Dominance Theory and Dogs
by James O'Heare
Dominance Theory and Dogs is an in-depth examination of the notion of social dominance and how it applies to domestic dogs. Social dominance is one of the most controversial topics in the dog behavior and training field and is rife with confusion and misunderstanding. This book will explore sociability and conflict management in general, then explore exactly what is and is not social dominance, and finally, what value it might hold. It will be argued that while social dominance may be of some use in ethology or social-psychology fields, it is of very little, if any, use with explaining, predicting and changing companion dog behavior. It will be argued that the use of social dominance models with companion dogs is harmful because of its emphasis on an adversarial mindset. A behavioral approach to explaining, predicting and changing behavior will be proposed as a vastly more effective and efficient model for companion dog social behavior. On the APDT 2003 Top Ten New Books list.
To Purchase: