Dominance in Dogs by Barry Eaton

Author:Barry Eaton
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Science, ebook, General, Book, Pets, Dogs
Publisher: Dogwise
Published: 2012-02-15T22:00:00+00:00

Fig. 14—My dog Jess, showing all the signs of not being ‘dominant.’

Don’t let the dog lay at the top of the stairs

It would appear that this rule has evolved from the idea that the alpha wolf ’s physical position is always higher than the rest of the pack. Research shows that in a pack with several wolves, the adults tend to lay on higher ground as it’s the best position to detect intruders (Mech 2003). As this is defensive in nature and involves more than one wolf, it does not have anything to do with status. Since it appears that the alpha wolf is quite happy to be on the same level as other pack members, that calls into question the validity of the ‘do not lay at the top of the stairs’ rule.

Dogs have their favorite resting places around the house where they are just content to watch what’s going on, chill out or have a nap. A few years ago I had a dog who loved sleeping at the top of the stairs. It was one of her favorite sleeping places because at a certain time of day the sun would shine through a window onto the landing, on the exact spot she was sleeping. Was she being dominant? Nah! Was she being smart? You bet!

Don’t let the dog lay in a hallway or in doorways

The idea here is that the alpha wolf positions himself to see the comings and goings of his pack. But since a large pack doesn’t always stay together all of the time, it doesn’t matter where the alpha positions himself, he won’t always be able to see the comings and goings of his pack. However, if the alpha positions himself strategically, this would have more to do with spotting intruders—wolves from another pack, bears and so on—or looking after his mate and cubs.

If a dog positions himself in the hallway, it may just be a resting place. The doorway is a good place for the dog to keep an eye on the owner and be ready to go outside or for a car ride, both things many dogs enjoy. Once again, it shows the dog is smart and knows where the action is. If this were considered a problem, it would probably be one of over-attachment and nothing to do with status.

Never step over the dog

The alpha wolf, supposedly, always makes another wolf move if one is in his way. In fact, research (Abrantes 1997, Mech 2003) suggests that a subordinate will voluntarily move when a higher-ranking wolf enters the ‘social space’ of the subordinate. The social structure has already been established, so if moving out of the way of a more dominant wolf maintains the social structure, then so be it.

If my dog has found a patch of sunlight to lie down in what happens to be in the middle of the room, I’m quite happy to walk around her. In doing so, I’m not giving off signals of subservience to her and I doubt very much that she perceives that I am.

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