"The dog will only obey the alpha male, thus the owner must exercise dominance over the dog. As soon as you loosen your grip, the dog will take the leadership away from you...". Have you heard similar statements? They were born out of the theory of dominance in the dog-owner relationship. But does it work?

What is a Dominance Theory, and How Does it Work? 

Dominance theory (sometimes known as "Pack Theory") was developed in the twentieth century. One of its founders was David Meech, a scientist and wolf behavior expert. In the 70s he investigated the hierarchy in wolf packs and discovered that the leader of the pack becomes the most aggressive and strongest male, and the rest obey him. Meech called such a male "alpha wolf.

It sounds plausible. That is how many people imagine the wolf-wolf connection. But later the "pack theory" was criticized, and soon even David Meech disproved his own ideas.

A Refutation of The Dominance Theory 

How did the "Pack Theory" come to be? Meech has been studying the interactions between wolves in a pack for a long time. However, the scientist overlooked one crucial detail: the pack he saw was maintained in captivity.

Further studies revealed that in the natural world, wolves form relationships based on a variety of circumstances. The "older" wolves have an advantage over the "younger" wolves, but their dominance is based on respect rather than fear. When the wolves reach adulthood, they leave the parent pack and create their own. They educate their kids on how to live, shield them from hazards, and develop their own laws. And the younger ones respect and absorb their parents' expertise. The younger wolves bid their goodbyes to their parents and go to establish new packs when they have grown up and mastered the fundamentals of life. It is like building relations in a human family.

Let us remember the wolves that were seen in captivity by specialists. There was no kinship between them. These were wolves who had been taken at various periods and in different areas and had no prior knowledge of one another. All of these creatures were confined in an enclosure, and the conditions were similar to those of a concentration camp. It was logical that the wolves became aggressive and fought for leadership.

Meech dropped the title "alpha wolf" in favor of "wolf-mother" and "wolf-father" as a result of his newfound understanding. David Meech disproved his own theory in this way.

Dogs And Dominance Theory 

Even if we were to believe for a moment that the Pack Theory was correct, there would be no reason to transfer the mechanics of forming bonds in a wolf pack to pets.

To begin with, dogs are a domesticated species distinct from wolves. Dogs, for example, have an innate tendency to trust people, but wolves do not. Many studies have demonstrated that dogs require human "cues" to complete tasks, but wolves operate alone and distrust people.

The hierarchy of stray dog groups has been studied by scientists. The pack's leader turned out to be the most experienced pet, not the most hostile. Surprisingly, the leaders of the same pack frequently shift. Depending on the situation, one or more dogs assume the position of leader. One gets the sense that the pack selects the leader with the most experience in a given scenario, resulting in the best outcome for everybody.

Even if we didn't know any of this, we wouldn't be able to control a dog. What stops you? Only individuals of the same species have the ability to dominate each other. Because the dog is of a different species than his canine, the owner cannot control him. Even professionals, though, seem to overlook this and misuse the word.

Obviously, a human's standing should be higher than that of a dog. But how do we get here?

How to Build a Proper Relationship With a Dog? 

The failing dominance paradigm has resulted in a plethora of teaching techniques focused on subjection and the use of force. "Don't let the dog walk in the door before you", "Don't let the dog eat until you've eaten," - they say. The dominance hypothesis is echoed also in phrases like "don't let the dog beat you at something" and "if the dog doesn't comply, put him on his back (aka "alpha-turn").

The dominance thesis twisted and remained alive even after Meech invalidated his own theory and fresh study data on the behavior of wolves and canines were received. Surprisingly, some cynologists still hold to it irrationally. As a result, before providing a dog for training or asking for training assistance, it's important to understand the approach that the professional uses.

Brute force in training a dog is a bad form. Hurting and intimidating a pet has never been a good thing. With this kind of training, the dog does not respect the owner but fears him. Fear is certainly a strong feeling, but it will never make a pet happy and is very damaging to their mental state.

Such training should not only allow them to obey commands but also create a bond of trust between dog and owner. This is far more important than "dominating" your dog.

Bio: Rebecca Carter works at do my homework service as a content writer. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and during her study developed an enthusiasm for writing articles. When she is not writing Rebecca enjoys being in the mountains and volunteering in the animals shelter.