As ANE to marauding tribes perhaps right now owners result bone. Social hierarchies do exist groups of domesticated dogs and other species, including humans, and hierarchy can be fluid. As described above, one dog be more assertive one encounter, and more deferent the next, depending on what's at stake, and how strongly each dog feels about the outcome. There are a myriad of subtleties about how those hierarchies work, and how the members of a social group communicate any species. Today, educated trainers are aware that canine-human interactions are not driven by social rank, but rather by reinforcement. Behaviors that are reinforced repeat and strengthen. If your dog repeats inappropriate behavior such as counter surfing or getting on the sofa, it's not because he's trying to take over the world; it's just because he's been reinforced by finding food on the counter, or by being comfortable on the sofa. He's a scavenger and opportunist, and the goods are there for the taking. Figure out how to prevent him from being reinforced for the behaviors you 't want, and reinforce him liberally for the ones you do, and you're well on your way to having the relationship of mutual respect, communication, and communion that we all want to have with our dogs. Comments plus some structure bonding and stability. The dog message was helpful to me for a short time for jump-starting confidence and getting rid of guilt. The trainer reminded me that animal moms discipline their offspring and have to leave their kids alone to get food, I could stop feeling like a bad working mom That was the end of help from -training, however. Both dogs started behaving worse with the trainer's recommended choke collar training. The submissive one shut down after just 2 sessions and the aggressive one got more obstinate over 3 weeks. The trainer's advice was to keep pressing on. her eyes I was soft i.e. not respectable, and unrealistic! It made me doubt myself for sure, but I stuck with own scientific knowledge and direct observation, and it paid off. I looked for evidence that supported compassionate treatment, and lo and behold, it was more logical and effective than the whole dog crap. dogs and I are traumatized and sensitive folk! We bonded and respected each other from the moment we met. Imposing the model where it was neither effective nor desirable would've been tragic. I'm glad that I chose to learn about the reality of nature and own real nature through dogs instead of imposing -made aggression on them. I have to agree that the dominance thing for the most part was a big fail for me. Several months ago, dog started exhibiting aggressive behavior. I tried everything, but she had started to scare me. Several weeks after the behavior started, she went into heat. She went through her entire heat cycle growling at anyone who got near her. After her cycle was over, I had her spayed, I think too early. I should have allowed her hormones to level off before i had the surgery done, but no one told meeeee! the growling continued. Then, about two weeks ago, she was growling at me, I sat down on the couch right next to her and no matter how much she growled, I didnt move away. She moved away, and I moved closer. Finally she stopped growling and laid her head on thigh. I then gave her a treat Have no idea what this method would be called, or why I even thought to try it. But she has been fine since Being that the entire premise of the dominant dog was based off of wolf behavior, it's somewhat amazing to me that we have expert wolf researchers here commenting on this blog. But not a lot of the comments reflect what the published researchers have found, ironically. I wonder why that is... Also, the one thing you need to achieve, the most important part of having a relationship with your dog, is trust. It needs to trust you intuitively and completely. It must understand at the most basic of levels that you never cause it harm and that you protect it. Your dog do the same to you return without question because it wants to, basically, make you happy. It wants to please you because you make it happy return with praise or treats or