Page 51 - Dog-Harmony Life Summer 2021 V3Q2
P. 51
A dominance-submissive APPLYING DOMINANCE
relationship does not exist until THEORY TO HUMAN-ANIMAL
one individual consistently INTERACTIONS CAN POSE
submits or defers. In such PROBLEMS
relationships, priority access
exists primarily when the more Even in the relatively few cases
dominant individual is present where aggression is related to
to guard the resource. For rank, applying animal social
instance, in a herd comprised of theory and mimicking how
several bulls and many cows, the animals would respond can pose
subordinate males avoid trying a problem. First, it can cause one
to mate when the dominant to use punishment, which may
bull is near or they defer when suppress aggression without
the dominant bull approaches addressing the underlying cause.
(Yin 2009). However, they Because fear and anxiety are
will mate with females when common causes of aggression
the dominant bull is far away, and other behavior problems,
separated by a barrier, or out including those that mimic
of visual sight. By mating in this resource guarding, the use
manner, subordinate bulls are of punishment can directly
not challenging the dominant exacerbate the problem by
bull’s rank; rather, they are increasing the animal’s fear or
using an alternate strategy for anxiety (AVSAB 2007).
gaining access to mates. In Second, it fails to recognize
our relationship with our pets, that with wild animals,
priority access to resources dominance-submissive
is not the major concern. The relationships are reinforced
majority of behaviors owners through warning postures
want to modify, such as and ritualistic dominance and
excessive vocalization, unruly submissive displays. If the
greetings, and failure to come relationship is stable, then
when called, are not related the submissive animal defers
to valued resources and may automatically to the dominant
not even involve aggression. individual. If the relationship
Rather, these behaviors occur is less stable, the dominant
because they have been individual has a more aggressive
inadvertently rewarded and personality, or the dominant
because alternate appropriate individual is less confident about
behaviors have not been trained its ability to maintain a higher
instead. Consequently, what rank, continued aggressive
owners really want is not to gain displays occur (Yin 2007, Yin
dominance, but to obtain the 2009). People who rely on
ability to influence their pets to dominance theory to train their
perform behaviors willingly — pets may need to regularly
which is one accepted definition threaten them with aggressive
of leadership (Knowles and displays or repeatedly use
Saxberg 1970; Yin 2009). physical force.
www.dog-harmony.org • dog-harmony life 49
