought And heres some more: Balance is the key... By all means have discipline in the relationship with your dog, but never forget how to make his tail wag!

About the Author: Jaq Bunn is a qualified, professional behaviourist in South East England with over 25 years of dog training and behaviour experience. She is affiliated with the UKRCB, CFBA, CABTSG and AABC and is currently working towards accreditation of the Kennel Club Accreditation Scheme for Instructors in Dog Training and Canine Behaviour. Jaq is also the consultant behaviourist for Neapolitan Mastiff Welfare.

Copyright Jacqueline Bunn 2009