Is my dog trying to dominate me?

The short answer is probably a simple NO. Not in the way most people think of it anyway. Let me explain my thoughts on why.

Let’s first look at the definitions:

• Dominate, verb, have power and influence over.
• Dominant, adjective, having power and influence over others.
• Dominance, noun, power and influence over others.

OK, so we’re talking about power and influence. Absolutely, dogs are social animals, with dogs and people, and use their behaviour to exert (or try to exert) influence in their environment. So dominance behaviours exist, very similarly to the way they exist in human social settings – the loudmouth in the meeting, the jerk undermining your achievement, that kind of thing.

So is putting a paw on your knee, leaning on you, or staring at you at dinner time being dominant? These sound like dominant behaviours, where the dog is influencing his environment. Getting your attention, seeking affection, reminding you it’s dinner time… they are not always problem behaviours, though may be a bit jerky if you’re busy or not in the mood. Remember that DOGS DO WHAT WORKS. Reinforced behaviour is more likely to increase, so if you buy into some of these behaviours, they will do them again because they worked, not because they are “being dominant”.

But what about eating before you, running through the door first, or sleeping on the bed? To me, these don’t qualify as dominant behaviours, but are often associated with a dog “being dominant”. We may be told to be “good leaders”, we must eat first, go through doors first, and always relegate dogs to the floor. If so, what is the perceived influence dog is making in these cases? Does he really think “I’m eating first, so I rule this place”? Eating first, or weirder spitting in your dog’s food, is not always practical (and spitting is gross). To me, setting a good routine about when the dogs eat is more important. So is teaching impulse control to prevent dogs knocking people over at doors and gates, and putting parameters around inviting dogs onto furniture.

So is your dog really thinking he’s the leader, rubbing his paws together with an evil laugh, “today you, tomorrow the world”?

No, they’re not. They have been domesticated over thousands of years due to mutually beneficial relationships. They like us, are social animals with fluid social hierarchies. They must defer to us for food, shelter and healthcare. They thrive with routine, structure, and the ability to control certain aspects of their environment.

They are not trying to be “alpha”, a concept that came out of a flawed study using unrelated wolf pups. It has since been determined that wolves have family hierarchies (David Mech). And while dogs share something like 99.9% of DNA with wolves, they are a different species with a different evolutionary history.

Call me, I can help.