Dogs and the hierarchy
A number of schools of thought now claim that hierarchy, and the relationships of dominance that come with it, are outdated notions — that today's dog no longer functions like its ancestor did. But what do some of the leading specialists in dog behavior actually think?
"The dog is a social being; to thrive, it needs this hierarchical relationship to be constantly maintained — in feeding, in sleeping arrangements, and in physical contact. This is the only way to structure and soothe the animal." — Monique Bourdin, veterinary doctor, graduate of the Institut Pasteur in Paris, in charge of teaching and consultations on behavioral disorders at the Maisons-Alfort veterinary school.
"The notion of hierarchy contributes to a dog's well-being and balance. It is up to the owner to take responsibility for dominance, and only then will he make his animal happy. An animal that doesn't have to lead the pack will feel secure, since its needs will be taken care of. To be dominated does not mean to be humiliated — it means to be protected by the group, to feel safe." — Dr. Patrick Pageat — Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; Advanced Studies Diploma in Entomology; Doctorate in Biological Sciences; Diploma from the European College of Veterinary Behavioral Medicine – Companion Animals; Accreditation to Supervise Research. Associate Professor of Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare at the Purpan Engineering School; Visiting Professor at the Veterinary Faculties of Pisa and Barcelona (Master's in Behavioral Medicine); creator of the clinical course "Behavioral Medicine and Consultation" at the Alfort Veterinary School. Three-time President of GECAF (Study Group on Pet Behavior); co-founder and Vice-President of ESVCE (European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology); member of the European Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology; Honorary Member of CABTSG (Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group, UK); member of AFTCC (French Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy); President of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioral Medicine.
"There are debates today among behaviorists — some say the hierarchy isn't real. They're wrong. You have to get into the hierarchy: if you don't do your job as pack leader, you're going to be in trouble. When you know the dog well, there's no question about it — it isn't for the dog to decide where he goes or what he eats. He shouldn't be the leader, because if you give him room and he's a bit of a wolf around the edges, he'll take the place of pack leader, and you'll have nothing more to say. You have to accept the hierarchy." — Dr. Pierre Jouventin — expert ethologist, CNRS Research Director (1st Class), author of over 230 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals (A-rank). Head of the Behavioral Ecology team at CEFE and of the ETHOTAAF program (CNRS); Director of the Chizé Biological Studies Center (CNRS); Head of the CNRS Interdisciplinary Environment, Life and Society program; member of the Scientific Council and Ethics Committee of the French Polar Research Institute; Secretary General of the French Ecological Society; Vice-President of the European Federation of Ecology; Project Manager at the CNRS Life Sciences Directorate.
"You are right to go against the trend of purely positive reinforcement training, as well as the trend of denying hierarchy (one wonders how anyone can reach this conclusion when it only takes five minutes to observe it in dogs)… Dog trainers are heavily into positive reinforcement training for commercial reasons, since owners prefer not to say no to their beloved dog." — Dr. Pierre Jouventin, writing about my book.
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