What Is A Dominant Dog?

[corvus]

There's no way in hell I'd ever alpha roll any dog. It's a rubbish move that means nothing, anyway. As Karen Overall points out, social hierarchies in dogs are based on deference, not submission, so it doesn't even do what it's meant to do.

I do routinely pick Erik up and put him down on his back, though. He loves it. Means I'm going to tickle his belly and blow raspberries on it.

[tarope]

Aussielover,

Sounds like you have a normal loving playful pup to me. IMO a Dominant dog is a figment of some ones Imagination and people who claim dogs are trying to Dominate us are morons.

People who can't handle their dog use the dominance excuse, when simple training will solve the problems.

[NZVizsla]

A lot of people like to label dogs as 'dominant' when they're poorly trained and or socialized. It seems to make them feel better, as if the dog is dominant then that is their excuse for why their dog is how it is.

I've heard people say their dog is 'so dominant' due to it jumping up on the kitchen bench and stealing their food. They seemed to think this was an act of the dog showing them who was the boss! Such uninformed thinking.

Any dog will take advantage of a situation if it suits them. They're opportunist by nature.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Yes please disregard all these "experts" who have a checklist of what makes a dominant dog. They do not know what they are talking about and simply repeat old one shoe fits all misnomers.

An example

I once took my dog to puppy preschool. The girl was qualified with some bs dog training certificate where they obviously told her all these things, and she used to repeat it to the class. She had convinced people with normal puppies that they were dominant. One particular dog I recall was clearly submissive, but because it sat on the bed and a few other things she told the owner the dog was dominating her Lol.

Do not worry about labels. If a behavior develops which is not acceptable to you deal with it, thats all you have to worry about

[corvus]

I like that philosophy, Lo Pan.

I like pushy, demanding dogs that ooze confidence and purpose. If someone thinks that's a dominant dog then fine, I like dominant dogs and dominant behaviour. So I pretty much ignore the talk about dominance. If I like a behaviour it'll stay and if I don't like it I'll train it out. Social hierarchy doesn't come into it at all. I was glad that when Erik scared our vet she kind of tip-toed around the dominance issue and was very nice about not blaming us, which she probably should have because we hadn't done the preventative work with him that we should have done. Having been through that with Erik, now, I'm teaching all my future dogs to stand still and allow someone to look at their teeth on command. It's been very useful.