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[Channy 0]

Pris sur le site de "Québec chien show"



GOT FROM ANOTHER LIST AND PERMISSION TO CROSS POST:

The History and Misconceptions of Dominance Theory
Note: The information in the following article came from an interview with
Dr. Ian Dunbar, who spent nine years studying the social behavior of dogs
during the study mentioned below. In an earlier version of this article, Dr.
L. David Mech was credited with the 30-year study. This was a mistake. The
researcher who conducted the study was Dr. Frank Beach. An effort has been
made to correct this error. However, if you know of a place where the
original article was published, please notify the editor and request a
correction.

The original alpha/dominance model was born out of short-term studies of
wolf packs done in the 1940s. These were the first studies of their kind.
These studies were a good start, but later research has essentially
disproved most of the findings. There were three major flaws in these
studies:

1.. These were short-term studies, so the researchers concentrated on the
most obvious, overt parts of wolf life, such as hunting. The studies are
therefore unrepresentative -- drawing conclusions about "wolf behavior"
based on about 1% of wolf life.
2.. The studies observed what are now known to be ritualistic displays and
misinterpreted them. Unfortunately, this is where the bulk of the "dominance
model" comes from, and though the information has been soundly disproved, it
still thrives in the dog training mythos.

For example, alpha rolls. The early researchers saw this behavior and
concluded that the higher-ranking wolf was forcibly rolling the subordinate
to exert his dominance. Well, not exactly. This is actually an "appeasement
ritual" instigated by the SUBORDINATE wolf. The subordinate offers his
muzzle, and when the higher-ranking wolf "pins" it, the lower-ranking wolf
voluntarily rolls and presents his belly. There is NO force. It is all
entirely voluntary.

A wolf would flip another wolf against his will ONLY if he were planning to
kill it. Can you imagine what a forced alpha roll does to the psyche of our
dogs?
.
3.. Finally, after the studies, the researchers made cavalier extrapolations
from wolf-dog, dog-dog, and dog-human based on their "findings."
Unfortunately, this nonsense still abounds.
So what's the truth? The truth is dogs aren't wolves. Honestly, when you
take into account the number of generations past, saying "I want to learn
how to interact with my dog so I'll learn from the wolves" makes about as
much sense as saying, "I want to improve my parenting -- let's see how the
chimps do it!"

Dr. Frank Beach performed a 30-year study on dogs at Yale and UC Berkeley.
Nineteen years of the study was devoted to social behavior of a dog pack.
(Not a wolf pack. A DOG pack.) Some of his findings:

a.. Male dogs have a rigid hierarchy.
b.. Female dogs have a hierarchy, but it's more variable.
c.. When you mix the sexes, the rules get mixed up. Males try to follow
their constitution, but the females have "amendments. "
d.. Young puppies have what's called "puppy license." Basically, that
license to do most anything. Bitches are more tolerant of puppy license than
males are.
e.. The puppy license is revoked at approximately four months of age. At
that time, the older middle-ranked dogs literally give the puppy hell --
psychologically torturing it until it offers all of the appropriate
appeasement behaviors and takes its place at the bottom of the social
hierarchy. The top-ranked dogs ignore the whole thing.
f.. There is NO physical domination. Everything is accomplished through
psychological harassment. It's all ritualistic.
g.. A small minority of "alpha" dogs assumed their position by bullying and
force. Those that did were quickly deposed. No one likes a dictator.
h.. The vast majority of alpha dogs rule benevolently. They are confident in
their position. They do not stoop to squabbling to prove their point. To do
so would lower their status because...
i.. Middle-ranked animals squabble. They are insecure in their positions and
want to advance over other middle-ranked animals.
j.. Low-ranked animals do not squabble. They know they would lose. They know
their position, and they accept it.
k.. "Alpha" does not mean physically dominant. It means "in control of
resources." Many, many alpha dogs are too small or too physically frail to
physically dominate. But they have earned the right to control the valued
resources. An individual dog determines which resources he considers
important. Thus an alpha dog may give up a prime sleeping place because he
simply couldn't care less.
So what does this mean for the dog-human relationship?

a.. Using physical force of any kind reduces your "rank." Only middle-ranked
animals insecure in their place squabble.
b.. To be "alpha," control the resources. I don't mean hokey stuff like not
allowing dogs on beds or preceding them through doorways. I mean making
resources contingent on behavior. Does the dog want to be fed. Great -- ask
him to sit first. Does the dog want to go outside? Sit first. Dog want to
greet people? Sit first. Want to play a game? Sit first. Or whatever. If you
are proactive enough to control the things your dogs want, *you* are alpha
by definition.
c.. Train your dog. This is the dog-human equivalent of the "revoking of
puppy license" phase in dog development. Children, women, elderly people,
handicapped people -- all are capable of training a dog. Very few people are
capable of physical domination.
d.. Reward deferential behavior, rather than pushy behavior. I have two
dogs. If one pushes in front of the other, the other gets the attention, the
food, whatever the first dog wanted. The first dog to sit gets treated.
Pulling on lead goes nowhere. Doors don't open until dogs are seated and I
say they may go out. Reward pushy, and you get pushy.
Your job is to be a leader, not a boss, not a dictator. Leadership is a huge
responsibility. Your job is to provide for all of your dog's needs... food,
water, vet care, social needs, security, etc. If you fail to provide what
your dog needs, your dog will try to satisfy those needs on his own.

In a recent article in the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
newsletter, Dr. Ray Coppinger -- a biology professor at Hampshire College,
co-founder of the Livestock Guarding Dog Project, author of several books
including Dogs : A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior,
and Evolution; and an extremely well-respected member of the dog training
community -- says in regards to the dominance model (and alpha rolling)...

"I cannot think of many learning situations where I want my learning dogs
responding with fear and lack of motion. I never want my animals to be
thinking social hierarchy. Once they do, they will be spending their time
trying to figure out how to move up in the hierarchy."

That pretty much sums it up, don't you think?

Melissa Alexander
mca @ clickersolutions. com
copyright 2001 Melissa C. Alexander

[Soleil05 0]

Merci Channy :43:

Ça me donne vraiment envie de le faire parvenir à une personne que je connais... mais je ne sais pas comment je pourrais faire pour le faire avec tact et qu'elle ne se sente pas jugée dans sa perception de l'éducation canine...

embêtant ...

[inked 0]

tres intéressant! :43:

[gin1 0]

J'aime ou c'est écrit que les chiens n'aiment pas les dictateurs ou qu'en utilisant la force, les chiens nous perçoivent comme inférieurs.

Leurs fonctionnements ressemblent beaucoup aux humains finalement.

[Jaelle1 0]

Excellent!