Why do people have dogs and yet have no clue what a social dominance hierarchy is?

Question

So many times on here and with the people and dogs I meet.. I see that their owners have a poor understanding of just how dogs interact socially or no understanding at all. It all seems to come so naturally to me... before I ever knew the technical term for a dominance hierarchy my experience with dogs gave me the knowledge that you have to be a leader to your dog in all things... It seems that is a hard concept for some people to grasp.. and its like they cant see why their dog is behaving badly because they have no clue how to run a pack.. Why do people get dogs without learning anything about them first, especially how they interact socially??

Ps if these people understood the mechanics of a dominance hierarchy they would not be asking questions like.. How do I stop my dog from barking or digging or acting bad... because to all who know how to be a dominant pack leader the simple answer is you MAKE the dog do what they are told.. no violence needed just absolute authority and never taking no for an answer or "asking, pleading" with the dog.. you simply TELL the dog what to do, and if they hesitate you MAKE them do what they are told.

bill d... its simple, if your dog is dominant you need to be MORE dominant.

Also I want to add that I am trying to enlighten people and share knowledge but I tend to lose hope when people cant seem to learn these things for themselves BEFORE getting a dog which they then create dominance aggression in, ends up biting them and getting abandoned or put to sleep because of it. It isnt me I am worried about its all the dogs in the hands of ignorant people.

Answer 1

I teach people about behaviour. When people understand how to change behaviour they can become good leaders.

If you tell someone they have to be "dominant", they start doing all sorts of really dumb things. They don't really know what it means.

I have a dog who is spoiled rotten. He shares meals with me, sleeps on the bed, goes through doors first, and nudges me for pats. All the things you're not supposed to do - yet his behaviour is as close to perfect as I could imagine in a dog.

He shares meals with me - I share food with him when he is sitting nicely out of the way and not bothering anyone or drooling all over the place.

He goes through doors first - when I ask him to because my arms are full and it suits me.

He sleeps on the bed - only when invited, which is not that often these days. Not enough room.

He nudges me for pats - when it's cuddle time and he is invited to.

My opinion, FWIW, is that people should learn how to change behaviour first. When I see things like "make sure he always eats after you and never goes through doors ahead of you" I cringe, because I know the person who asked the question is going away empty-handed. Whatever their question was wasn't answered directly and the same old problems will keep happening and they'll think that they have a dog who can't be trained.

That is a shame.

That person goes away and does all the things they are told to do, and have no idea that they are STILL reinforcing the behaviour they want to get rid of and no idea how to train the behaviour they want to see instead of...

...in other words - they are not being an effective leader. And that poor dog is not getting any leadership from their owner, and what's more - he's taking the blame!

Answer 2

Because people like that little puppy, but don't want to acknowledge the work involved in having a happy and well mannered dog. I am constantly amazed by the ignorance of some owners when it comes to this and just training in general. I so wish more people actually bothered with training. More often they just don't care and then wonder why the dog is so out of line all the time.

Added: I get what you say about what you say goes when it comes to the dog, but do remember that there is still an amount of training involved in the first place to ensure the dog understands the message you are giving. Proper training and understanding of dog behavior is invaluable here.

Cassandra: Do a search for teaching your dog to come here on YA and you will find a lot of previous questions with some helpful answers for you to consider... REMEMBER: NEVER punish your dog after he/she comes on a recall command, or your dog will associate coming on recall with a negative experience and simply will avoid it by not coming. Even if the dog has misbehaved, always praise for a proper recall.

Answer 3

i know what u mean i grew up with dogs and have always had a nak to having most dogs obey me. and have my own well trained to do any thing i want...why because i run their lives i am boss i say when to eat and hey i have poseable thumbs so i say when its time to go out.. my dogs have rules like any kid should. and they get away with little things.
I do wish more ppl would have some common sence and research what a pup will not alway be a cute ball of fluffy fur. and rules need to be made the moment the animal comes in to the house. there would be fewer adult dogs at the shelter because they are unruley and have no manners... i believe you should not wing it if u have kids did ya just wing it? chances are no. you looked u researched u asked. and thats y ppl come on here... THEY NEED TRAINING BEFORE THE PUP COMES HOME. So the ones who know can share what they know. But if u can't handle becoming a LEADER for ur dog then u need more help then anyone on here can give. but most ppl want a quick fix there is no such thing...like someone i know would rather hit with a hot wheel track then train cause Yep beating is the answer. lets scare the dog in to listen for a moment in stead of a life time.

Answer 4

That's just it-IGNORANT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT OWN DOGS.
They drag home a cute little puppy and expect it to sit in a corner like a stuffed animal until they feel like dealing with it.
Dogs are living,breathing creatures.They have wants and needs and feelings just like we do.Owning a dog is not that much different than raising a child.The dog needs rules to follow and those rules MUST be taught and consistently adhered to.It's alot of hard work and it requires a huge commitment on the humans part but I always hear "I don't have the time." Well if they don't have the time then they need to find a home for the poor animal rather than neglect it.
If these people treated their kids in the same manner as they treat the dog they'd be answering to the authorities!
I'm also absolutely disgusted with those who would rather give their dogs calming drugs than take them for regular daily walks!MOST BEHAVIOR ISSUES CAN BE CURED WITH THE USE OF A LEASH AND EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

What i would love help on is how to get my dog to come when she's called when she escapes to the outside or breaks off her leash. She knows she's doing wrong, but she wants to be free and so she is. When she comes back or she allows herself to be caught by us, what then? Apart from the dominance thing, I thought they had to be punished right away in connection with what they've done or they don't get the connection.

I'd appreciate your expertise on this matter. Our dog is a 9 month old Black Mouth Cur we got 5 months ago from a rescue after her mum was hit by a car. She's strikingly smart, very clever, and very loving. Everyone takes to her immediately because of her good nature.

Answer 6

Because they want something cute and fluffy they can put sweaters on- or lack any form of natural instinct.
It isn't just with dogs, but with any animal that works in group settings. I know of a man (I would never try this) who can walk into a cage at a zoo with lions- never seeing them previously- and can hand inject them with meds! He has such an aura of confidence that the lions accept that- and are not aggressive towards him in the least bit- though they may try to swipe at the backup guy with the tranq gun outside the pen.

Answer 7

Not everyone is so clued into the world...and not everyone is dominant. Lighten up - give people a chance to learn. Why not help them out and give them some of your vast knowledge instead of brow beating them?

Answer 8

I agree. I wish people would do more research before taking on any pet. Of course, if people did the research, they also wouldn't support back yard breeders and puppy mills either. All we can do is keep educating...

Answer 9

If I tell you I am the Alpha Male around here does that put me in the realm of the good guys?

Answer 10

what would you suggest doing if your dog IS the dominant one?