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Learn About the Myth of the Alpha Roll and Why You Should Never
Use It For Dog Discipline
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By Lynn Whinery,
Bonza
Canine Education
Need help with dog behavior
problems? Lynn provides clicker dog training classes
in the Imperial Beach or San Diego county area and
is a full member of APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers).
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There seems to be a lot
of confusion about the so-called Alpha Roll — and
justifiably so since this outdated method never made any sense
in the first place! Having studied the history of this maneuver
and its theoretical origins, I think I can set a few things straight.
I invite any correction to the information I provide here.
Alpha Dog Training:
What is a True Alpha Roll?
Is it an exercise done to a dog by a human. There are several
variations, but the main steps would go something like this:
A) The Alpha Roll helps you to establish dominance over your
dog. You do this by making the dog helpless and physically forcing
it to stay in a belly-up position. This supposedly established
you as the "Alpha" and "breaks the dog's will."
B) Place the dog in a Down. Very quickly roll the dog on its
back and hold it there until it submits by lying still and looking
away from your face.
C) Hold the dog in this position for several minutes. If the
dog tries to get up or struggles, hold it down tightly and do
not let it get up! It is testing your dominance.
D) Once in the belly-up position, some of the added niceties
that are recommended are to: A) Pin the dog down by holding its
neck. B) Growl at the dog. C) Shake the dog by the scruff of the
neck.
A quote for one online source explains the source of the idea:
"This maneuver is patterned after something that wolves
and dogs sometimes do to each other while fighting. Brood bitches
will also sometimes roll their puppies in the whelping box."
Back to the key words in this quotation (sometimes, fighting)
in a few moments!
Alpha Dog Training:
Who Originated the Technique: Alpha Roll History
The technique has been around since the 1960s at least. It was
one of the poisonous offsprings of a wolf behavioral study done
in the 1950s. This is the infamous and, in retrospect, highly
flawed wolf study that produced the concept of Pack Theory, which
involves, along with other ideas, the concepts that there is a
strict socialhierarchy in wolf packs, that the Alpha wolf maintains
this hierarchy by controlling all resources and bullying this
subordinates, and that when necessary the Alpha attacks or fights
his subordinate pack members to maintain his leadership.
This study also popularized the ideas of dogs being either "dominant"
or "submissive." So many mistaken assumptions and conclusions
were based on this study, that it would take a dozen posts to
review them! Suffice it to say that more modern wolf studies have
found this view of wolves to be highly exaggerated and inaccurate.
The most serious repercussion of Pack Theory was that it was
immediately applied to dogs, who were thought at that time to
be direct descendants of wolves. (See Coppinger, "Dogs,"
for a strongrefutation of this claim.) So when we use any of the
assumptionsof Pack Theory to analyze or train our dogs, we must
realize that we are using---a flawed and obsolete theory that
was based on an incorrect interpretation and faulty observations
of a single wolf pack 50 years ago; that was then applied to dogs
without testing or questioning whether dogs behaved the same as
wolves! (The clincher is that *wolves* don't even behave like
the wolves in the study!)
When "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" was published
in themid-1970s by the monks of the New Skete Monastery, the Alpha
Roll was recommended in their book. Since the book was a popular
seller and was in many ways a positive training book for its time,
it became a classic, and the Alpha Roll lived on!
However, the majority of the book was written by one monk, Job
Michael Evans. He eventually left the monastery and continued
to train dogs, but after the book was published, he entirely changed
his mind about the Alpha Roll and was said to have greatly regretted
its inclusion in the book. He actively attempted, unsuccessfully,
to persuade the publisher to remove it from subsequent printings.
Finally, a new revised and updated edition of "How
to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for
Dog Owners "
by the Monks of New Skete was published recently, and the Alpha
Roll was deleted from the text. Unfortunately, Job Michael Evans
passed away before seeing this long-overdue vindication of his
change of heart.
The technique was referred to as the "alpha-wolf rollover"
originally by the Monks. In the new addition, the following comments
are made about the technique:
"We no longer recommend this technique and strongly discourage
its use to our clients... It is potentially very dangerous
and can set up the owner for a serious bite in the face
(or worse), particularly with a dominant dog. The conditions in
which it might be used effectively are simply too risky and demanding
for the average dog owner; there are other ways of dealing with
problem behavior that are much safer and, in the long run, just
as effective."
"There is always the chance that autocratic dog owners,
having learned discipline techniques, will misuse them. Watch
yourself -- owners who are physically or verbally domineering
wind up with cringing, neurotic dogs."
Unlike the Monks, there are still many training books and trainers
out there that advocate that the Alpha Roll as well as other "dominance"
techniques be used by owners to put their dog in its place and
enforce discipline through the macho method of dominating the
dog.
Meanwhile, over the past years, the idea of positive training
has become a popular alternative to the adversarial training methods
of the past. Virtually EVERY modern canine behaviorist and modern
trainer now advocate positive reinforcement as the heart of any
training program. These ideas are in direct contradiction to the
use of the Alpha Roll!
Continues below...
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| Patricia
Randall |
| Australian
Shepherds are always alert and incredibly intelligent. |
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Alpha Dog Training:
What is Not an Alpa Roll!
Many people have said that they have never seen a dog roll another
dog over! Instead, it is typical for the (supposedly) submissive
dog to roll over on its own. Also, it has been noted that many
of our dogs roll over just for the fun of it, and actually seem
to enjoy it.
The behavior that is being observed and described here is NOT
an Alpha Roll. For one thing, dog-initiaited Alpha Rolls are almost
nonexistent! Dogs just don't normally roll other dogs!
What we do see are the following NORMAL canine behaviors:
Just as puppies play fight, mouth each other, and chase each
other to practice the adult hunting and communication skills they
will need (or would need if they were not pets), pups also offer
a belly-up roll-over to a companion dog that they are playing
with.
This is no more a sign of submission than chasing and biting
each other is a sign of violent aggression! This play rehearsal,
and it is pleasurable to most dogs. With two healthy pups, you
will usually see the two switch positions. One dog will chase
and then jump on the other who will roll belly up and fight the
first off with its legs and paws. Then, the two will switch roles,
and the previously "submissive" pup will chase the chaser,
who will then roll over! Again, this is not an Alpha Roll--it
is play behavior.
Although this behavior is seen most dramatically in pups, it
can also be found in older dogs when they are in a playful mood.
Dogs will often, as noted by other posters, even offer the behavior
to humans.
Bitches will also roll and turn their pups in various ways, including
grabbing them by the scruff to carry them around. Although when
a pup is in the belly-up position, we might think of the trusty
Alpha Roll, this again in NOT the situation. This is an entirely
different maternal behavior.
Alpha Dog Training:
When Do Dogs Themselves Perform Alpha Rolls?
Those of you who have noted that the "rolled" dog always
rolls itself are quite correct. For the most part, THERE IS NO
SUCH THING AS AN ALPHA ROLL AMONG DOGS!
There is, however, an "Alpha Roll" that wolves will
very infrequently perform. Wolves will roll a challenging or enemy
wolf over with the likes of an Alpha Roll when the dominant wolf
is intent on killing the other by ripping its neck apart! Even
among wolves, this is a rare occurrence. So, to summarize, the
intent of a true Alpha Roll is to kill, not to dominate!
Alpha Dog Training:
The Assumptions and Foolishness of the Alpha Roll:
1) If dogs do have a genetic memory of this behavior, the reaction
we would suspect them to have is one of fear, since the roll-over
was once a vicious attack meant to kill. IMO, this is probably
why some breeds such as GSD's will usually not tolerate the Roll
at all! Some of the breeds that typically do not tolerate the
roll are considered by some to have the most wolf-like qualities.
What you might gain from the maneuver with these dogs is a nice
bite in the face!
2) Assuming the "kill" potential is a distant memory
in most dogs' minds, the Roll still evokes great anxiety and sometimes
aggressionin dogs because, in their view, they are being at least
subdued, and possibly attacked, for no good reason! Many dogs
will learn to tolerate this eventually, but what you have gained
is not obedience or respect, but fear and a very unhealthy adversarial
relationship.
3) The Alpha Roll is based on the idea that if we act like a
dog, we can show our dominance and become the leader, like a dog
would. There are three errors in this logic:
A) Dogs DO NOT enforce dominance with an Alpha Roll, so we
are NOT acting like dogs, nor humans when we execute a ROll.
We are acting like idiots! It is likely that the dog has NO
CLUE what the hell we are trying to do, and this irrational
behavior produces anxiety!
B) The leader in a group of dogs DOES NOT enforce its position
through bullying, it shows its position through calm, confident,
and benevolent leadership. (Another mistaken notion we can thank
the Pack Theorists for!)
C) When a dog is truly scared of another dog, it will roll
belly-up as a sign of submission--although these days this type
of behavior is likely to be called a "calming signal."
The significance of the belly-up posture is to say to the other
dog, "Don't hurt me. I am not a threat." Why would
an owners want to force his or her dog into a position where
the dog is thinking, "Don't hurt me. I am not a threat"?
A truly noble and useful goal, right?
4) A final assumption had to be made before old-time trainers
could advocate that owners and trainers become the Alpha to their
dogs. This is that the position of Alpha is recognized across
species! The assumption that a human can be an Alpha to his or
her dogs leads us into a land of total absurdity! For example,
ponder this simple questions: If your dog was the Alpha but you
usurp that position, what does your dog end up being? The Beta?
If you have several dogs, and your dog is demoted to Beta, then
what is the Beta now?
To conclude, even IF the method worked as advertised, who today
wants to be the Alpha instead of the companion and closely bonded,
respected and trusted friend of their dog? Not me!
Stay tuned for more dog behavior problem and clicker
dog training articles.
If you are interested in trying clicker dog training with your
Aussie you can get the clicker dog training aid i-Click from Karen
Pryor Clicker Training. For help with your dog behavior problem
and clicker dog training classes in Imperial Beach or San Diego
county area contact Lynn Whinery at Bonza
Canine Education.
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