Brad Pattison's Unleashed.

Corinthian · #1 (**permalink**) 25-07-2010, 12:52 AM

When too much submissiveness is alpha, you know Pattison has a major. An excerpt from Pattison's book showing how little he really knows about dogs:

Quote:

Alpha Dog Test
Not sure if your dog thinks he's running the family circus?
Here are some telltale sings that your pooch has assumed the role of pack leader.

He's always pulling at the leash, taking the lead position on walks and trying to control his movements—an yours

He's always jumping up on other dogs and people or growling and barking excessively to take on a dominant and protective role.

She hogs the human furniture, particularly the bed and the couch, and growls territorially when she's expected to share these spaces

She ignores you when you use basic commands like “Sit”, “Stay”, and “Come”

She cooperates with your commands when it suits her, but when it doesn't, she tries to manipulate you, either by growling aggressively or by showing exaggerated submissiveness—such as shrieking as if she's in pain, twirling around in circles or dropping down and rolling over like a diva who's had her crown stolen.

Watch out for any of these signs of master manipulation. They are indications that your dog is challenging your leadership. These manipulative tactics then become learned behaviour when owners have a track record of submitting and caving in to their dog's controlling behaviours.

My view:
*Dogs pull, see 'oppositional reflex'.
*Dog's like people are selfish.
*Dogs don't speak English
*Submissiveness isn't "alpha"

tripod · #2 (**permalink**) 25-07-2010, 09:59 AM

sheesh - this stuff is just plain weird

Let's take them one at a time:

- 'pack leader' - this is a flawed notion based on inaccurate accounts of wolf behaviour. Wolves don't live in social structures like this, domestic dogs don't and the dog-human relationship sure isn't strucutred like this.

- 'pulling on leash' - dogs walk faster than us (they have twice the number of legs), they are moving to take in smells rather than sights, we teach them to pull (they get to interesting places by pulling) and opposition reflex also makes pulling rewarding

- 'jumping up' - dog greeting is pretty crazy and jumping up forms a big part of it; jumping up in dog-dog play can be pretty obnoxious behaviour so adolescents or rude players will often be told off. Growling and barking excessively is associated with sooooo many different possibilities that it cannot be explained so tidily and simply. Its a normal part of doggie communication.

- 'hogging' furniture or other resources has nothing to do with territorial behaviour - this is resource guarding which is normal dog behaviour and when seen in extremes in many cases is due to physiological issues. Most resource guarding is a learning issue - dog has learned how to keep resources and/or has learned that it has to defend its possession of resources.

- dogs ignoring your 'commands' or only 'cooperates when it suits her' - this is a training issue not a social issue. Teach her better!

Dogs don't manipulate - this is human stuff and anthropomorphic. Dogs are pleasure seekers - if it works they do it. Simple as.

Gosh I pity the dogs of owners who lap this stuff up...

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