The "dominance hierarchy theory" is badly in need of replacement. Schenkel (at the time,
the greatest living authority on wolves) protested the instant the theory was used to explain the social
organization of wolves, but for some reason everyone ignored him. It didn't take long before the
same myth was being used to tell us how domestic dogs organize their groups. We can't even call
this bad science because, in fact, it wasn't science at all. It was and still is simple human projection.
So how do dogs create stable social systems if not by forming 'dominance hierarchies'? We are
proud to offer here the revolutionary work that gives the real answer to this question.
In her paper, The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog: A Longitudinal Study of Domestic Canine
Behavior and the Ontogeny of Domestic Canine Social Systems, animal behaviourist Alexandra
Semyonova presents a new and accurate model of what the dog is all about. She explains how
dogs construct their social systems -- and that dominance has nothing to do with it. Dogs follow three
simple rules as they interact. These three simple rules enable them to form groups of almost
unlimited size, absorbing both strangers and other species into the groups they form. These groups
are complex self-organising systems, without a central authority. They are much more stable and
elegant -- and at the same time more flexible -- than anything so clumsy as 'dominance' could
produce. The paper is a compact journey into the life of dogs, how they become what they are, and
what really moves them as they construct social relationships.
We also proudly present excerpts from Alexandra Semyonova's groundbreaking new book The
100 Silliest Things People Say About Dogs.
Intended for both beginners and "experts", this serious book takes us through many of the beliefs we
have about dogs, explaining what domestic dogs really are and where their behavior really comes
from. It is a fun, easy read that will change the way you see your dog and greatly improve your
relationship with him or her.
Our newest additions: Work on deaf dogs. The fact is that deaf dogs are not more aggressive than
other dogs. They can learn to do everything other dogs do. They can lead full lives and be as
delightful a companion as any other dog. Nevertheless, deaf dogs constitute a particularly
discriminated and abused group among dogs because they are so often misunderstood. Though we
may prefer to sterilize deaf dogs, there is no justification for killing them just because they are deaf.
We invite you to read our documents on this subject: The Deaf Dog Manifesto and Observations of a
Deaf Border Collie.
Scientists have been studying the wrong animal, and they've been doing it the wrong way. They
study dogs under artificial conditions. They ignore everything they can't count. This means they
have failed to ask some of the most important questions. Scientists have also tended to forget that
they are, themselves, animals whose behavior we need to study. Anthropologists and historians of
science are well aware of this, but it looks like scientists aren't reading their work, or are reading too
little of it, maybe because interdisciplinary study is rare in general. So scientists bowl along unaware
(for example) of how their own psychology is affecting not only which questions they ask, but also
what they perceive while they gather data. This had led to an unjustified belief that they are
objective. In fact, a lot of what they tell us about dogs is a projection of human existential paradigms.
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A website dedicated to telling the truth about dogs
Dogs are not wolves.
You do not need to keep your dog "subordinate."
Dogs build on trust, not on dominance.
The first, most basic dog rule is "no real aggression." Humans need to learn this.