The Flawed Alpha Wolf Theory

Somewhere, somehow, humans decided that successful human-to-dog relationships would need to parallel the wolf-to-wolf relationships demonstrated within the wolf pack. After all, if dogs are descended from wolves doesn't it make sense that dogs would maintain the same 'pack' hierarchy and social order as their ancestors?

For decades that was certainly the popular belief - so dog training methods and techniques were developed based on the belief system that humans must hold the 'alpha' status and be 'dominant' over the family dog in order to keep it in line.

Now it's 2012, and it has been over ten years since the alpha/dominance wolf pack research and theory was found to be flawed and invalid, yet many dog trainers, veterinarians and others within the canine industry continue to promote and apply the alpha/dominance wolf pack theory to dogs and canine behaviour in general.

This is problematic on a number of different levels but before delving into the repercussions (that will be for a follow up article) let's understand how this mistaken belief system got started in the first place.

 
An interview with Adam Miklosi (The Family Dog Project - Budapest, Hungary)

► The Origins

In the 1940s a man named Rudolph Schenkel published a ground-breaking research paper on how wolves interacted. His research was based on studying randomly selected unrelated wolves from different zoos and placing them together in a captive setting. He reported that an "alpha" pair of top ranking male and female wolves eventually emerged after fighting their way up the ranks. His research findings were used as the foundation for a belief system on wolf pack social order (both wild and captive) thereafter.

Around twenty years later L. David Mech published his highly influential book "The Wolf, Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species" and, as was the norm, cited Schenkel's work and findings.

In Mech's own words: "I crafted my book The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species in the late 1960s. This book was a synthesis of available wolf information at the time, so I included much reference to Schenkel’s study. The book was timely because no other synthesis about the wolf had been written since 1944, so 'The Wolf' sold well. It was originally published in 1970 and republished in paperback in 1981 and is still in print. Over 120,000 copies are now in circulation. Most other general wolf books have relied considerably on 'The Wolf' for information, thus spreading the misinformation about alpha wolves far and wide."

In the 1990's Mech spent years living with and studying wolves in the wild on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian arctic, and observed the behaviour and social structure of free-living wolves that changed his way of thinking. Instead of witnessing dominant/subordinate pack hierarchies, he found them to be comprised of leader/follower relationships. Mech determined that the existing theory and literature (including his own book 'The Wolf') on the alpha status and hierarchy of wolf packs was misleading and he decided to "correct this misinformation".

► Publishing The Correction

In order to correct his previous work he published an article in 1999 titled, "Alpha Status, Dominance and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs" in the Canadian Journal of Zoology. A year later he continued his efforts to clarify the parental roles and social order of the wild wolf pack with another article titled, "Leadership in Wolf, Canis Lupus, Packs" in Canadian Field Naturalist.

 
An interview with L. David Mech

► A Family Group

Through Mech's important field work, the understanding of wild wolf packs has changed and has been validated by further research. We now know that most free-living packs are family groups that are formed in much the same way as human family groups, and that the breeding pair of wolves lead their pack in much the same manner as a human father and mother lead their family. This is done through experience, strength, respect and leadership - not by dominance or aggression.

► Repercussions For Dogs

While people cannot be blamed for following the standard belief system of the day, there should be an expectation that professionals within the canine industry would update their techniques and practices when the theories in use are proven to be flawed or invalid.

Dog training methods and techniques have come a long way in the last twenty years due to the introduction of much more humane and effective positive-reinforcement based practices, yet alpha/dominance based training is still widespread. I have often read that changes to belief systems may take as many as twenty years before the 'change' filters down to the masses and becomes the new standard. If that is true, based on Mech's publication date we still have several years to go - and what will be the repercussions for dogs?

In the meantime we must continue educate, advocate, and demonstrate the effectiveness of humane and positive reinforcement based training as to help as many dogs and owners reach their full potential as possible.

Quotations courtesy of "Whatever Happened To The Term Alpha Wolf" an article written by L. David Mech, published in 2008. Click here to read the entire article.

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