Dominance in Dogs: Fact or Fiction?

by Barry Eaton

Is Your Dog Trying to Dominate You?
You may have read books or seen TV shows that tell you that your dog will seek to dominate you, your family members and other pets unless you become the alpha and put him in his place. The theory is that since dogs evolved from wolves and wolves (supposedly) form packs with strict pecking orders and battle each other to become the pack leader, your dog will do the same within your household. In this new US edition, author Barry Eaton separates out the facts from the fiction regarding dominance in pet dogs, presenting the reader with the results of recent research into the behavior of wolves and the impacts of selective breeding on the behavior of dogs. The results may surprise you and will surely inform you.

You will
Wolves in the wild do form packs, but they are largely peaceful and cooperative family units.
Many of the behaviors and drives that wolves live by have virtually disappeared from pet dogs due to the impact of selective breeding.Poorly trained or under-socialized dogs may engage in certain behaviors such as resource guarding (food, toys) that may make them appear to be trying to assert dominance. However, these are problems that can be brought under control by training and management and will not be solved by an owner trying enforce his or her dominance over the dog.
Many of the training or pack rules associated with those who claim you must dominate your dog have no basis in reality in terms of wolf behaviors and. if taken to an extreme, can be harmful to your dog.
A simple and logical set of guidelines to raise and train a dog in a positive and effective manner.

What dog trainers are saying about Barry Eaton's Dominance in
Learning is best done by challenging the old mythologies and this book surely does that.
Prof. Ray Coppinger

Thanks for the opportunity to see your fantastic book. Excellent. We do have an uphill battle as the sheer amount of repetition of the Dominance concept has cemented it into the public land.
Jean Donaldson

Dominance in Dogs - Fact or Fiction is a little book with a big message. Without wasting words, Barry Eaton dispels the dominance myth and its insidious rank-reduction program, which is nothing more than an arduous task for owners to make their poor dogs' lives a misery.
Dr. Ian Dunbar

Genres: Dogs, Animals, Nonfiction, Reference

88 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Dr Ian Dunbars review says it all " Dominance in Dogs, Fact or Fiction is a little book with a big message. Without wasting words, Barry Eaton dispels the dominance myth and its insidious rank reduction program, which is nothing more than an arduous task for owners to make their poor dogs lives a misery. "

[Why Dog Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s quality, not quantity?” Well, this little book is a great example of that, for within its short 64 pages of content lies a lot of straightforward information. I like this book a lot because it is quite the opposite of many other similar books out there in that it is short and straightforward, but not lacking in quality or heart. I say heart because you can tell while reading this book that the author really believes what he is writing and wants his readers to believe it too. Indeed, I found him quite compelling in his arguments as he quotes many other authors and scientists who all conclude and agree on one thing: dogs are not wolves and shouldn’t be treated as such. Even if you go into this book already knowing that fact or if you believe the total opposite, Eaton will do a good job of convincing you of his argument by his sheer collection of relevant and up-to-date information on the subject matter. He is no Shakespeare when it comes to his writing, but he is in love with dogs and dog behavior, and he does a good job of challenging social norms and the common belief that dogs are just like tame wolves. This is not a book on dog training (although there are a few tips), the history of the dog, or anything of the like. This book focuses solely on one topic: the proof that dogs are not dominant, tame, hierarchy-seeking wolves. I was able to read this book in two days (and I’m sure others could do it in a few hours even) and felt quite content and confident in what I read afterwards. I hope you’ll give it go because it won’t take up too much of your time, but it will lead you down a path to better understanding your dog.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book and Must Read. I wish I could give more stars to this book.

Stop abusing your best friend just because some trainers misunderstood faulty and outdated scientific research. We are to be their guardians, guides, caretakers and friends and not violent and abusing pack leaders or “dominant alpha”.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good (fact/study/science supported!) book on how dogs are not trying to dominate us at all. That old misconception has done so much damage to the dogs that it’s high time we finally spread the word “they are our best friends, our companions, not our competitors or overlords”.

Dogs are the best. 💚

[César Muela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corto y directo al grano para desmitificar las teorías de dominancia en los perros. Si buscas consejos o pautas concretas de comportamiento, este no es tu libro.

[Annerie RooibosReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing and short book on why the dominance or 'pack' theory is not a valid or scientific method to train and treat our dogs. This is an absolute must read for all dog owners.

Barry Eaton explains how the dominant theory and pack rules can cause more damage than good, why it is not applicable to dogs as descendents from wolves and why dogs generally do not understand it. He does this in a very relevant, scientific and humorous manner which I enjoyed a lot!

[Salix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars - "I liked it.". Solid but dated. Not the right tool for changing minds, if you intend on gifting this book.

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While the book offers valuable insights, it occasionally relies on outdated language - using terms like "command" and "obey" rather than the more modern, relationship-based "cue" and "respond." More significantly, the author relies on the 2008-era belief that dogs are direct descendants of extant grey wolves:

"In fact, most scientists agree that the dog (Canis familiaris) is descended from the wolf (Canis lupus). (...) There is strong evidence therefore that the wolf is the ancestor of the dog"

Modern dogs and modern grey wolves are sister taxa. This means they share a common ancestor but moved down different evolutionary paths.

Key studies (notably by Freedman et al, in 2014) used whole-genome sequencing to prove that the "direct descent" model was wrong. They showed that the wolf lineage that led to dogs split off between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago.

The author also insinuates that brain size correlates to intelligence. A comprehensive 2023 review of 88 studies comparing cognition in domesticated vs. wild animals (including canids) found no clear overall pattern: ~30% showed wild animals superior, ~30% showed domesticated superior, and ~40% showed no difference. Domestication does not reliably make animals "dumber." More: Study Link

"While the skulls shown in the photo above are from two 95 pound canines, a dog’s brain has become about 20% to 25% smaller than that of the wolf, all else being equal. This has lead to the theory that wolves have larger brains and are more intelligent because they have to work to survive, while most dogs do not."

The book also says that the sire will leave the dam and that the dam raises the puppies alone. Key most-recent sources include Pal et al. (2021) on mothers vs. allomothers, Paul & Bhadra (2016/2018) on joint-family allo-parenting, Natoli et al. (2021) genetics, and the 2025 PNAS synthesis across multiple continents refute that.

"The bitch is left to raise her pups entirely on her own, unlike a wolf pack where the entire pack is involved in looking after the cubs."

In these studies it is shown that female relatives (matrilineal kin such as maternal grandmothers, aunts, older sisters, or daughters) frequently help with rearing via allomaternal/alloparental care. The sire (or "putative father") sometimes stays with or associates with the dam and provides limited paternal care, especially in the first 6-8 weeks postpartum. This includes guarding the litter (vocalizations or attacks on intruders), playing, and (rarely) regurgitation feeding.

Though I agree with the author's stance against "alpha" training myths, the delivery is occasionally unprofessional. For a book intended to change minds, the aggressive tone in the foreword may alienate the very readers it seeks to educate:

" 'Domestic dogs are trying to dominate us.' - Oh! Get a life!
'We should issue a pre-emptive strike and dominate dogs by enforcing strict rules harshly.' - This has to be the flimsiest, most thinly-veiled excuse for littlebrained, schadenfreude
types to label poor dogs as our adversaries in the training arena and in the home."

While the passion behind these words is understandable, starting a dialogue with insults often triggers defensiveness rather than openness to change.

The author's stance on dominance is nuanced but somewhat contradictory. At points, he describes dominance as an innate, "hard-wired" ritual:

"Making a dog submissive is not something you can train a dog to do. “Be submissive!” No, it doesn’t work like that. A submissive behavior is innate. It’s a natural behavior, it’s part of dominance/submissive ritualized behavior that is hard wired in a dog."

"There are two aspects of dominance that do apply to pet dogs. The first is when a dog, either through unfettered access or inadvertent training, learns how to maintain access or control
over a particular resource, be it a food bowl, toy or couch. In that case, the dog may display
what can be termed resource guarding to maintain control over a resource from other dogs
or people. Fortunately, that aspect of dominance can be avoided or solved though proper
training and management techniques that do not involve the use of aversive methods."

However, he correctly distinguishes between the "family unit" of a wolf pack and the "loose social group" of feral dogs. He argues that because dogs are not wolves, they do not seek to be "pack leaders" in a human household. This is supported by the fact that humans cannot accurately mimic canine ethology:

"To add to the confusion, pack rules are based on canine-to-canine
communication, but we can only communicate using human methods—we cannot mimic
canine behavior any more than a dog can mimic ours. Dogs are conspecific so they won’t
perceive themselves as part of a human pack, therefore if we try to enforce pack rules, the
dog won’t understand what we are trying to do and we could end up with one very confused,
depressed dog.

(...) The dog is not going to be dominant and raise his status in the human pack because he’s not part of the human pack. Part of our social unit?
Absolutely—but not our pack. Equally, we don’t have to be dominant over the dog by using
so-called pack rules as they are totally inappropriate and the dog won’t understand what we
are trying to tell him."

"Feral dogs live a very different lifestyle to that of wolves. These dogs frequently join and leave the group and there are not the complex rules that wolves live by. The social structure
is very loose, whereas a wolf pack is very cohesive. Few, if any, feral dogs are related, unlike
the family unit of a wolf pack. When a bitch comes into season, any male can mate with her,
and she can mate with more than one male, as there is no breeding pair. (...) Because of the different social ecology between wolves and feral dogs, Boitani et al. (2008) uses the term ‘group’ instead of ‘pack’ to describe feral dogs as they do not fit the true pack model."

[verochan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leída la versión en castellano: Dominancia ¿Realidad o ficción?

Considero este libro un must-have tengas o no perros, ¿por qué? La mayoría de la gente tiene una idea totalmente errónea de cómo está formada y cómo funciona una manada de lobos, eso de “luchas de poder para escalar posiciones jerárquicas” y lo mismo pasa cuando un perro tiene problemas de agresividad: “es porque es dominante”, cuando lo que hay detrás de esa agresividad son otro tipo de causas como la protección de recursos.

Estos y otros mitos son analizados y desmentidos, proporcionando una visión más realista de cómo actúan lobos y perros.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine that this is a helpful read for anyone who believes that dog training should involve trying to dominate dogs, or who believes that dogs behave like captive wolves. I did not believe these things but read the book for a course I'm taking. Eaton offers readers step-by-step explanations of why the whole dog dominance theory is flawed, beginning with the fact that not even wolves behave the way this theory claims they do. He also offers a good, if slightly old now, reference list for further reading.

[Fanny Williot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un super petit livre qui vient bouleverser notre rapport aux chiens et notre interprétation de leurs comportements. Un livre que tout propriétaire et professionnel du monde canin devrait avoir lu. En parfaite complémentarité avec le livre de Turid Rugaas sur les Signaux d’apaisement.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every dog owner especially those who are still following outdated and just plain false rules of dominance.

[Paulina Kubica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maksymalnie rzetelna jak na stan wiedzy w 2010 r

[Lorna Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so logical and is the go to if you want to get yourself updated in your knowledge on our domestic dogs.

[Iveta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Útlá knížečka, kterou bych ale doporučila všem majitelům psů, kteří si občas nechávají našeptávat všemožné rady ať už od jiných pejskařů, či samozvaných psích psychologů typu Rudolf Desenský nebo Cesar Millan. Barry Eaton boří staré teorie o dominantním chování psů ve vztahu k člověku za pomoci logických příkladů, do kterých často zakomponovává i chování své vlastní fenky. To, co často lidi svádí na "dominanci" je ale pouze nevychovanost psa, jeho touha dělat si, co chce a nejasnost pravidel soužití mezi lidmi. Často takové problémy vznikají nedostatečnou socializací psa ve štěněčím věku, promíjení mu spousty prohřešků, které jsou roztomilé, když jsou prckovi tři měsíce a váží deset kilo, ale které ztrácí svou krásu když pejsek vyroste, vymění chrup, nabude na objemu a začne si třeba místo na pohovce bránit vrčením. Tady opravdu nejde o dominanci, ale prostě o to, že "jeho místo" je mu najednou sprostě upíráno a to pro něj bez jasného odůvodnění.

Pravidlo o procházení dveřmi jako první sice u nás doma uplatňujeme, ale ze zcela jasných důvodů. Aby se pesan neřítil na ulici, aniž bych já jako psovod měla o situaci už dávno přehled. Psa může zaujmout cokoli na druhé straně chodníku - a cestu přes silnici by nemusel ustát v plném zdraví.

Naprosto paranoidní představy, že pes chce řídit vaši domácnost pak považuji za naprosto směšné. I ty zde Eaton skvěle vyvrací. Výzkumy vlků a jejich chování v zajetí a ve volné přírodě jasně ukázaly, že se obě skupiny zvířat chovají naprosto odlišně v různých situacích. Takže srovnávat chování psa a vlka (ať volně žijícího, nebo chovaného v zajetí) opravdu nemá žádné logické opodstatnění.

Moc pěkná kniha, kterou si ale lidé, kteří by ji nejvíce přečíst potřebovali, zřejmě nikdy neotevřou a stále si budou kopat na svém písečku a do lidí neustále cpát teorie o tom, že psa je třeba zlomit, aby se člověku naprosto podřídil.

[Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction!

There's so much information that one can get about dog behavior from the internet and just about anyone wanting to share an opinion... When I became a dog parent, the question of how to deal with being a good dog parent was baffling to say the least... what and who to believe?

Barry Eaton comprehensibly and persuasively explains that:

- Dogs are Not Wolves
- Dominance in Dogs is Fiction

The book throws light on the evolution of dogs from the common wolf ancestors, and why dogs are dogs and not wolves. The author explains with clarity how dogs behave and why; how they learn to react to the environment... The lesson I took away from the book is that each dog is an individual in him/her-self... and must be dealt with as such.

This is THE book to read, for all the people with antiquated interpretations on being an 'Alpha' to their dog...

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little, but very good book that adresses some common misconceptions about dog/human relations. Written in easy english but with a good balance of scientific evidence/facts... and with a nice touch of humor. In my opinion, one of the better books about dogs that have been publiced the last years and I really like the fact that the autor is trying to do something to help some myths out of this world.

[Ant · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some useful information here, but hidden inside a lot of confused logic. I think it would have helped if the author had concentrated on proving his point instead of trying to prove all the other theories wrong.

[Elizabeth Frum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me ruin it for you: pretty much completely fiction, at least the way most people think about dominance. Read this if you need convinced that your dog isn't sitting around plotting ways to dominate you. They really aren't.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched little book, good content, and well organized - an easy read (I read it in one day). I only give it 3 stars just because I found the writing style annoyingly bombastic at times; there is no reason to tell readers what to conclude - it is enough to provide the evidence.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10 - (I read this as a component of a dog-training course)
Don’t let the small size of this book deceive you - it is packed full of information! Helping the world to realise that dominating your dog or being “the leader of the pack” is complete BS. Give it to your old-school training friends ⭐️

[Alča · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book when breaks down the myths

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book with lots of great information and ammunition for de-bunking the harmful dominance myth that influences so much 'traditional' dog-training.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short book which lays out the problems with the dominance argument. Not necessarily the best writing, but an important topic.

[Demi Dema · Rating 4 out of 5]

perspective changing book, easy to read and with several references in case one wants to go in depth on the topic.

[Jane Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally someone's got it right

A brilliant expose of the 'pack leader' theory and why it is totally flawed. Short, concise and hard hitting writing.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, concise and clear. The points made in this book are fantastic in dispelling theories about wolf and dog behaviour.

This is a great read for any dog owner/lover.