Dominance in domestic dogs - useful construct or bad habit
I'm starting to feel like I'm on a crusade against dominance theory and the "alpha dog" misconception. However, I believe it has permeated people's thinking to the point that it bares repeating.
I was surprised I hadn't mentioned this study, published last May in The Journal of Veterinary Behavior, but such is my schedule. The paper argues and research shows that dominance is not a motivating factor, but an aspect of the relationship between two individuals.
The first link is to the website and page where a copy of the paper is available. The second link is to the actual study.
http://www.pawsoflife.org/K9trainlib.html
http://www.pawsoflife.org/pdf/Library%20articles/Bradshaw%202009.pdf
It was just brought to my attention that the above links no longer work. You can find a copy of the study at http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/Medicine/Dominance-in-domestic-dogsmdashuseful-construct-or/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/629491
ReplyDelete