Being Alpha

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    • Gold Top Dog

    Being Alpha


    “Modern” theory training:

    Only positive reinforcement, reward based training. Dominant behavior and physical corrections are ineffective.

    “Old school” theory training:

    You have to be dominant and aggressive to be the alpha, physically correct your dog to get them to do what you want.

    Combining the two: Let’s discuss that possibility.

    What about rewarding for good behavior and a slight touch to discourage bad behavior? Dogs use physical touch as a consequence, is it ok for us to do the same when they do something wrong? Is using a treat a better way to redirect than using a simple touch? Could treats for a redirect and then a reward be confusing?

    • Gold Top Dog

    We aren't dogs so why would we try and "correct" a dog the way a dog corrects another dog?   We're supposed to have the bigger brain which is how we discovered that pack theory and dominance theory are baloney.

    • Silver

    Hey!  I like the combination of the two, I think that there is a lot to be said about being a pack leader, but that doesn't mean you can't be positive! Jackie, what makes the pack theory outdated? I have been reading up and I am not really getting it. I am still new remember, can you explain to me?

    • Gold Top Dog

    David Mech can explain it better than I can.  I've linked to several articles that you might find interesting.  

    www.youtube.com/watch

    www.4pawsu.com/alphawolf.pdf

    www.whole-dog-journal.com/.../Alpha-Dogs_20416-1.html