The subject of domesticated dogs as pack animals has
made a fortune for a television Trainer here in the United States. His theory
of “the pack leader” for training purposes is his sole programme of gaining
compliance from his client’s dogs. What I have witnessed is a man use
submission techniques that have no place in the modern world to instill fear
into dogs until they comply. This has nothing to do with dogs as pack animals.
We humans are not pack leaders; we are humans. Dogs do not “see” humans as dogs
in a pack or pack leaders or pack anything. On my website
www.educatemymutt.com, I have a brief discussion on the subject of the “pack
leader” theory. In my opinion, it has no basis for training purposes at all
(Greis, 2010). Based on my knowledge of the history of dogs, one of the main
behaviors that set them apart from their closest relatives, the grey wolf is
the domesticated dog’s inherited ability to live with a human family with no
other dogs, and be perfectly happy for a lifetime doing so. Take that same dog,
go to a dog park, and majority of the time, the dogs will run together and play
together without incident. On her website, “The Canine Mind”, Canine
Psychologist Lizi Angel (Angel, 2007-2012) discusses the human-dog bond. She
states when a dog challenges and threatens a human (I’d rather use the term
“becomes aggressive”), it’s not because the dog wants to become the pack
leader, it’s because we do not understand the dog’s temperament type and we
need to teach the dog how to use alternative , acceptable, peaceful ways to get
what
dog wants. Angel further states that through thousands of years of domestication dog have chosen to leave the pack life behind and now proximate their social life with humans. They come to read our 'left-gaze bias', which means the right side of our faces display the true emotions we are feeling. In other words, dogs learned to read our faces. They naturally gaze at us. This is something a dog would never do with another dog. Dogs naturally communicate with humans. Angel comments on the obsession with people attempting to “speak” dog and acting as a pack leader and how all this not necessary. We need to “aspire to be the best provider, teacher and companion to our dogs, and put ourselves squarely back into the human part of the human-canine bond”. An article in the May 2009 Bristol University news reports of a study conducted by the University’s’ Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences shows how dogs have been misjudged for generations. The paper submitted to the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research called “Dominance in domestic dogs – useful construct or bad habit?” discovered that dogs are not attempting to maintain themselves in a pack hierarchy, and any dog training using “dominance reduction” is likely to cause more unwanted behaviors than cure them. Dr. Rachel Casey Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol University said: “The blanket assumption that every dog is motivated by some innate desire to control people and other dogs is frankly ridiculous”. Any coercive training techniques which compromise the safety of the dog can cause behavioral problems. In her clinic, Dr. Casey has seen dog that has learned to show aggression to avoid anticipated punishment. Dr Casey further States “Sadly, many techniques used to teach a dog that his owner is leader of the pack is counter-productive; you won’t get a better behaved dog, but you will either end up with a dog so fearful it has suppressed all its natural behaviours and will just do nothing, or one so aggressive it’s dangerous to be around.” (News from the University, 27 May 2009) Unfortunately, this is the type of behavior I have seen in dogs on the popular ‘pack leader” show here in the states. I have seen dogs on his show shy away with their ears back, necks and heads low which he calls “calm submissive” or some other non-sense. I call it fear. I recently reviewed the site of the TV dog trainer who uses the pack oriented training methods. He has an e-mail page where people can send him questions and he will answer their concerns. One person wrote about how her Son left for college and her two dogs, a puggle and a German sheppard dog were acting different. The puggle (female) urinated in the home (she claims the dog never did prior) and the GSD was “moping around”. In my opinion, without an interview, it seems the two dogs were feeling a little separation anxiety since the son left home and probably would recoup in a few days if the parents resume normal activities with the dogs (both dogs are under 5 years old). The trainer had a different slant on the whole scenario. Without asking questions whether the dogs were neutered and/or spayed, this was part of his response: She’s eliminating in the place where your son’s scent is, as this was the person who triggered her when they went on her walk. Or, perhaps your son represented the dominant energy in the house. “The German shepherd moping around means that he is the weaker energy, so the Pug is taking the more dominant role in your son’s absence by marking her scent over your son’s”. “With the testosterone gone, the estrogen kicks in. The biologically and psychologically dominant role is in question, and since the German shepherd won’t take over, the Pug is doing it”. “In Mother Nature, this is normal pack mentality to maintain balance”. He then goes on how to create a new routine for the dogs. But the last bit of advice he gave them is disturbing and I don’t know where he is going with this: “And most importantly, be aware you’re your energy. They are trying to tell you something”. “Work on your calm, assertive leadership!” (Millan, August 29 2011). I believe I have presented several examples of writings by educated and experienced people whom I agree; the domesticated dog is not a pack animal and should not be treated as a pack animal for the purposes of training. The studies have shown that rank-reduction, or any other dominance busting training causes more behavior problems in dogs. The best methods time and time again are “Positive Reinforcement” & actually understanding how dogs learn.
dog wants. Angel further states that through thousands of years of domestication dog have chosen to leave the pack life behind and now proximate their social life with humans. They come to read our 'left-gaze bias', which means the right side of our faces display the true emotions we are feeling. In other words, dogs learned to read our faces. They naturally gaze at us. This is something a dog would never do with another dog. Dogs naturally communicate with humans. Angel comments on the obsession with people attempting to “speak” dog and acting as a pack leader and how all this not necessary. We need to “aspire to be the best provider, teacher and companion to our dogs, and put ourselves squarely back into the human part of the human-canine bond”. An article in the May 2009 Bristol University news reports of a study conducted by the University’s’ Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences shows how dogs have been misjudged for generations. The paper submitted to the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research called “Dominance in domestic dogs – useful construct or bad habit?” discovered that dogs are not attempting to maintain themselves in a pack hierarchy, and any dog training using “dominance reduction” is likely to cause more unwanted behaviors than cure them. Dr. Rachel Casey Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol University said: “The blanket assumption that every dog is motivated by some innate desire to control people and other dogs is frankly ridiculous”. Any coercive training techniques which compromise the safety of the dog can cause behavioral problems. In her clinic, Dr. Casey has seen dog that has learned to show aggression to avoid anticipated punishment. Dr Casey further States “Sadly, many techniques used to teach a dog that his owner is leader of the pack is counter-productive; you won’t get a better behaved dog, but you will either end up with a dog so fearful it has suppressed all its natural behaviours and will just do nothing, or one so aggressive it’s dangerous to be around.” (News from the University, 27 May 2009) Unfortunately, this is the type of behavior I have seen in dogs on the popular ‘pack leader” show here in the states. I have seen dogs on his show shy away with their ears back, necks and heads low which he calls “calm submissive” or some other non-sense. I call it fear. I recently reviewed the site of the TV dog trainer who uses the pack oriented training methods. He has an e-mail page where people can send him questions and he will answer their concerns. One person wrote about how her Son left for college and her two dogs, a puggle and a German sheppard dog were acting different. The puggle (female) urinated in the home (she claims the dog never did prior) and the GSD was “moping around”. In my opinion, without an interview, it seems the two dogs were feeling a little separation anxiety since the son left home and probably would recoup in a few days if the parents resume normal activities with the dogs (both dogs are under 5 years old). The trainer had a different slant on the whole scenario. Without asking questions whether the dogs were neutered and/or spayed, this was part of his response: She’s eliminating in the place where your son’s scent is, as this was the person who triggered her when they went on her walk. Or, perhaps your son represented the dominant energy in the house. “The German shepherd moping around means that he is the weaker energy, so the Pug is taking the more dominant role in your son’s absence by marking her scent over your son’s”. “With the testosterone gone, the estrogen kicks in. The biologically and psychologically dominant role is in question, and since the German shepherd won’t take over, the Pug is doing it”. “In Mother Nature, this is normal pack mentality to maintain balance”. He then goes on how to create a new routine for the dogs. But the last bit of advice he gave them is disturbing and I don’t know where he is going with this: “And most importantly, be aware you’re your energy. They are trying to tell you something”. “Work on your calm, assertive leadership!” (Millan, August 29 2011). I believe I have presented several examples of writings by educated and experienced people whom I agree; the domesticated dog is not a pack animal and should not be treated as a pack animal for the purposes of training. The studies have shown that rank-reduction, or any other dominance busting training causes more behavior problems in dogs. The best methods time and time again are “Positive Reinforcement” & actually understanding how dogs learn.
Philip K Greis
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