"Words are all we have, really. We have thoughts but thoughts are fluid. then we assign a word to a thought and we're stuck with that word for that thought, so be careful with words." - George Carlin
Generally speaking I don't like quibbling over words. I tend to agree with Dr. Dunbar - stop talking and start training. But staying away from the word "dominance" and its variations when you are a dog trainer is almost as difficult as staying away from the Yankees when you live in the NYC area.
It's so frustrating that it leads me to be, as Tom Cruise would put it, glib. Glib enough that I recently twitted (twittered? tweeted? chirped? belched?) "Dominance makes you dumb."
First, there's what's on TV. Enough said.
Then there's the clients (many of whom watch TV.) If a dog is displaying any sort of disobedient or disruptive behavior there's at least a 50% chance that she will be labeled as "dominant" when I am called. (There's also a 25% chance that she has "separation anxiety," but that's another rant.) This 50% only goes up if the dog is male, if the person contacting me is male, or if the dog is about 8 - 18 months old.
And of course there's the Internet. I'm pretty sure that at this point there are more websites dedicated to debunking dominance theory than there are espousing it. There's certainly enough e-mail traffic discussing it, probably more than enough. In the old days when we called each other names on Usenet (as opposed to calling each other names on Yahoo groups like we do now) there was an unofficial rule that any thread mentioning "Hitler" or "Nazi" immediately be shut down by the moderator or at least abandoned by the users. I've considered suggesting this for threads that mention "dominance" if for no other reason than just to avoid the inevitable flood of "harrumphs," but a lot of these people don't share my sense of humor.
Generally speaking, "Dominance" is used one of two ways when referring to dogs:
In one context, it's used to indicate a relationship where an individual has priority access to resources. It defines a position in a relationship, similar to the way the word is used in everyday language: "The Yankees are dominant in their division (ugh.)" or "Sales of the Prius dominated the fourth quarter." This kind of dominance is very real. It exists in many groups of different species of animals as a way to avoid (or at least quickly resolve) aggression. Aggression is really, really, expensive and evolutionary pressure tends to try to avoid it when possible. (I haven't quite figured out what the problem is with Homo sapiens though. Probably video games or high-fructose corn syrup.)
I like to call this the "reality-based" context.
In the other context, let's call it "fantasy-based," dominance is, as Dr. Sophia Yin so wonderfully put it, a personality trait. It describes a dog that is well, hell bent on domination. (S)he requires constant reminders that you are in charge, the "pack leader."
Check out an excerpt from this masterpiece:
Well, not any more than the 100 other subtle things you must do to communicate that you are the pack leader. I always stress to new dog owners that the more things you're doing to reinforce that you are the pack leader for your dog, will make your dog view you as the pack leader, faster.
This is the dominance that makes you dumb. It makes you fret over who goes through doors first and who walks in front of who on the street. It makes otherwise intelligent people spit in kibble before they let their dogs eat it. This kind of dominance is a prism that makes some people see their relationship with their dogs as an ongoing struggle for supremacy. It anthropomorphizes dogs in the worst possible way because it overlays a uniquely human perspective onto a dog's mind and then punishes him for it.
I wish I could ignore it, but I since I encounter it with my clients, it's a fact of life. I have to be ready to skillfully and genially interrupt and redirect. Fortunately, more often than not simply showing what can be accomplished without any force or intimidation goes a long way.
- eric goebelbecker's blog
- login or register to post comments
- back to the dog blog
- more by eric goebelbecker
Being Right
Years ago, I was introduced to the very important concept of, "you can either be right, or you can get what you want, and you often have to choose." It changed my life, and it's one of those concepts you constantly try to remember and apply.
In the dog world, I think someone concerned with dominance is someone who is focusing on "being right."
Someone concerned with actual training is someone focused on "getting what they want."
As I work more and more with my dog, I'm finding that I'm happily learning to focus even more on getting what I want. Today, for instance, my dog started moving out the door before I gave him the command. Well, I don't always want this, but we were going out for a walk and I was already ahead of him and it just really didn't matter. There's plenty of other stuff to worry about.
When I think of someone trying to claim the area around front door as their space I ask, wouldn't they rather just have their dog sit? Who cares who's space it is, really?
__________
doxienews.com
Amen !!
If owners spent as much time and worry on impulse control as they do on who does what first and analyzing perceived "dominant" behavior.....well put Eric !
Cheap aggression
You write "Aggression is really, really, expensive and evolutionary pressure tends to try to avoid it when possible. (I haven't quite figured out what the problem is with Homo sapiens though. Probably video games or high-fructose corn syrup.)"
When people pay the price for their aggressive behavior, in most cases they won't behave aggressively, those that do on a regular basis are considered aberrant. When people can force, coerce, brainwash or pay others to behave aggressively for them, they often do if it means acquiring resources for themselves.
I suspect that the lack of religion and politics in dogs' lives spares them from this sort of problem. ;-)
Yes!
"If owners spent as much time and worry on impulse control..."
So well put! Damn! I'm going to steal that. :-)
--------------------
Eric Goebelbecker
Interesting
"you can either be right, or you can get what you want, and you often have to choose."
That's an interesting insight, because it obviously applies to a lot more than just dogs.
In group classes I teach a wait at the door. I introduce it as a safety and an impulse control exercise, and nothing more. Yes, a sit would be just fine and to be honest, I'll frequently release my dogs and let them through before I go. It's waiting that matters, not pecking order.
But your concept also applies to another aspect of dog training. As I alluded to in the end of the post, I'm much more interested in showing what I can do with a dog without any force than I am winning an argument about pack theory.
--------------------
Eric Goebelbecker
dominence theories
Oh joy - what the dominence theorists would make of one of my Rotties. He is an anxious, slobbery, insecure, loving, cuddly goofball. I don't see him being dominent when he rushes off in front of me and my other dog or rushes to be first in the car - I see him as a 5year old kid who just wants to be there first so he doesn't either a) miss out on anything or b) be left behind! He is not that fussed about having it all, he just doesn't want to miss out - except when it's something totally new and scary, then he is quite happy to let his older brother go first and show him the ropes. The cat belts him up, can't say he's a dominent dog - in fact the cat actually takes great delight in tormenting him when cat is a bit bored, it's so rewarding for the cat, I'm sure I can hear the cat having a giggle.
I remember watching a popular dog trainer on TV whom it seems every dog seen has dominence issues, state that a cocker spaniel was being dominent over its owner because it had an obsession over the tissue box and tearing out the tissues - I didn't think it had anything to do with dominence - the dog was just having fun for goodness sake.
So many times when my clients are having behavioural issues with their pets and I will start to talk to them about things they will always say things to me they do all the right things such as making sure they go out the door first etc. My only reasoning for not letting a dog barge through a door first is safety, trying to make sure they don't knock anyone over in their haste.
Kody I really love how you have put your thoughts, makes wonderful sense, I reckon I'll steal the comments too! Great blogg Eric
well said.
I love to quote Susan Friedman in this instance - "Putting labels on behavior doesn't resolve it."
Getting into the dog's head just makes us out of our own - crazy.
Here's to being SMART!
Thank you for that post Eric! It was wonderfully put and should be mailed to every dog owner in the country!
Liz Catalano, MA, CPDT, CDBC www.thelittlewhitedog.com