A UK-based small animal veterinary surgeon has warned dog owners to steer clear of trainers who recommend establishing themselves as the 'alpha' or 'pack leader', arguing the outdated approach could do more harm than good.
Ben the Vet says owners should "run the other way" if a dog trainer tells them to "be the alpha", claiming such techniques can instil fear in the animal and may be dangerous, particularly with larger dogs.
TikTok video response
In a TikTok video, he addressed footage of a Rottweiler sprawled across its owner, accompanied by overlaid text stating: "Why you need to stop trying to be an alpha to your dog."
He responded by saying: "Now, clearly this is a catastrophic dog bite waiting to happen. I wanted to use it to highlight that if a dog trainer ever tells you to be the alpha, or be the pack leader, you need to run in the opposite direction and find another trainer."
Dominance theory debunked
He proceeded to break down the dominance theory, describing it as an "extrapolation from a study in the 1940s on captive, unrelated wolves forced to live together in a zoo in Switzerland."
He further explained: "These wolves did use aggression to fight for control, but subsequent research has debunked the theory that all wolves behave in this manner, finding that wild wolf packs, which are actually just natural family units led by parents, do not behave like that. More importantly, contrary to what a lot of people claim, domestic dogs are not wolves."
Dangerous techniques
He explained that attempting to 'alpha' your dog, eating before them or asserting dominance does not instil any sense of hierarchy in your pet. Rather, he argues such approaches can instil fear in your animal.
He added: "Your dog doesn't think you're some sort of giant weird dog. These techniques just make them feel scared and can be really dangerous, particularly if this is a big dog we're talking about. When dogs display 'bad behaviour', like growling or guarding resources, almost never are they trying to dominate you. It's almost always driven by fear or anxiety or lack of clear communication. Suppressing those behaviours with force doesn't fix those root problems."
Positive reinforcement advice
He added: "If you need advice to your dog, look for a modern trainer or behaviourist who bases their advice on scientific evidence and focuses on positive reinforcement training. The key is to set clear boundaries, reward good behaviour and build trust, not destroy it."
Responding beneath his post, one commenter wrote: "What you're saying is greatly supported by the way guide dogs are trained. I don't mean fake service dogs, I mean guide dogs trained to lead blind people. You have to be able to put all your trust in that dog and how we approach the training and building of confidence and trust in the dogs meant to one day do that (incredible) work teaches us a lot. I can't trust any dog that doesn't trust me."
Another user commented: "Dogs like kids just need clear boundaries and to feel safe and cared for." A third said: "Yes, look for qualified people who have studied behavioural science we know the theory and how to apply it affectively."
