The common belief that it is necessary to execute physical alpha displays are false and dangerous.

Alpha-ism suggests that the way to a well-behaved dog is to act like boss-wolf, the leader of the pack. It demands the execution of ritualistic behaviors of dominance, for example the popular forced roll on the back or pin on the side.

That belief is false, for following reasons: The dog lives in a human society. Even if one is fluent in doggish, which most people aren’t, including trainers, even high profile ones seen on TV, and engage in all ritualistic behaviors accurately, it still doesn’t teach the dog to maneuver the human world. One example is a dog that remains calm only as long as no one looks at him. That is not what people do. In real life, if you walk your pit bull down the road, people look. Guaranteed. So he has to learn to accept that; to remain relaxed when given visual attention by a stranger.

A leader tries to raise a subordinate to his level as much as possible; instead of stooping to the level where the subordinate functions.


An alpha roll only works with dogs that already feel weaker than the owner. In that case, it is absolutely unnecessary because the dog is voluntarily submitting and likely gives subtle submissive signals the owner doesn’t comprehend.

The dog that feels superior to the owner will struggle and challenge and bite when forced into an alpha roll, or accepts it as a puppy and challenges when an adult. Or accepts it only from the one physically stronger but redirects against weaker members in the social group or environment.

Even if you can pin your mutt, can your 5-year-old? If you pin your dog, you force him into, what I call, “superficial pretend submission”, which is no more than a learned physical response to pacify the “bully” for the moment. Submission and deference can’t be forced. It is offered to a leader who is trusted and respected. If you force your dog into a certain physical position, misconstrued as deference, the behavior is expressed only in association with you. Your dog can never be trusted when not under your control.

Alpha-ism doesn’t see that as a problem, since it also believes that only the physically strongest member rules the pack. Except that, again, is not the real world. The dog lives within a human social group that consists of many levels of confidence and strengths. And the dog is expected to be safe and respectful to everyone, not just the physically strongest and most assertive person.

In addition to being useless in the real world, dominance displays are also misunderstood.

Forcefully taking food and toys away teaches resource aggression. The wolf/dog, and human, rule is that possession equals ownership. Taking a possession away from a person is called stealing and against the law. The same rule applies with socially normal dogs. Denying access to a resource is a sign of superiority.

Forcing a dog on a choker and short leash to walk behind the owner has nothing to do with following. Read more about a proper dog walk.


Eating First – sharing food and resources is a sign of high status. Members of a social group eat together, unless there are limited resources. Don’t you have enough to eat for all of you?

Exiting and entering first: aside from the fact that it can rarely be enforced consistently – you might enter your home first, but do you also enter the car first and then invite your dog in - the door space is but one space, although an important one, that a dog can control. Space control is important in leadership, but that includes any space a dog claims. A fact most people aren’t aware of and don’t pay attention to.

Door reactivity when the bell rings often has nothing do to with the door space in itself, but it is the chain of associations and anticipatory arousal that elicit the barking, lunging or jumping. Beginning with the doorbell, or the sound of a car driving up, the dog becomes excited because he knows the sequence of events. The reactivity increases and reaches its climax when the stranger enters. A frustrated owner who barks commands and physically controls the dog, charges her up even more.

A well-balanced dog who accepts leadership can claim the door and remain completely non-reactive when a stranger arrives, moving quietly out of the way. So, it has nothing to do with space and all with the relationship. Although door management is part of behavior modification, focusing on the door only is a tell-tale sign that space control, as part of resource control, isn’t grasped by the trainer.


There is nothing natural about the domesticated dog. Nature’s rules do not apply, even if they were interpreted correctly, which is generally not the case.

The domesticated dog is part of a complex, interspecies social group and not a member of a wolf pack. Misunderstood alpha wolf rules applied to the domesticated dog, by people, create confusion, fear and resistance, and puts the dog on guard against human attacks. It teaches defensive aggression where there was none before.

Forget about alpha rituals and learn how to teach effectively and without force.