Category: Common Problems ¤
  Author: Elizabeth Kershaw ¤
   Title: Pack Theory ¤

Jenette writes:

>>>Here is how I feel about pack theory. Dogs are pack animals period. They
aren't wolves any longer but are canines who understand the difference
between who's in charge of things and who isn't.  We can't treat them like
humans because they
aren't.  On the other hand we can shape behaviours to fit into our world. 
Most dogs eagerly comply.  Dominant dogs may not so readily comply.<<<

Unfortunately, in my opinion, Jenette is clinging to an outdated model with
regard to dog ethology. Many dogs live in groups and do not even have a
consistent alpha either male or female and leadership changes depending on
the activity that is happening at the time. Many breeds do not seem to need
a pack leader. Many dogs described as "dominant" are in fact not so at all
but can be more realistically described as manipulative. More dogs show
aggression through fear and because they have been provoked than for any
other reason and the number of "dominant" dogs that I have met in 25 years
of dog training could be recorded on less than the fingers of one hand and
with hindsight I might well reverse my opinion of them. Many dogs who show
excessive aggression have a medical problem that is causing the behaviour.
There is actually little or no evidence to show that dogs who show
supposedly intra species dominance transfer this to inter species
aggression. The two are just not related. This means that if we are to deal
with aggression successfully, we need to abandon the old dominance model
and look for a more realistic model to replace it. 

To me the whole point about clicker training is that you need to change
your whole philosophy regarding dog behaviour and training to make full use
of its potential. Once you have done so and once you have stopped looking
at dogs as adversaries who require confrontation, everything starts to fall
into place and the concept of the dog training the owner to click becomes
less of a threat and more a matter for humour and congratulation.

Elizabeth Kershaw, 
Canine Education, West Berkshire, UK