Pet dogs have evolved to be our companions, but they have kept their own dog culture. — Freepik
You may have seen it online: a dog doesn’t listen to an owner, so he grabs the dog, flips it on its back and grabs it by the throat.
The owner calls it an “alpha roll” and explains he’s teaching the dog who’s boss.
The problem is that the owner is working on false information. Worse, he is causing harm.
Back in the 1930s, animal behaviourist Rudolf Schenkel studied wolves in Basel Zoo, Switzerland. These were zoo-bred animals put together randomly.
Schenkel saw the zoo wolves quarrel and thought that wolves fight to gain dominance. He called the winner the “alpha wolf.”
In 1947, he published his ideas in a paper called “Expression Studies on Wolves.”
Schenkel, however, had no idea that zoo wolves are completely different from wild wolves and his theory, therefore, wasn’t accurate.
Back then, animal behavioural science was a new field and much of the work from that period have been disproven.
Unfortunately, Schenkel’s paper was taken at face value. In the 1970s, wildlife biologist David Mech popularised the same idea in his book The Wolf: Ecology And Behavior.
However, when Mech went to Canada in 1986 and observed wild wolf packs, he realised he’d made a mistake. Wild wolf packs are family groups led by mum and dad.
Like human families, parent wolves love their cubs, and raise them into independent adult wolves.
They’re social. There is no dominance hierarchy won by an “alpha wolf”.
Soon, Mech set the record straight in papers and interviews.
Other scientists have also worked hard to explain the flaw in Schenkel’s theory. In fact, in 2019, researchers Giada Cordoni and Elisabetta Palagi reported that wild wolves have advanced social skills.
After a family quarrel, wolves console victims and calm down the aggressors.
They actively promote peace among the pack.
Adult wolves also enjoy play fights. They jump about, nip playfully, wrestle and have a good time.
Despite scientists repeatedly declaring Schenkel’s ideas as flawed, public opinion is slow to change.
Some dog trainers may also promote misinformation. Others may prefer the idea of the fierce, lone fighter rather than the wolf as a regular family animal.
Since working on misinformation is dangerous, it’s only sensible that we explore current knowledge.
Feral dogs don’t have hierarchies with “alpha dogs” either. Studies show some packs stay together for years; some just weeks. But they all co-operate to find food.
Packs also protect each other and their pups from attacks.
Put simply, the canine mindset is set for attachment and cooperation.
Pet dogs have evolved to be our companions, but they have kept their own dog culture.
They communicate with us through body language.
They wag their tails to show they’re happy and they wiggle their whole body when they’re overjoyed.
As they are our companions, they are highly attuned to our moods.
When their human is sad, the dog is there, giving a nose, lick or paw of comfort, telling us they’re there for us.
Also, jumping on each other is part of dog culture. For them, it’s joyful and loving. So is a huge, wet lick in the face.
We may not enjoy this, but that doesn’t mean dogs are “bad.” Just like we teach human toddlers not to jump all over people, or kick, bite or hit when they’re upset, we teach our pet dogs the same too.
To help your pet learn company manners, the first step is to learn to think like a dog.
But first, if you have already worked with your pet on Schenkel’s false premise, you should understand the effects and repair damage.
Dog thinking is based on attachment and cooperation. So if you go in with “alpha rolls”, your pet is terrified.
All physical dominance, pinning, grabbing and staring is just bullying.
Your pet sees you as their human and their beloved guardian. So when we turn our back on them and attack them, they’re bewildered, upset and scared.
Frightened pets may cower and do as you tell them. Also, a frightened pet may react by defending itself.
That’s the tragedy of this false belief: “alpha rolls” and dominance techniques increase fear in dogs and promote aggression.
If you have done this, your pet may be afraid of you. You will, therefore, need to rebuild trust.
So stop the aggression. Be kind. Be gentle. Stop yelling. Give it at least six months for your pet to trust you again. It may take longer, so be patient.
The best way to teach your pet manners is by leveraging their natural bent for cooperation, attachment and trust. That’s done most effectively through positive reinforcement training.
The premise is simple: you reward your dog when they do something you like, such as sitting when asked. The reward can be praise, food or playtime.
The dog learns very quickly which behaviour brings rewards. As the dog is attached to you and wants to please you anyway, this friendly positive method has your pet wanting to repeat the behaviour you want.
When they do something you don’t want, like jumping up and licking your face, you say ‘no’ in a calm voice, gently push their paws on the floor and say, “that’s better, good dog” and you pat and cuddle while they stand with all four paws on the floor.
Keep repeating until they get the idea. (See sidebar for details)
Positive reinforcement training may be slower, but working with your pet this way is kinder, ethical and more effective, making for happier dogs and a happier you!
