No, Your Dog Doesn't Think You're the "Alpha"

The toughest, most dominant canine gets the resources and respect - or at least that's the idea that caught on culturally. Turns out, that's not necessarily how it works.
Hosted by: Olivia Gordon
PBS Eons: • How Dogs (Eventually) ...
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Sources:
www.popgen.su.se/hund/dokument...
archive.org/details/SchenkelC...
www.pnas.org/content/109/23/8878
• 3 Weird Things That Do...
evolution-outreach.biomedcent...
www.jstor.org/stable/23264664...
www.dogtraininggeek.com/alpha-...
dogtraining.world/wp-content/...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
(www.sciencedirect.com/science... ) ????
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
Image Sources:
www.istockphoto.com/photo/wol...
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www.istockphoto.com/photo/ang...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/you...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/spe...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/chi...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/cry...
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[@risk19l]

The people that need to hear this, aren’t going to hear this.

[@isadoraboing]

Sad but true

[@mischarowe]

All anyone can do is point it out when it comes up.

[@Zeklijan]

I had read books in High School based on Alpha dog theory, and trained my dogs mostly with it. So seeing this video spurred into me to do more research. I definitly think this video would reach some people who are misinformed, myself included.

[@darthmortus5702]

@@Zeklijan How did your dogs turn out?

[@GeoffCostanza]

The problem isn't that asserting dominance doesn't work on dogs. The problem is that the vast majority of humans don't know how to correctly assert dominance in the way that the dog understands, and so you end up with fearful, anxious dogs. Dogs assert dominance on each other all the time, and establish leadership roles, or "alphas," in a pack, and it usually ends up with more social balance.

[@ignemuton5500]

The worst part is that when the scientist tried to tell everyone that his study was wrong no one noticed him.

[@jocelyndaoust3700]

Cuz he wrong

[@brickbybrick4692]

@@shortkyuu7390 the study only showed that, yes, but that’s not the conclusion that everyone drew from the study, SO, the scientist was wrong on that part. what’s hard to understand here?

[@diablo.the.cheater]

@@brickbybrick4692 but is he actually wrong? maybe he is right and is the world that is wrong

[@laughinggiraffe9176]

Well, maybe if that scientist would just puff out his chest at conferences and be a little more alpha...

[@carl5244]

His hypothesis and methods of testing were shown to be wrong. It would be unjustified to support an idea both the scientist himself and the scientific community have agreed is incorrect.

[@cattaku6491]

As a cat owner, there is no such thing as Alpha, Beta, and Omega. Just cat lord and human servant.

[@mohannadali9662]

I'll slip this before he takes notice and meows for my presence: you're right. Help

[@darchendon7926]

honestly, they're just needy roomates

[@kathryngeeslin9509]

In my younger days I had two cats, four kittens, and one puppy (who acted like a cat). When we lost the eldest cat, everyone looked to the next eldest (siamese) and the dog (doberman), neither of whom wanted to be the leader; the dog won, the cat got stuck with the job. My vet actually said Camis "wasn't a 'real' doberman pinscher" but several would-be street toughs disagreed; devoted lap dog to me, protector of all cats, and instant danger to any perceived threat. Consistent pampering worked for us.

[@jt4351]

Most "cat lords" I've met are just loud and quick to hide. I guess feline lordship is a bit different... oh is it? lol

[@masterofpuppets5072]

Cats Rule and dogs drool

[@alibaloch3184]

I tried the Alpha thing to stop my puppy acting like a puppy and ended up treating him like crap for a couple days so went back to just loving him and let him be. I think I shouldnt bring a puppy home if I have a problem with it being a puppy.

[@mattevans1643]

You can't do it until they are older. When they are just puppies they haven't developed the dominance trait yet, and they just need love. As for chewing and biting things, there's nothing you can do about that, except get him some toys that hopefully peak their interest more than your furniture.

[@ussinussinongawd516]

@@mattevans1643 there is no dominance trait matthew.

[@magister343]

Next thing you know you'll be claiming that we cannot learn all there is to know about human social dynamics by exclusively studying prison gangs!

[@JessyRenae]

You mean we can't?

[@MultiMemich]

How to train dog: Be the alpha. How to raise children: Put them in the hole when they misbehave, and regularly check their room for shanks.

[@JessyRenae]

@@MultiMemich 🤣

[@keeganbarboza207]

@@JessyRenae Yes he was being Sarcastic genius

[@Katatawnic]

@@keeganbarboza207 So was she, genius.

[@linasayshush]

I don't roll my dogs onto their backs to show who's boss, I do it for tummy access for scratching purposes.

[@bigcazza5260]

i bet you can just say roll over or belly rub and ur dog knows whats up

[@Greenmarty]

Yeah exactly and mine just does it automatically and starts to wiggle if I don't scratch that exposed tummy right away.

[@LuaanTi]

@Junior Read "Normal behaviour" and "actual behaviour" can be very different things. You took in dogs... with what history? If someone beat you up everytime you spoke up, do you think you'd grow up with normal human behaviours? Or would your violent behaviour be considered normal, just because _you_ do it? Just because you observe _some_ behaviour doesn't mean it's normal, moral, proper, whatever you want to call it - with humans or any other animals.

[@bettievw]

@Junior Read We have studies to back this stuff up, your anecdote lends no credence to your point. You can check the studies cited and the consensus among scientists.

[@Talishar]

@@bettievw None of the studies cited in this video denies their point. The vast majority of "sources" cited in this video are opinion pieces. The last few actual papers either only discuss some of the minor differences in what wolves or dogs focus on with human beings or how dogs are mentally, artificially stunted or that straight up beating the animal isn't good for it. The problem with this video is that it builds up this massive strawman about what the "alpha theory" is and then equivocates it with beating the animal into submission which is NOT what alpha theory actually is. Alpha theory is just the basic underlying theory for nearly ALL social animals, especially predatory mammals. It's been recorded by wildlife observers and researchers for decades. Even the infographic for the show completely kills the video's argument while bolstering the argument of the alpha theory that they themselves had set up. For example, they said that the key issue with the original alpha theory is that the pack composition changes as new wolves are accepted and others leave, but then go on how a wolf pack is started by an original mating pair. Where the hell do you think that mating pair came from? Oh that's right, they were wolves that left their previous packs to start new ones. We've also seen in the wild, acceptance of outside wolves into the pack and some wolves pushed out or who leave the pack. This is also a general behavior seen in many social animals to prevent inbreeding and promote genetic diversification. Social primates, lions, hyenas, they all have similar behaviors with a clearly established hierarchy with that hierarchy challenged regularly. Real scientists don't run on consensus. It's literally an oxymoron for the scientific process as the very core of science is based on skepticism and trying it for yourself and seeing what results you get for yourself. Remember, Einstein's theories were considered by 'scientific consensus" to be trash until proven otherwise much later on down the line. Even the basics of Newtonian physics as we know it today was considered ludicrous in their day by scientific consensus until later on. The worst part about those "studies" in the papers cited in this video is that they're purely statistical analysis on very ambiguous polling conducted on people with little to no controls on the environment. Probably good too as setting up a controlled experiment where you just beat an animal for data would be a really screwed up experiment.

[@ShieniLicksOnLemons]

Things I think should have been talked about more that were mentioned in the video: Punishment as a training method is dangerous because it makes it impossible for your dog to trust you and you are VERY likely to have the dog to connect the wrong thing to the punishment. They can't think about things in such sophisticated ways, so if you punish your dog for barking at another dog there's a good chance they connect the punishment *to the other dog.* Making your dog's distrust of other dogs worse. Real life examples I know include a dog developing a fear of furniture because of an anti-bark collar, the poor thing thought the furniture were spraying his mouth with citrus juice or something, barking didn't stop at any point... Then there was a "noise can", a soda can filled with anything that makes loud noise which is then thrown on the ground to basically scare the dog when they do something undesirable. The dog developed a fear of metal grates, sewer entrances, bridge pieces, *anything* that made a similar noise made the dog panic, and the undesirable behaviour went nowhere. You should teach your dog to let you take their resources, it should be done by teaching them that you're not stealing it, you just need it for a second. Like for example you take their toy, ask the dog to follow and then give it back in another room. Let them know that their resources are safe with you, dogs can get quite competitive with each other if they want a resource very badly. Their "hierarchy" over resources is purely based on "who wants it more", and they are trying to tell you that they want the resource more than you by growling when you get close. We had a rottweiler puppy that was aggressive over his bone because his owner had taught the pup that he should be afraid of people trying to take away his resources... That's why you teach them they get their resources back, with enough time and training you can get the dog to accept the resource staying away from their reach for longer periods of time.

[@kroanosm617]

This is all wrong and dangerous misinformation. Your dog should not have ownership over anything because then it will be a problem when someone else like a small child tries to take something from them. Your dog should understand that you or anyone else has the right to take whatever they have. It's part dominance and part trust. You feed your dog on a schedule so they know that they aren't going to starve. You let them know that you are in charge of providing them with food so they don't feel the need to get their own and be possessive of it. What you are describing is bad training from the previous owner. Also you don't punish your dog for anything. You let them know that you don't like that behavior by using sounds and body language. It's a not a punishment it's just saying Hey! Stop that! If your dog respects you enough as the Alpha they will obey and over a few repetitions they will understand what you don't like.

[@sethking1988]

There's no doubt that positive reinforcement is the best method for training, but punishment can very helpful if used correctly. The key word here is correctly! Importantly, there's positive and negative punishment. Negative punishment is taking away something the dog wants while positive punishment is giving them something they don't want. Negative punishment is not necessarily dangerous. For example, if you have a puppy that likes to bite while playing, then you can stop playing with them when they bite so they learn that biting is bad. It will work well but probably will be slower than positive reinforcement. Positive punishment should be used very sparingly, without emotion, consistently, and only used immediately after an impropriate behavior. Thus positive punishment is much harder to apply correctly. For example, if you're walking a dog and the dog runs into the street, then it may be appropriate to firmly yank them back onto the sidewalk without hurting them; harnesses help a lot with that. Ideally, you are paying attention to your dog and can use positive reinforcement instead, but in the real world things don't always work that way for example when a rabbit runs right in front of your dog!

[@ShieniLicksOnLemons]

@@sethking1988 I personally don't count those as punishment, mostly because of the fact that it's a lot easier to get people to learn the difference between healthy training methods and unhealthy ones without muddying the waters with such terms. 😅 Humans can be,,,,,,,, very simple, and don't understand the difference between stopping the play with their dog and actually just straight up abusing their dog. It's really sad but unfortunately I have seen it too often. A good way to stop dogs from pulling on the leash is by taking away the "resource" too, with two main methods depending on the dog's personality and yes it is technically punishing them but the main point is the positive reinforcement at the end. Either stopping the moment the dog pulls on the leash and staying still as long as it takes for the dog to stop pulling, or simply turning 180° as if to return home. Some dogs will just start stopping every time they pull the leash only to pull it again after the leash loosens, and others will simply keep pulling you to any direction you're going because the dogs do not care where you're going as long as you're going somewhere. So in the end it is about giving a resource to the dog, rewarding the dog for not pulling on the leash and getting to continue the walk normally. To stop biting too, the main point is that you reward the puppy for not biting! Tho I recommend teaching strength control more than "stop all of this natural behaviour completely" because it's better for many things, for example if the dog gets very upset they're less likely to bite hard the first time because they have learned that people are squishy. There was a good video here on youtube demonstrating it, a dog trainer with his own rottweiler. I'll try to find it and add the name of the video here, it's a very old video So yeah I think terms like negative punishment and positive punishment should be kept to professional circles because people get confused very easily 😂 but you are very right that those can be very good training methods c: Emergencies are also exceptions, you're yanking the leash for the safety of the rabbit (and dog too because rabbit's can do some serious damage with their claws), it's not something that is probable to happen so often that the dog could consistently learn from it unfortunately, so it's a lot harder to stop. I know an example of where the rabbits learned how to trick the dog... The dog was so preoccupied with smelling their tracks that the rabbits could literally run right next to him to the opposite direction without the dog realising it lmao.

[@ShieniLicksOnLemons]

@@sethking1988 BrightDog Dog Training channel with the video "Dog trainer gets bitten by a dog to demonstrate bite inhibition"! It took a lot of scrolling to find it after seeing a bunch of clickbait bs...

[@sethking1988]

@@ShieniLicksOnLemons I get what you mean, but reward and punishment as well as positive and negative come from psychology terms that many people don't understand. And yes there's definitely some scenarios where training methods could fall into multiple categories depending on the perspective. Positive reinforcement trainers usually do say negative punishment is ok. If you take a dog training class they will teach you how to do it appropriately. I no way do I ever advocate for abusing an animal. I've trained a leash walker similarly. At random times I would say a command that meant "turn". If the dog paid attention to me they knew they had to turn the leash would pull them my way. The main benefit of this is they are in control of the result. Lol yes emergencies are exceptions but thats why very limited use cases of correctly used positive punishment usually are pretty effective.

[@isakaldazwulfazizsunus7564]

The funny thing is positive reinforcement is used on wolfs as well, and it works. It's just that dogs are dependent on us, so they're naturally interested in us, and they're better at reading us, while wolves have to be made to care.

[@secretmurderer]

Yup. Positive reinforcement works on pretty much every animal with a nervous system

[@carpespasm]

It's almost like if you break up families and toss everyone in a prison with limited resources someone's gonna get stabby.

[@diggitydoo5836]

Or if you put everyone on an aircraft with some terries. Someone’s gonna get froggy.

[@mynameisnotyours]

It's almost like if you don't commit a crime, you wouldn't break up your own family and be tossed in prison.

[@TaterKakez]

Liked and laughed, just for “stabby”

[@virginiamoss7045]

Almost? It's exactly the same.

[@anthonyhutchins2300]

I think he was using a metaphor for captivity

[@ohthatstea]

all those fanfics built on a lie...

[@soogymoogi]

I was waiting for this comment!

[@MrGksarathy]

They were awful to begin with. Goddamn I hate Alpha and Omega AUs.

[@BothHands1]

Gautam Sarathy yea, those ones were usually pretty creepy, rather than fun or spicy.

[@dan_loup]

yep. Now you even have a video to point to em, which would make the youtube comments even more amusing

[@johnathanarcher6999]

To be fair, I think most are.

[@mike0rr]

It was amazing to see how much nicer my dog Tanner got after I got him from my dad and stopped swatting him for things. Even when he can still be pretty grumpy he is so much less likely to actually nip at anything in response. Like when the cats walk near his food.

[@mandiemoore3272]

As a teenager I got a wolf shepherd hybrid. He was beyond anything you've ever seen. He was crazy protective of my kids and at the same time gentle and playful with them. He also had the weird habit of licking the bottoms of my feet when I cried or was really sad. It was gross but so loving. Empathy is not just for dogs.

[@aphyngodiva2551]

No offense but it was probably more likely to be a 100% GSD, tons of people own what they think are "wolfdogs" and it is simply a dog that looks wolflike. Actual wolfdogs are insane and are dangerous around children who stimulate their prey drive. GSD's are bred for their protection instinct and dogs in general are very sensitive to human emotions and demonstrate empathy, NOVA has a great documentary "Dogs Decoded" that shows how they've evolved to look at the most emotive side of our face and how adept they are at reading our emotions.

[@dembeans4161]

@@aphyngodiva2551Yes, most people mistake their normal dogs for wolfdogs. However, wolfdogs are not insane or bad animals. They are incredibly loving and actually very shy and skittish towards strangers and only bite when they cannot get away from a threat.

[@aphyngodiva2551]

@@dembeans4161 I respectfully disagree, maybe low contents but once you get to the mid's and high's, no. I would never in a million years recommend an average joe own one for that reason, and most are kept in enclosures specifically designed for them for that very reason. Every animal has the potential to be dangerous but wolfdogs who are accustomed to humans especially can be. There is a reason people who are in the wolfdog community try so strongly to dissuade people from owning one. They can be cuddly and sweet pets but they are not an animal you let your guard down around and you treat them with respect, not doing so is stupid and anyone else who works with them will tell you the same.

[@dembeans4161]

@@aphyngodiva2551 I completely agree. I in no way mean to imply that wolfdogs are a beginner pet, but they are by no means unpredictable or violent so long as people respect their boundaries and their body language. Wolves and wolfdogs alike are VERY effective communicators and their warnings deserve respect. The myth of the big bad wolf is extremely harmful, but no animal should be underestimated.

[@peewee0224]

@@aphyngodiva2551 absolutely not true they are statistically less dangerous than German shepherds. i own a wolfdog (dna tested) yes they can be alot to handle, but not much more than your average husky. the problem is people like you perpetuating the myths which makes people tense and anxious around them which they can feel.

[@cajintexas7751]

So, the 1940's study was basically the Stanford Prison Experiment, but with wolves.

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

That seems to be a gr8 way to put it.

[@melissaharris3890]

Well, when you put it that way. Yes

[@kyliepechler]

@Richard Jones That was very interesting to read. Thanks for posting that, Richard Jones.

[@SimplyEyolf]

@Richard Jones Thank you, Richie! uwu

[@NatCo-Supremacist]

3:25 they just made an argument against diversity, a valid argument.

[@HermanVonPetri]

I think it's very helpful for a person to call themselves an "alpha." It lets me know who the douches are that I wouldn't want to waste my time with.

[@dreadcthulhu5]

@v.dog I'm going to be using that if you don't mind :)

[@katyungodly]

Anyone arrogant enough to identify as an alpha is no friend of mine. People like our current president for example (who is absolutely nothing like an alpha; the man’s never been in a grocery store before)

[@mischarowe]

Same.

[@mischarowe]

@v.dog Incels use the terms.

[@jimmym3352]

@@katyungodly Trump is certainly no alpha, he probably hasn't had sex with his wife in 10 years (since his son was concepted). Alphas (argh, now I'm using this stupid term) don't need money to attract women.

[@whateveryousay5674]

I show my dog who’s boss everyday by peeing all over the walls of my home . He’s cool with it and knows who’s house this is we just cuddle up with a strong odor of urine in the air.

[@brandonmonroe9822]

You ever pee on him to remind him that he's yours? Lol.

[@whateveryousay5674]

@@brandonmonroe9822 I’d never pee on the little pooch , might scare him silly! Also we have to sleep on the same bed at the end of the night. Walls covered in urine is one thing, ol pooch drenched in piss is another . 🤮

[@ashleynills7507]

@@brandonmonroe9822 he's not R. Kelly...

[@moquilla1]

Hahahaha

[@adamscheidt8884]

Dude, you must consume crazy amounts of water, etc, to be peeing all over wayne manor! Alfred must be PISSED…..

[@timothycsauer1]

Several decades ago I read a book on "Dog Psychology". It's conclusions is Dogs and Cats see us as their parents. They know we did not give birth to them, but the relationship they perceive with us is the same as it was to their birth mom when they were small dependent puppies or kittens.

[@KMMHealy]

My guide dog was trained using positive reinforcement with food. The results are amazing! Guide dogs are trained to have intelligent disobedience, so she chooses not to take a command if she doesn’t think it’s safe - or completely take over and guide me away from a dangerous situation. She thrives on her work.

[@mistformsquirrel]

That's wonderful. The difference between a friend and a servant. Meanwhile I have cats... < ._.>;; they get what they want. I am weak.

[@aviendha1154]

@@mistformsquirrel you can train cats too! It's hard, and you can only really train them to do things they already want to... but still.

[@inkryption3386]

@@aviendha1154 I'd say it's less like training, and more like "channeling" behaviours, seeing as it's less about teaching them something new, and more so about appropriating their behaviours. Like peeing in the litter box, or scratching the scratching post instead of the couch. But yeah, it is possible to mould their manners.

[@fcgHenden]

@@aviendha1154 Cat walks past. Me: Good girl! Cat: Me: Good girl! 🙃

[@starandfox601]

I've trained my families cat.it's really not hard esipceally with the right treats.

[@shawneeg214]

So should I stop peeing on my dog’s crate to mark my alpha superiority and fix my toilet?

[@bruceluiz]

Dang it. And to think ive been eating his kibble first so he recognizes my superiority...

[@Nikki-lodeon]

🤣🤣🤣

[@shawneeg214]

Update: didn’t pee on my dog’s crate tonight and lost my alpha status. My dog put me in the crate until tomorrow and is in bed with “my wife.” Morale is low, she turned off the WiFi and my back hurts. Send PETA.

[@crunchie09]

@@shawneeg214 llooolll PET...H?

[@mattmorehouse9685]

@@bruceluiz Your intestines'll thank you.

[@jasonhammond4301]

My family has a german shepherd, for whom I am pretty much the caretaker. Even though my parents try to get me to do some of the "alpha" stuff, like walking through doors first, I just don't bother most of the time. I was the vast majority of his attention when we first got him, so I was able to piggyback on the previous owners food/toy bribery to begin illustrating his behavior boundaries and creating an ability to redirect his attention to better things. Over time I was able to transfer from food/toy bribery to giving praise or verbally showing disapproval to develop a sense of seeking approval, rather than seeking to avoid punishment. The family has since undercut a lot of the boundaries, resulting in selfish bad behavior in our dog at times, but at least when it's just me and him, he falls back into my expectations with just tone cues and is rewarded with plenty of attention and playtime, lol.

[@phoenix4977]

I didn't need this video to know my affectionate shih tzu didn't require me to establish dominance over him, still glad this video exists.

[@JohnFrazier]

In the 90s, I was taught by a dog-trainer who specialized in aggressive dog behavior to use physical correction and alpha-dog behavior to train my fear-aggressive doggo. Later, I met another trainer who showed me how positive reinforcement was a preferable way to train him. Positive reinforcement went a lot farther than negative to make my dog less anxious and less aggressive.

[@vamppanic]

positive reinforcement is possibly the most effective and rewarding way to train any animal

[@charaznable9209]

@@vamppanic It's the quickest way to get your dog to bite you or someone else.

[@melz6625]

same. I was told to stay and roll my dog on the back when she was getting beserk seeing other dogs. Turns out prolonging an encounter that made her uncomfortable wasn’t the best idea. I only recently learned that thanks to a tiktok trainer. I had already stopped it a long time ago. Because newsflash it didn’t work anyway. Instead now I worked to get her attention on cue for which she gets a treat and if she focussed on me and doesn’t bark I keep feeding her treats and walk past the other dogs quickly. It works but only if I see the dogs first and have her already distracted. Otherwise she is soo focused in on the dog that she doesn’t snap out until the dog is gone

[@JustAHorrorShow]

@@charaznable9209 Negative reinforcement training is the quickest way to get a dog to bite. Dogs trained with positive reinforcement are less anxious, more confident and happier. Happy dogs don't bite.

[@vamppanic]

@@charaznable9209 it is if you do it wrong like a lot of people who dont do their research do

[@bioman1hazard607]

It's funny that the guy who discovered this alpha theory tried to undo it but the people were too stupid to see it as a mistake

[@darkangelprincess101]

I learned that in Adam ruins everything. Told my husband and he still believes in the alpha theory. It's so frustrating

[@Amor_fati.Memento_Mori]

@@darkangelprincess101 Does your Husband consider himself or at least carry himself as an Alpha?

[@ddpwe5269]

Yeah, he was surprised how fast it had spread, even after only a year when he reversed his theory

[@joelhall5124]

@@darkangelprincess101 Adam Ruins Everything isn't exactly...shall we say the most "rigorous" critique channel

[@lll9416]

@@darkangelprincess101 He's right. Slightly disproving the original study, changes nothing. Decades of observing this behavior in domesticated dogs remains, regardless of the ancient ancestor they share with wolves.. Who cares if you call it " alpha" or not.

[@roondoggers87]

With our pup we've done a mix of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement and the results have been amazing. He is such a good boy who is a great listener and also let's us know what we wants.

[@microwaveoven9170]

As a dog owner I find it frustrating when people automatically talk strictly to my dog, and I've had to tell some of my friends to stop being rude to her and that "she'll listen to you better if you just talk to her politely" . I think the problem with people is so many don't know how to properly train their dogs, they don't have the patience and they don't reward enough, and so they get annoyed when their dog won't listen when they won't realize that they've been unintentionally giving their dogs slack the whole time. It's like getting mad at your kid when their grades suck and then proceeding to not figure out why and how you can help them.

[@microwaveoven9170]

@@damianscott3710 I'm not trying to be rude when I say this, but your grammar is so bad I can't understand what you're trying to say and I don't know what point you're trying to get across here. Maybe try re-wording it?

[@biggyjay3006]

I just stare my dog down cause she stares me down, eventually one of us breaks and attacks the other with love.

[@benny_lemon5123]

I stare down my dog because I'm trying to use telepathy to tell her what a good pupper she is

[@giratina6665]

Do the same with a wild bear

[@benny_lemon5123]

@@giratina6665 Pffft, dont be ridiculous. Everyone knows wild bears already have flawless confidence. It would be a an utter waste of time and effort better spent telepathically trying to communicate to my dog what a ruffle-pup she is. Ffs, man.

[@giratina6665]

@@benny_lemon5123 I actually was referring to the attack out of love part. But yeah right, bears know that already, so no need to do it

[@firghteningtruth7173]

@@giratina6665 you should look up, lion trainer reunites with his owner. Youd be surprised. 🤣

[@Nikki-lodeon]

As a trainer who's constantly trying to explain this to people... THANK YOU!!!

[@JWMcLay]

@Boco Corwin there's always a kidder. Don't even get my started on Milan, he isn't even a qualified behaviourist.

[@valeriavagapova]

Does anybody have any recommendations of good KZbin channels about dog training? My family has a large problematic dog, would be nice to find something that works...

[@chihawks87]

Valeria Vagapova dog whisperer.

[@chihawks87]

JWMcLay idk, you seen his work? Seems pretty qualified. And yes they see as as alphas. Stop.

[@DeaconIvory]

Agreed! This video was so spot on.

[@a_real_jive_turkey7772]

I like how she said "mid 1900s" like it's an ancient past that none of us could even relate to ,😂

[@davidjr24]

right! , talk about priming the watcher

[@coop4476]

This

[@Ali-kf5bd]

This is a great video. I find dogs do respond better to a confident leader personality, but thats more about being a strong, reliable, level headed "parent" than an aggressive, bossy "alpha"

[@livi6886]

Exactly! I think that is what most people get wrong. Not being "alpha" doesn't mean you never train or discipline your dog, but the "alpha" mentality usually leads to just annoying the crap out of your dog until it lashes out.

[@Stettafire]

Agreed. A leader need not tell and stomp since they have the confidence to know that folk will listen when they speak. This calm confidence is the best attitude for dogs.

[@701delbronx8]

Alphas are relaxed and confident. You do not understand dogs

[@Ali-kf5bd]

@@701delbronx8 did you understand my comment? I am saying that dogs respond to a confident parent figure and NOT an aggressive tyrant. You don't have to be insulting when we are literally expressing the same opinion.

[@701delbronx8]

@@Ali-kf5bd yeah but you have this hang up about the word “alpha” and are attaching undesirable characteristics to it. Alpha is just another word for leader.

[@ThousandTimesBefore]

I never understood why people want a master/slave relationship with their dogs when they could be best friends instead

[@Poodleinacan]

It's not a master/slave relationship. It's "owner/friend".

[@enigma1216]

You cant own your friend

[@Poodleinacan]

@@enigma1216 but you can own an animal.

[@Boot_Ma9net]

@@enigma1216 you saying you can't own a dog or a dog can't be your friend?

[@EZR725]

@@enigma1216 but you can own a child

[@elizaalmabuena]

You forgot that Mech was the one to start the ‘alpha’ movement. It was his early work and he later found out how wrong he was. A wonderful example of how science works, some scientists are unwilling to let go of past mistakes and cling to their old results but Mech learned and continued to move forward.

[@Nikki-lodeon]

And he's been trying for decades to undo the damage he did. It's really sad.

[@saraben-ami416]

No, it was Dr. Rudolf Schenkel who originated the alpha wolf theory in 1948 (David Mech was only 11 yrs old at the time!).

[@vengeance160]

Alpha, in ethology, still means just a leader, of course animals smart enough to establish dominance through their relative wisdom, charisma and etc. And alpha theory still works on other mammals, horses, sheeps, chimps.

[@elizaalmabuena]

vengeance160 missed that class apparently, might have just been my lecturer’s opinion though (alpha not being acceptable other than for informal use). Would be applicable for linear hierarchies (hyenas, horse bachelor herds, and chickens) but a clean linear hierarchy doesn’t seem too common.... at least in mammals.

[@BlueSkies30]

@@elizaalmabuena You could argue a lead stallion and mare in a horse herd is the alphas of the group if we give alpha the definition of just being a leader. Mammals do fight to be the leader in certain groups. In others the "alpha" is simply the oldest and (usually) wisest. I don't think much people think of alpha in the traditional sense anymore (besides guys trying to act all studly). I think it's more like "this one is the one always biting the others and telling them where to go" kind of thing.

[@Dominik356]

Positive reinforcement also works better than punishment, when working with humans.

[@adamscheidt8884]

I've been working with dogs for close to 10 years now. I cannot thank you enough for this video, I've had this conversation so many times I've lost count. Great great work!

[@whilliamnilsson1929]

This attitude you ignorant people have might get you away with family dogs but if you try this with k9 you will end up being badly wounded or even killed. You cant just try to humanise your dog, after all it is a animal and will always be a animal, yes you should eat before them, no they should not sleep in your bed. We litterly as humans have diffrent ranks when it comes to work for an example, theres the boss, the workers and so on. You cant take away the nature of something that was already decided millions of years ago. Theres a higharchy every where and you are just to dumb to see it and it will get you killed.

[@louiscyfer6944]

i am sorry, but she is an idiot. positive reinforcement works. so do corrections. why would you eliminate part of your repertoire?

[@christopheraaron1255]

You guys are actually arguing with a literal expert on dogs and dog behaviour... how clueless do you have to be?

[@louiscyfer6944]

@@christopheraaron1255 i have been working with dogs for 20 years.

[@alexneigh7089]

@@louiscyfer6944 Wolves and dogs are woke nowadays. That's the price they pay for advances in social sciences.

[@PresidentMarielle]

"Punishment as a training method isn't pleasant to dogs" Hmm. I thought everyone enjoyed punishments.

[@ashoka7273]

Some humans do ;)

[@HackingWithPanda]

They mixed 2 things and I really don't care for it, alpha theory has nothing do to with negative reinforcement in dog training. They just said "A is wrong so B is wrong", they've nothing to do with each other. What is a punishment for a dog? If I tug on his leash is it a punishment? Positive driven trainers say to teach a dog to stay in a locked crate, is it a punishment? If a dog is really social, staying in a locked crate when guests are around is much worse than getting a leash tug

[@carloenricomedina8304]

Keep your kink away from my animals.

[@KattReen]

Crating at home is illegal where I live, so I wouldn't know. Sounds like a strange practice for someone that uses positive reinforcement, and like a cop-out for the sake of the owner's convenience.

[@zeppie_]

@@HackingWithPanda That's not what she said, she said "alpha pack theory isn't an effective training method, so positive reinforcement is the best alternative" Nothing was said about negative reinforcement in training, only the methods used in alpha pack theory

[@GrumpyOldFart2]

I wish she had mentioned that it was Mech who proposed the whole alpha theory in the first place. When he discovered he was wrong, he spent years trying to get the publishers to stop publishing his first book, to no avail.

[@Katatawnic]

Except that she did mention it.

[@jeremycbarnhart2305]

And yet it all functions. Bizarre.

[@elizaalmabuena]

Princess Pea she mentioned that a study came out with the alpha concept and that Mech proved it wrong.... not that Mech was the one that made the initial study and that upon follow up studies noticed he had been wrong.

[@animewow311]

@@elizaalmabuena Mech wasn't the proponent of alpha theory. That was R. Schenkel, way before Mech was even a researcher. Mech was simply an adherent who wrote a book on the topic (20 years after Schenkel's study).

[@elizaalmabuena]

Rubio honestly I wouldn’t be surprised about Mech not being the one to coin the terms for (wolf) linear hierarchies, but I only spot Schenkel mentioning ‘lead wolf’ not alpha. The general idea of how the hierarchy worked seems to stem from Schenkel’s work but it at least seems like Mech was the one to popularize the terms (alpha, beta, omega)

[@williewonka6694]

wolf packs are family units, mom, dad and their offspring. Dogs are part of our family, and we are mom and dad to dogs. They understand that.

[@llt8101]

I love how we just keep learning more about the rest of the species around us! Like how we were all taught that the great white shark was a apex predator but it turns out that some of the adorable orcas like to eat great white shark organs.

[@Chrismas815]

I love the puppy drawings looking so derpy

[@14104]

Fido isn't trying to "dominate" you just because he wants to get on the human furniture; Fido just thinks the furniture is more comfortable. Fido isn't trying to be "alpha" when he growls so that you or another animal doesn't take their favorite toy away; Fido just really likes their toy and doesn't yet understand why they should share what's so special to them. Turns out, dogs have individual likes and dislikes... When he or she disobeys, they aren't dominating you anymore than your kid is dominating you when they don't do something they dislike. And some dogs are more rebellious than others. The secret is not to intimidate your dog into submission so that they do the thing, but instead, completely change how they feel about what you're wanting them to do in the first place. Make them think that listening to you is an overall good thing instead of something they do to avoid fear and intimidation. Show dogs, that doing what you want will bring them better reward than whatever it is they're trying to do instead, and eventually their negative emotions towards whatever made them initially uncomfortable will change. Change how they feel on the inside so that they happily reciprocate what you want on the outside, instead of forcing them to block their emotions/urges which is essentially masking the problem. It goes without saying, but in a state of emergency, you of course may need to swiftly and forcefully correct your dog to keep it and/or everyone else safe, and that's understandable. However, it's good that reward-based teaching be your primary tool in most situations and that you try your best to avoid any situations that your dog may need emergency corrections in the first place, obviously.

[@alexl1178]

I feel like this could be also better applied to training humans, such as in education and in the workplace.

[@Isaac-ho8gh]

@@alexl1178 same for all beings who can be raised and/or trained, since this is actually unconditional help or love instead of abuse.

[@charaznable9209]

And when Fido ends up biting the neighbor's kid you get to deal with people calling for Fido to be put down.

[@MrWowwow2211]

@@charaznable9209 Why though, dogs don't normally bite unless they're reinforced with violent tendencies or the person is actively harming them.

[@MrWowwow2211]

even then I've seen dogs go for yelps or barks over biting when being harmed.

[@anameyoucantremember]

Anyone who had read The Jungle Book knew this already.

[@NeaeraNeaeraNeaera]

Thank you SO MUCH for this.

[@ThrottleKitty]

I'd love to see a video on how cats developed the language of "Meowing" for humans. They scream, growl, and purr at other cats, but they only meow for / at humans. It's a language they developed specifically for communicating with us, one that actually works shockingly well. If you take notice of it, all cats share similar pitches and sounds for calls like "I'm hungry", "pet me", "pay attention", "look at that", "help" and other simple things. It's actually so intuitive, if you have a cat you probably understand it without noticing.

[@lemmingscanfly5]

Pretty sure it’s a neotenic kitten call, that they keep since they essentially always have a parent.

[@DanielSMatthews]

"Meeeooow" is ancient Egyptian for "Please don't kill me and bury me along with your recently deceased relative."

[@Rasgonras]

You ever see two cats fight? They do meow at each other.

[@ThrottleKitty]

@@Rasgonras I did include "scream" with the sounds they make! The screaming cats do at one another is very different from "Meowing", in a number of interesting ways.

[@jacquejac1840]

Wasn't that a myth? Think I've seen loads of cat videos where the owner leaves w/a camera running, & their cats meow at each other.

[@justin8865]

Just wanted to say to anyone reading comments "decoding your dog" was a fantastic read and helped clear up some misconceptions. It has actual veterinarians involved with writing it so the stuff holds up.

[@hez987654321]

"NooooOOOOOoooo you can't just diminish my preconceived notions of hierarchy!!!"

[@frankchen4229]

Haha science go brrrr

[@vinslungur]

Are you denying the existence of hierarchies in the animal world? Then I wonder why dog trainers have such good results from directly using hierarchies to control and train dogs. But hey I guess you're the expert here hahaha

[@hez987654321]

@@vinslungur Of course power differentials exist in the animal world and the worlds of domestication. That doesn't mean the hierarchy exists anywhere outside of the mind of the beholder. In the animal world we find these power dynamics are much more fluid than in any human constructed authority structure (corporations, states, race, etc.) A dog and trainer is a perfect example of a human constructed hierarchy.

[@bigyeticane]

What a great video. Thanks guys.

[@juliediamond6017]

So, who's going to tell Cesar??

[@Dommy521]

pretty sure he's trained more dogs than this lady

[@TheGroundedCoffee]

Yeah, but then again Cesar Milan said himself that as a little boy where he lives there was always this pack of dogs. Cesar and his father went out of the house to do some work and then the dogs would follow and help with the work (or something to that extent). My point is that Cesar learned a lot from observing how dogs behaved around other dogs, and also found that there was some form of hierarchy, from the time he was just a little kid. Stuff like that gets ingrained in the brain when you're young. Now I've seen some things on his show that made me raise my eyebrow but also some things that seemed to make a lot of sense and also that it worked. Now I don't know everything and I love to be proven wrong because I like to learn, but it always seemed to me that the guy knew exactly what he was doing.

[@sachamm]

Tell him what? Whether or not his theory of dog behaviour is correct -- which I don't think this video (or even the science) comes close to "proving" one way or the other at this point -- his method clearly works in many cases, including in so-called "lost cause" cases.

[@Red_Crows]

@@sachamm Nobody is saying you can't rule through fear. It is however completely unnecessary. Just like with humans.

[@sachamm]

@@Red_Crows His method is not about fear: it's about communication and dominance. You can use fear to dominate, but there are other methods to dominate: the most effective and fundamental to Cesar's method is what he calls "energy" but which is just state of mind as reflected by body language and action.

[@Vale-nh6ey]

The same thing happens with horses, people try to “dominate” them and it’s much more effective and you’ll have a happier horse if you train with positive reinforcement

[@Vale-nh6ey]

@King of the Manlets yes and no, the male is feared, sure, but isn’t respected, everyone stays away from him because he’s agressive, but it isn’t a good way to train your horse

[@Vale-nh6ey]

@King of the Manlets oh yeah! I agree, it’s just that people often say that meaning that the alpha is respected

[@inorite4553]

.....that is until you have to bite them in the ear to show them who's boss......and they need to stop biting you.

[@Vale-nh6ey]

@@inorite4553 Who bites their horse on the ear? I’m pretty sure you’re just joking, but.... were you?

[@adolfhipsteryolocaust3443]

This only works with docile horses, try riding an aggressive male horse without dominating him if you can

[@lucasharvey8990]

Thanks for the video, SS!

[@alissacuriel6784]

Wolves and dogs have MORE THAN ONE type of social system even in the wild, period.

[@itsjustbree9267]

Many educated people in "the dog world" have been trying to get people to understand this for years, and have been met with vehement objections at every turn, especially with celebrity dog trainers spreading misinformation about the subject. It's great to see that even Scishow - a general science channel not even focused on dogs - has a video on this. Thank you.

[@itsjustbree9267]

@@philquinn400 Did you not see the long list of sources in the description 🤣 You're the one using opinions and not evidence to justify their views here. I sure hope in 2020 we are not judging how educated people are based on whether they've acquired celebrity status .

[@elizaalmabuena]

Phil Quinn have you seen marker training, habituation, do-as-I-do, etc? It is boring to watch, it would not make good tv at all. And I can assure you, within animal behavior/animal training there are names that stand out. Karen Pryor is an easy one and generally the first to come to my mind.

[@XavionofThera]

@@itsjustbree9267 Science is neither a democracy nor a dictatorship. You don't get to cite a paper that agrees with you and declare that your opinion is now a fact and not open to debate. Sciencetific papers can be wrong, people are allowed to still disagree. The idea of an intellectual authority figure is BS.

[@itsjustbree9267]

@@XavionofThera Nobody cited "an article." Scishow made a video on a topic there has been a lot of research on and cited *multiple* articles. I expressed my happiness that this topic has made it onto a popular science channel as people who are educated on the subject have been trying to teach people about this for years. You don't get to hold up your opinion with zero evidence and act like it's just as valid as scientific research and you don't get to say "the research is wrong" because it doesn't match your opinion but provide zero evidence to back up your claims. Nobody said anything about an "intellectual authority figure" or anything being "not open to debate" except you. If people genuinely disagree based on research they can cite the research they think contradicts it for all to read. If they disagree because they just don't like what the research shows but they have no evidence just an opinion, then no I'm not going to take what they say seriously.

[@valeriavagapova]

Do you have any recommendations of KZbin channels about dog training? My family has a problematic dog and it would be really nice to find something that works...

[@waterunderthebridge7950]

In some places, education is still stuck decades ago it seems Also, didn’t know years of werewolf shows were more wrong than it seemed

[@oranjmusemeyer968]

😂

[@Stratelier]

That's popular culture for ya! Whatever captures the imagination (true or not) wins, and when one story makes pay dirt, everyone else starts imitating it. Soon it has become a thing of its own, facts be damned.

[@BlueSkies30]

Doesn't really matter since werewolves aren't real. Whose to say they don't have alphas? Alpha just usually means leader of the pack with werewolves, sometimes naturally born, sometimes by proving their strength and being assigned the role. Sounds more human than wolf. A dictator could be seen as an alpha. And who doesn't have a "boss" in the house who has the final say on everything and dictates everyone else's lives? I know I have one. :I

[@LadySuchiko]

@@Stratelier I shudder to think of a world where fiction can only be based on scientific facts...

[@sdfkjgh]

@@LadySuchiko: More shows like The Expanse? Yes, please! That sounds awesome to me.

[@badgerattoadhall]

ALL social animals form social hierarchy.

[@michaelahanson3222]

So great that this gets more attention! There are SO many missunderstandings in the field of animal behaviour

[@tylers-davies8025]

As a professional dog trainer, lover & advocate for kind, scientific dog training, thankyou for making this! Let's keep updating the general public!

[@LisaGallegos]

Yes - so glad to see this episode :)

[@charaznable9209]

You aren't a professional if you think this dribble is accurate. Every person I've known who rejected the alpha theory has been bitten by their dog.

[@charaznable9209]

Oh and of course you have pit bulls.... Great. That breed really needs more negative stigma due to bad and negligent owners.

[@tylers-davies8025]

@@charaznable9209 goodness me, how incorrect you are. I own a gorgeous Shar pei cross, and am a CPDT-KA certified trainer. "Alpha/dominance theory" is embarrassingly inaccurate, but if you subscribe to it be my guest :)

[@RoseDragoness]

@@tylers-davies8025 Do you think Char's case of dog biting people is because the dogs been trained with alpha theory / negative reinforcements and so they are scared to even receive positive reinforcements? That it will take time to undo the damage and help the dogs becoming non-bitey loving dogs? Or worse, the dog have PTSD from cruel trainings..

[@David-fg4nu]

So you’re telling me I’m not supposed to bite my dogs ear to assert my dominance?

[@CiderDivider]

Cuba Gooding Jr?

[@treborironwolfe978]

If you had a pet shark, would you try to bite their ears too?

[@ultm8ninja]

Trebor Ironwolfe do sharks have outward ears

[@kylestanley7843]

@@ultm8ninja okay, better anology: replace shark with bison.

[@mrclueuin]

Not unless you want to get bit back! LOL 😂

[@HanaEleHH]

I love this video !! Thanks 🥰

[@westzed23]

I have treated my dogs as family. I'm the parent and I'm raising good kids. I've learned over the years that being alpha doesn't work. My first dog and I went to training and being a Terrier he would bark more than the others. He was easily distracted too. Trainer had me switch to a prong collar. He obeyed immediately and cried and cowered. We left that course and by reading for research I used treats and positive reinforcement. I made mistakes but chose what was best for both of us. We've had some "special" dogs over the years and being the parent is how we taught them. They managed their special needs inside the family. We did have veterinary help, and for our last dog a dog behaviorist was added to the vet team. We have to wait to get new dogs because of some construction and needing a new fence. Now that spring is here we're getting excited about soon being able to have dogs.

[@geekfreak2000]

My cat just thinks I'm his hooman. I think he's my baby. We cuddle each other a lot, it works out

[@user-tj2qv3gt9r]

*🌈☄self respect☄🌈*

[@mahtig2251]

Evan and Katlyn fans spotted 👀

[@katdogcat9985]

Cats aren't lions

[@tanvikhare9710]

It's possible that your cat thinks you're it's overgrown baby. And I don't know if this is true but I think that's the cutest thing ever

[@Lickemstick]

3-4 days. The average time it takes a cat before it starts consuming it's owner after death if unfed. Just an fyi to brighten your day. ^. ~'

[@airsickspace9272]

The only reasons I go through the door first is cause the cats a sneaky jerk who keeps trying to get out😂

[@americafirst4585]

Comment of the year !!

[@airsickspace9272]

America first thank you so much

[@airsickspace9272]

Aint Jack i take the cat out on a leash. She hates but loves the outdoors. We found her outside and adopted her (the dog wouldn’t let us leave her either). But we found her near a road so she learned to fear cars but she loves grass

[@2Limm]

I make my dogs wait for me to go through the door first or they will knock me over.

[@dreadcthulhu5]

And if you let them go first they try to trip you.

[@UmVtCg]

A dog feels love for it's owner. This is tested and proven by the release of hormones. No other animal including the wolf has this. True and utter domestication.

[@zeddez3342]

I have been trying to tell people this for years. Great video!

[@vladutcornel]

"Scientists and naturalist have observed wolf packs both in enclosures in the wild. Including one hugely influential one named David Mech" 2:38 That doesn't look like a wolf to me.

[@KnakuanaRka]

Ambiguous syntax, anyone? 😂🤣xD

[@grantbartley483]

honorary wolf

[@TsarLuna]

I’ve been trying to explain this to people for years. Everybody needs to watch this, even people without pets.

[@NoThankUBeQuiet]

Unfortunately the dude bros will still argue as though leash pops and choke chains are somehow gonna make your dog want to be with you. No they need to go outside they don't enjoy the devices.

[@seanmiller292]

This is what you get when betas with single mothers try to interpret alpha mentality...

[@noirekuroraigami2270]

I hit a dog before….turns out that it wasn’t that bad

[@midnightsrequiem3909]

So like while I'll agree that training a dog with the mentality of an actual alpha is flawed what I will say is flawed is her ideas on wold packs. Yes they are not as aggressive and alpha like as we make them out to be but ita common for female wolves who are dominate will stress the other females in a pack out to the point of preventing ovulating thus preventing them from having children. I think they alpha mentality for animals actually works well when used in moderation. Its more about respect then intimidation however most pack animals exercise a alpha like mentality

[@amberkat8147]

Yeah. In dog's minds we are simply their family. Which is why they should eat with us- maybe not the same food, but in the same room at the same time, and sleep in our beds, because you wouldn't kick your child out of bed if they wanted to sleep with you and you wouldn't make them eat out in the garage after everyone else ate. Sometimes you have to be a bit stern about bad behaviors, but never harsh because they just don't understand that, it's more important to be consistent and to praise and reward whatever behavior we want them to learn, just like with human children. It's strange how so many people still don't understand that.

[@hannaciszewska554]

I train obedience with my aussie. I used to not let him on my bed (because "eww dirty dog") but got super lonely after a breakup plus the pandemic, so I started letting him sleep on my bed last year. Our relationship both in training and as a pet improved so much since! He's more happy over all and that makes him more willing to work. He also became more emotionally balanced. So yeah, sometimes what you need is the exact opposite of dominance, sometimes you just gotta snuggle your dog and make them feel loved :) (Obviously I never neglected my dog in the past. I showed him love in other ways, it just so happened that sleeping on the bed turned out to be a big deal for him, and I didn't realize that beforehand.)

[@whilliamnilsson1929]

Because sleeping in the bed is seen as sleeping on the best place, in the wild with wolves its always the alpha who gets to sleep on the best places, thats why your dog is happy, but be careful if you contunie giving him the privilges of an alpha it will become dangerous.

[@hannaciszewska554]

@@whilliamnilsson1929 amazing how you ignored anything in my comment that didn't fit your narrative... A dog is not a wolf. A dog's goal in life isn't to dominate everything and everyone. Especially a shepherd's.

[@whilliamnilsson1929]

@@hannaciszewska554As i said K9s if u acutally read my comment

[@hannaciszewska554]

@@whilliamnilsson1929 you said "wolves act X way, that's why your dog acts X way" :) That's like saying "humans do X because chimpanzees do it"

[@whilliamnilsson1929]

@@hannaciszewska554 Well what you dont understand is that your dog is not a human

[@Isadogcoach]

YES!!!! Thank you Scishow, thank you Olivia!

[@cairosilver2932]

"If you put a bunch of unrelated animals from different regions together..." *The Office theme music starts playing*

[@Anglo-Saxon9]

Based

[@allenzale342]

"despite being only..."

[@jamesriley6344]

What made me laugh is that she was making the point that this isnt like a dogs situation in our home. However, we actually take it from its natural family, then put it in an enclosed area (a house/garden) with strangers ( humans) - the original test is more accurate than she makes out, it would seem.

[@Fillthrill]

@@jamesriley6344 Yeah, human families are exactly the same as bundling up different kinds of dogs or humans.

[@jamesriley6344]

@@Fillthrill if you make a claim like that, you need to be able to give examples and proof.

[@Xaeravoq]

my dog is trained with peanut butter

[@meetaverma8372]

That's wrong

[@scottyhaines4226]

Peanut Butter is its alpha

[@CarrotConsumer]

I'm peanut butter.

[@sfdgdrgdvxff]

@@CarrotConsumer gamer moment

[@nino8482]

My Dog response 💯% of the time if I call my Cat because she wants to play with him 😂

[@notinterested8452]

Beyond sad and very good to see some changes, thank you.

[@whilliamnilsson1929]

This attitude you ignorant people have might get you away with family dogs but if you try this with k9 you will end up being badly wounded or even killed. You cant just try to humanise your dog, after all it is a animal and will always be a animal, yes you should eat before them, no they should not sleep in your bed. We litterly as humans have diffrent ranks when it comes to work for an example, theres the boss, the workers and so on. You cant take away the nature of something that was already decided millions of years ago. Theres a higharchy every where and you are just to dumb to see it and it will get you killed.

[@claireabbott6112]

@@whilliamnilsson1929 Unlike you I will not just copy and paste - so a question - Who is the boss in the house? me, my GSD, or the cat? Will my dog go through a doorway if the cat is sitting there? If the cat is at his bowl - will my dog wait till she is finished? Does he see her tail twitching and think she wants to play? How does she do this when - I often find them curled up together - on the sofa or on my bed? I am a natural leader and do not need to dominate people or animals to prove it. Sadly you are not.

[@whilliamnilsson1929]

@@claireabbott6112 bro I’m not about to write the same thing over and over again just because some people are ignoratn

[@aptorres01]

Great video thanks

[@JayXan]

The study sounds like they grabbed a buncha random prisoner's from different parts of the world, stuck them in a room together and then made an assumption of all humans based off of that.

[@JiveDadson]

Attica!

[@lowkeyhart]

thank you for making this episode, i have been trying to tell other dog trainers that the alpha method is not the best way to train and in fact can be harmful, but most (not all) of the male alpha trainers wont listen to me because im female (so i must be wrong), im happy to finally have a video to send them.

[@johnathanarcher6999]

I doubt this video will do any good, but good luck lol. Ty for training good doggos!

[@mariananda5733]

Shut up female.

[@LisaGallegos]

If you're a certified dog trainer, you don't use the alpha method and you use modern science-based training methods. Those "trainers" you refer to aren't real trainers - unfortunately, it's an unregulated industry so anyone can call themselves a dog trainer.

[@charaznable9209]

You are wrong. Every single person I've known who rejected the alpha theory has been bitten by their animals including my own mother. You probably spend time around dogs that someone else trained. I bet you haven't actually trained an animal before.

[@charaznable9209]

@@LisaGallegos Dogs aren't people. They are dogs. The people who reject the alpha theory are not scientific they are imposing their own human ideals on an apex predator.

[@hectorskmetija3015]

This is fine (positive reinforcement) for most dogs. But ( here is where I get the hate comments) if you have a rescue dog with habits that are potentially dangerous or just a stubborn bugger, corrections do need to be made. I'm NOT talking about beating or hitting. Although a sharp tug on the lead ect to get attention back onto you, is the only thing that will correct or achieve the right behaviour.

[@tr3vk4m]

It's almost like people want it to be true so they can excuse looking up to and being bullying jerks.

[@david-pr3on]

It's almost like the material conditions around animals affect their behavior.

[@Gandaleon]

We're animals, too.

[@julianshepherd2038]

@@Gandaleon and that is dialectical materialism or Marxism.

[@samalass466]

our behaviour*

[@26yd1]

@@julianshepherd2038 Nah it's just materialism, no need to copyright it, any anarchists of the time would agree and were actually the ones to rather conceive the material conditions as being that back and forth movement of "determined determinism", like perpetual evolution, while auths made out some religion out of it and cleared it from any ties with actual materialist philosophy. Today give any liberal a moment to think of it and they will agree, or they do already, but leninists and orthodox marxists are usually stuck in a couple of dead authors and will go on with cringy "objective moment of material conditions of the proletariate blablabla". Marx was an angular stone but let's decopyright materialism from one brand of left that claims to be the only true one.

[@casbot71]

On the internet no one knows I'm a dog - with a nifty _banana skin hat._

[@alexrunzel6532]

Well, well said! Excellent!

[@FireHazardz101]

I was skeptical at first but thanks for the eye opener

[@sharlharmakhis280]

Your dog doesn't think you're their 'alpha', they think you're their *parent*.

[@kylestanley7843]

I'd believe it. Though I like to imagine my shih tzu sees me as a friend. My greyhound/lab mix though? Oh, definitely.

[@Katatawnic]

The alpha (pack leader) in the wild is almost always the parent(s).

[@Naiadryade]

I think my dog things I'm his girlfriend, the way he's always trying to kiss me.

[@kathryngeeslin9509]

I think our feline queen bee was "mom", other cats and me aunt and sibs. When we lost her most turned to the doberman and he was "no way", so our siamese took lead. Although if he thought something or someone a danger he took care of it; that dog taught himself to warn me of some allergic reactions, and to walk at a slant beside/before me (seeing eye fashion, annoying) in town. I miss him.

[@Ruby-xk8kn]

Im fairly sure my dog thinks im his mum because its just me and him since he was a puppy, he is my baby so i dont mind, we dont have a heirachy we just love each other so much.

[@quoiquand2888]

Lol the comment section is so pressed about this topic and honestly it shows the amount of mis-information people have been given about the "Alpha Theory". Watch a couple episodes of It's Me or The Dog and you can hear about what happens when you try using the Alpha theory to train your pets. Almost always results in scarring your pets and destroying any trust between the two of you.

[@rottweiler938]

THANK YOU. That show shows a real trainer who knows what they are doing. And it is a good show too.

[@DemagogueBibleStudy]

@Patrick B Literally no one doesn't believe that lol

[@ashoka7273]

I'm just really glad there is finally a great video that I can link. Bc I'm honestly tired of trying to educate people, because it's always those stern thick-headed people who won't listen to anything and think they're right on everything

[@HackingWithPanda]

People like to go to the extremes. Positive training works for BALANCED dogs, my dog was over energetic and possessive, it came to a point that 3 positive trainers just quit. I got a balanced trainer (ye, he use corrections) and he made a huge difference within 2 sessions.

[@2Limm]

@@HackingWithPanda Hey! no common sense allowed in the comment section!

[@TheSentinelGhost]

The problem is many people who advocate using 'dominance' techniques fail to realise that WE are not dogs. When 2+ 'healthy' canines with in a family group are using these 'dominance methods' on each other, either through play or something more serious, they are continuously communicating, from subtle body signals, to vocalisations, there's always a build up before an all out attack - even if it's within a split second . When it comes to play, both sides will be checking the consent of the other, pushing boundaries but also trying to avoid injury. If things get too rough or one side has had enough this is made clear and usually the perpetrator will stop. When it comes to serious conflict, generally neither combatant wishes for things to lead to injury - after all causing injury, only harms the pack's ability to hunt and survive. So even if things have come to a head there will still be a back and forth 'conversation' between the 2+ canines attempting to resolve the issue quickly, until either one side 'taps out' or achieves their objective... i.e chasing a younger sibling off food. All this is obviously not going to be the case for all 'dominance/aggression' displays - animals can have mentally unstable individuals the same as humans. Most Humans are terrible at reading a dogs body language especially when it can subtle things such as eye movement. The problem arises when a Human blunders in using 'dominance methods' - usually with no escalation or warning and completely ignores all the signals a dog is giving off. So even when the dog is literally pleading with their owner to stop (in doggy language) they are ignored. What does this lead to? Anxiety, stress and fear. A dog will develop the perspective that Humans are unpredictable, aggressive beyond reason and untrustworthy.... which if not dealt with can lead to a BITE. How many times in the news do we hear about dog attacks "coming out of the blue" , "out of nowhere" , " She's never done that before", " They loved my kids" Sidenote: A Refusal to use Dominance methods is NOT a refusal to set boundaries and expectations.

[@2ManyHobbys]

Maybe alpha is wrong, but dogs and household members naturally establish a hierarchy. I'm not saying to ever use punishment for training, but communications is a mix of complex messages both positive and negative that must be understood by both parties otherwise there are negative impacts when training.

[@BaeBunni]

My dog used to shake his butt because when he was a puppy his paws were really big for his small body so he naturally swayed his hips and we kept petting, giving treats, and positive reinforcement for it lol. Thank goodness we trained him to do that apparently!!

[@ellenbrooks8061]

Isn't it funny how they learn to do cute things just because their humans like it? When I got my dog, I would always fawn over her when she made this cute little "mmm" sound, and now she does it as part of her normal daily behaviour. She'll be in the other room and I'll randomly hear "Mmmm" for no reason, it's adorable 😂

[@AaaaNinja]

Anton Petrov the What Da Math guy did a video on why dogs are so friendly. Because they have a condition that is similar to what we call Williams Syndrome in humans. It makes them way super friendly. The reason they can be trained is because they love us sooooooo much and they just want to please us and be our friend. It has nothing to do with heirarchy and obedience.

[@JeremiahWatkins-zv8bn]

Similar to how horses are more cowardly in nature and look to their humans for safety and comfort outside the herd.

[@Aquascape_Dreaming]

Anton is such a lovely guy. He just oozes positivity and friendliness.

[@culturedswine4003]

They’re so friendly cause they were bred to be

[@DruNature]

Hello wonderful person

[@NoThankUBeQuiet]

This. My dog when he was younger was more rewarded by attention and play time than food. As he's gotten older foods become more valuable but at first he was all about that attention

[@uscovenant2350]

My dogs don't need to think I'm an alpha. They know I'm their master and they obey because they are treated as friend or family themselves. They are loyal to humans who treat them right.

[@11ozzielover]

"Master" lmao

[@TheShop90sKids]

Master aka alpha lol call it what you want but it all still means he looks at you as the leader.

[@tresteward4921]

Yes but you still are in control of your dog

[@viipervenom4648]

So ur the alpha then

[@okbill18yearsagoedited25]

If your a master of someone there not you freind or family

[@mikewilliams6025]

I think I"ll take Cesar Milan's opinion over anyone else.

[@harishskumar4491]

Ceaser milan is a true legend.. he never left a dog without bringing it into his control.

[@Algo1]

I was done with the theory when she said "wolves from _different_ packs"

[@iroclife7909]

You buy a grown dog from the store, you are different animals from different packs. 🙄

[@Rainbow-Reilly]

That's literally the point, though. Wolves have only been observed to compete for dominance when forced into captivity with other unrelated wolves. The scientists conducting the research failed to consider that the conditions of the study might change the wolves behaviour. It's like thinking you can draw conclusions about how humans socialize from watching a prison yard.

[@cheflia5555]

Thank you thank you thank you for putting this video out. It's well overdue that the alpha dog myth needs to go away. Abusing our dogs isn't training.

[@aphyngodiva2551]

@Alex Watson Yes, it is. Glad you acknowledge it!

[@rottweiler938]

@Alex Watson Yes it uses fear to control their every move. It's pathetic and stupid.

[@sailoroftheinternet3290]

@@rottweiler938 trained my dog using positive and negative reinforcement and hes good as gold. Giving your dog a clip on the head is not abuse.

[@NotMyAccount]

A true leader doesnt make the other feel insignificant, you make boundaries clear in a asertive way and not through agression... I trained my rottweiler from the moment i brought him home with consistency and he never experienced agression and never felt afraid of me. He trusted me to the point that when a pack of 7-8 agressive stray dogs didnt even faze him because he felt that i was calm enough for him to feel safe so he basically mirrored me in that moment and remained calm and trustful

[@angelaholsapple8830]

Finally! It's being talked about thank you

[@whilliamnilsson1929]

This attitude you ignorant people have might get you away with family dogs but if you try this with k9 you will end up being badly wounded or even killed. You cant just try to humanise your dog, after all it is a animal and will always be a animal, yes you should eat before them, no they should not sleep in your bed. We litterly as humans have diffrent ranks when it comes to work for an example, theres the boss, the workers and so on. You cant take away the nature of something that was already decided millions of years ago. Theres a higharchy every where and you are just to dumb to see it and it will get you killed.

[@Ichigo90]

“Dogs aren’t wolves.” Such an amazing and deep revelation. Glad you mentioned that. The sad part is, there probably are a lot of people who don’t realize that.

[@vixxcelacea2778]

People also need to hear that "Wolves aren't dogs" and stop cross breeding them because almost no one who buys one or adopts on has the training and money to properly have the animal in a safe healthy environment with their needs met. There is a huge reason we domesticated the common ancestor to make dogs in the first place and it's that wolves make horrible pets. We breed animals so that they effectively stay in the mind state of their young for far far longer. Trusting, responsive, less aggressive and social. People also get so uppity and want a real "adult" dog, one that doesn't trust you, wants to go out and do it's own thing, one that is more aggressive and has a lot more instincts kick in. Humans are so strange, wanting to "dominate" nature, to feel like they have power over something that is wild. Then it bites their face due to a miscommunication in which usually the human wasn't paying attention or didn't know the signs and then the animal is put down or thrown out.

[@charaznable9209]

Actually, dogs are scientifically speaking a subspecies of the wolf. So they technically are wolves. Even a chihuahua is a wolf. Saying dogs aren't wolves would be like saying neanderthals aren't humans.

[@danielm.1441]

Now, can we debunk this being applied to 'alpha' men too?

[@kylestanley7843]

Oh my god PLEASE

[@RicardoMoralesMassin]

You can't because they won't listen. I got into it with one guy. I sent him the research disproving the alpha theory, and you know... people are not wolves, how everyone acts different in different situations And... nothing.

[@jeremycbarnhart2305]

I was waiting for this type of comment... Lol RME

[@mrclueuin]

Yes, can we!?👍

[@JukeboxTheGhoul]

Very simple, someone who is considered 'beta' in one scenario, ie at a bar, might lead the pack in a DnD game. Our interrelations are ingrained in to our context

[@sol-leksthewolf5854]

THANK YOU!

[@matthewmontalvo6795]

I used to work in a kennel. I was kind and calm with all the animals. Never had any trouble. Just treat your animals with love and respect.

[@jayfulf]

I like when studies claim to debunk other studies yet neither are conclusive

[@NoThankUBeQuiet]

Well yah it takes repetitive trials ect as well but we can say for sure the first one was badly designed.

[@rampant1apart]

So when a guy says, "I'm an alpha male!" they are inadvertently saying, "I'm a captive of a situation I don't understand and am making up my social structure for lack of anything better"? Something like that?

[@johnmcclane4430]

No

[@8xMorladumx8]

bingo

[@C.Y.123]

Yep

[@melody3741]

LMAO

[@moguhoki]

It's a dog cuddle dog world after all.

[@whitestguyuknow]

4:30 Awe this little dude is on the _offense_ ! Lol him and his little harness

[@johnchief270]

It's hard to say :Goodboy" when he's barking nonstop, he's either gonna think im telling him that because he stopped or because he started

[@noelle5869]

Ahh yes! I'm a certified dog trainer and this has annoyed me for years! The crazy rules people explain to show their dog "who is in charge" always made me feel so sorry for the poor dogs that have to live with owners like that. Positive re-enforcement is definetly the way to go with training any animal! You build a foundation of trust and a willingness to work for & with you. 🐶💕

[@UltimatePerfection]

Somebody show this video to Ceasar Milan.

[@burt591]

It works pretty well for him though

[@sephirothsoul999]

Caesar can't hear scientific consensus over the sound of his laughing to the bank :P

[@ariesambully5620]

@@Visible29929ei Yup, Cesar has revisited his worst bite ever he got from a yellow lab on his channel, and he got it when he was using those alpha techniques! Clearly there's a reason why he's changed over the years! lol

[@chestermencia]

@@burt591 or was it just tv tricks? 🤔

[@Red_Crows]

@@zincorbie He also changes his techniques based on empirical evidence. Which is why he no longer does the alpha dog shtick.

[@crossedkeys]

A good example of a good point told in the wrong tone

[@secretmurderer]

Thank you!!!!! Modern dog trainers have to debunk this daily