[Rach_73]

We’ve all heard the idea that dogs follow a strict pack hierarchy with a dominant alpha leader, often requiring owners to establish themselves as the “alpha” to gain their dog’s respect. This belief has shaped many traditional training methods. When my older relatives come over, they tell me I’m training my dog wrong, and when she is naughty, I should just assert myself as alpha and put her in her place.

But is the alpha leader mentality actually rooted in science? Does research truly support the concept of dominance-based hierarchy in domestic dogs, or is it a myth that has been debunked over time?

What’s the best way to train a dog?

I’m looking for some info so I can tell my older relatives to zip it, but in an educated way lol

[Sally Jones]

Hi Rach,

The whole “alpha dog” idea actually comes from outdated research on captive wolves back in the 1940s. Those studies, which looked at unrelated wolves forced to live together, showed a lot of dominance struggles. But later research on wild wolves—like David Mech’s 1999 study—found that real wolf packs are more like families, with parents guiding their young instead of fighting for dominance. Even more importantly, dogs aren’t wolves. Studies show they don’t form strict pack hierarchies at all (Bradshaw et al., 2009). So trying to be the “alpha” doesn’t really make sense for training a pet dog.

Modern research backs positive reinforcement training over dominance-based methods. Studies show that harsh corrections, like leash jerks or alpha rolls, can actually make dogs more fearful or aggressive (Herron et al., 2009). On the flip side, reward-based training builds trust and results in better long-term behavior (Hiby et al., 2004). So next time your relatives tell you to “assert dominance,” you can hit them with the science: treating dogs with patience and positive reinforcement isn’t being soft—it’s actually the best way to train them.

Here are some links to back it up:

[Author]

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