Do you believe in dominace theory?

[Giselle]

Thanks Glacier!! Can I use your post as a reference on other forums? There are just some diehards on other boards who firmly believe you have to roll a dog, you gotta poke and prod them, you gotta correct them all the time, etc. I would really love to use your post as an example of what an alpha really means and how it doesn't apply the way we think it does.

[Glacier]

Thanks Glacier!! Can I use your post as a reference on other forums?

Sure.

There's a researcher at the University of Minnesota whose work I like, Dr. L. David Mech. He's spent much of his career debunking the strict hierarchy/alpha theory in wild wolf packs. Google his name, all kinds of stuff comes up!

There's a great chapter in Tamar Gellar's book, The Loved Dog, about her studies of a wild wolf pack and how they established dominance through play and games. I really like her ideas and training theories. If Cesar Milan's tactics turn you off(as they do to me), you'll like Tamar's!