Friday 20 December 2019

Dominance and Dogs! December 18, 2019 Sally Gutteridge



Exploring the Nature of Dominance. 

Dominance is defined as power and influence over others, in ecology it’s defined as a plant or animalspecies predominant in an area. But what does the term dominance mean when used in the samesentence as the word dog? And why should we know about it? 

Having been hijacked and used with inaccuracy by an unfortunately fragmented area of the dog
training world, when we have learned better, we hear the term and shudder. This is because
dominance has been sold via many media outlets and their followers as the only language
that dogs understand. The term is associated with all-sorts of odd ideas, ranging between dogs
thinking we are wolves and if we don’t dominate them they will dominate us. None of this is
accurate, and yet all of it is repeated from person to person like it’s a golden truth owned only by
those in the know. When in reality, someone loosely puts a behaviour or even worse a personality
down to dominance, we can be pretty secure in the idea that they are following the hype – as opposed
to the facts. 

The saddest thing about this is the misrepresentation of dog – who really is man’s best friend. Dogs 
are co-operators, lovers, companions and individuals. Our dogs are no more dominant than we are. 
Like us they might well go into a situation that they feel very strongly about and thus be more 
assertive than usual. Like us they might want something so badly that they are prepared to 
adapt their behaviour to make it theirs. With all of us though, dominance really goes no further 
than a conversation. Something simple like “I want this” – “well I want it more than you do so am 
prepared to fight for it” – “OK I don’t want it that much, you can have the bloody thing”.  Therein 
lies an example of dominance, whether associated with a dog, a bird or a human

If the above scenario is regularly repeated, it becomes a habitual behaviour – then we can call it 
resource guarding. For example if my husband eyes my food on my plate – and I threaten him 
with a stern look, in that instance I’m the dominant presence over my food. If I start worrying he’s 
after my food to the point of anxiety, I’m not being dominant, I’m being anxious. I’m resource 
guarding through anxiety. When my husband has realised how much my food on my plate means 
to me, he respects that,  accepts the message and lets me eat in peace (as everyone should have the 
right to do) and never approaches my plate again. That’s called respectful, effective, 
successful communication


Labelling a dog as dominant or a personality as dominant takes us onto dangerous ground. We
end up with odd (and I would go so far as to say) cruel teachings such as physically confrontational
training, threats and the idea that all behaviour is because the dog is considered to be pushing his
luck in the imaginary pack. This viewpoint negates both  the truth and individuality. Dogs that are
scared, stressed, worried, habitual and simply trying their very best to be understood are so
much more misunderstood when we incorporate a misuse of the term. 

Yet not using the term in the correct way leaves the people who do believe the hype, at sea without a
paddle. Imagine this, a well-meaning dog trainer goes along and tells a dog guardian that dominance
doesn’t exist at all. That it’s a myth. The guardian then sees the term dominance used in the correct
way, and is in the vulnerable position of trying to decipher the term - yet is given information that
it does exist at the same time as all the hype that doesn’t. 

It’s tempting to disregard the term dominance altogether – because of its hijack. Yet saying
dominance doesn’t exist is just as untrue. If we use it with accuracy, we would rarely consider
the term dominance part of our lives (with dogs or people)  Yet we need to be honest about it,
because not being honest takes us into the realms of untruth too. 

Dominance isn’t a dirty word – it’s just been used in a dirty way. 



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