If that's what you believe Shona, then that's your experience of this place, mine is somewhat of a different persepective. Nothing defensive or aggressive about it whatsoever.

Maladay made a comment, and agreed and further added to it, after all, isn't that what this forum is all about? Agreeing and disagreeing with your own experience and opinion? Don't see why my post has to be classed as defensive or aggressive, it was just merely my own opinion, to which you obviously disagree to, but one that we'll have to agree to disagree on

ok ....

Only 10 pages, didn't take me long to find them

Oh so you live with a pack of Malamutes ? Er a pack of two ??? I have friends with a slightly bigger pack of Mals-7 & like a real wolf pack they are all directly related & they are like any other multi dog household & they do have their own pack order, with the mother being the Alpha-no challenges for human world domination & a very balanced household.

I have lived with a pack of a dominant breed-not one or two Malamutes but 11 GSDs(all German working bloodlines-not show dogs). So I am not speaking from watching other peoples dogs for an hour or two(just because I now have 3 BCs & two Cavaliers do not think I base my attitude to dog behaviour on them alone)the majority of my dogs have been working bred GSDs from German bloodlines none of the pretty boy show dogs nor English Alsatians for me. The dogs had a natural pack order lead by my bitch who was a very dominant bitch, she could stop any behaviour by a look not even moving her head. When she died she was replaced by another bitch.

I really do have to smile at people who live with the Husky type breeds & claim that they are "dominant"towards humans. When I was in Alaska the mushers(not the hobby ones)did not consider that they had to "dominant"their dogs, it was much more like a working partnership with respect on both sides. Yes some use "dominance"based training, but the true mushers didn't & relied on their lead dogs(or bitches)to maintain order in the dog part of the team, without any intervention from them.

Dogs are not wolves, they maybe close genetically, but then so are the Great Apes to humans, but many many millenniums have passed since dogs & man split from their wild counterparts. Our behaviours do not closely resemble the Great Apes(haven't made a comfy bed in the trees from leaves & branches recently)

Dogs like most animals live in the now & do not plan for the morrow, no matter what your behaviourist books tell you.

Well, that's a bigger U turn than the ones Gordon Brown does!

Another off-topic discussion

I have 2 Malamutes now yes, although I have had more here, so JodeeUK there really is no need for the sarcastic tone of your post, I didn't post in that manner toward you, so I would appreciate you return the courtesy

GSDs are NOT a dominant breed. Sorry, I also know a breeder of GSDs that had 12 of their own and 9 or 10 fosters in at one time, and owns 2 Malamutes, and they said the two breeds were no comparison where dominance was concerned. GSDs are nothing like Malamutes.

However, I am not here to argue with you about it, or convince you of something you don't understand, I was merely pointing out that you need to accept that some people have different experiences than you and your friends, and just because you yourself have not experienced something, it does not mean that it does not exist, or that the other person is so disillusioned, they do not understand their own dogs ! To say you have not had the experience is one thing, as many people here do, but to insist that it doesnt exist insinuates that we are misinterpreting our dogs wrongly, which is rather insulting. As I said I'm not here to convince you otherwise, but please refrain from insisting on shoving it down out throats that we are wrong, with something we live with

Oh, edited to add, regarding the Mushers in Alaska, their dogs are not house pets, they are purely working dogs, and most of them are not pure anything, the majority are crossbreeds, and you are correct, most say there isn't a dominance issues, which is because a)they are mostly crossbreeds, and b) they are working, kenneled dogs, NOT house pets Also please could you tell me which 'true' musher relies on their lead dog to deal with the other dogs in the team, as apposed to intervening ?

Also I don't remember ever having said I 'Dominate' my dogs Anyone here who has Mals with tell you the same. It's not a case of 'dominating' them, I think this is where many of the misunderstandings come from

I have found many trainers on the forum bounce ideas off other trainers, put there heads together on the more complex cases they have had,
I know I have ran to others with problems looking for ideas, asking if they have had similar cases in the past,
I think so many trainers are scared to say I dont know the answer to your dogs problems, If I dont know,, I will say so then run here looking for it from others who have good experiance behind them,, thats not always trainers, I often ask people who own the breed,

Im sure steve you will add to this forum, We all have worthwhile views,, you seem more than willing to share your knowlage,,
x

Thanks Shona, I hope so to.

I also hope that if some of my views are not agreed with, they are not bounced out of the park vehemently all because somebody uses a different approach.

Saying No! No! No! No! to something I said based on their own personal preference is something that I don't take as being just a disagreement, it's pretty condescending unfortunately and misleads those who read it because they can't differentiate between what cant be done and what should'nt be done based on their own personal preference. Seems a bit silly to me, but that's probably just me, each to their own they say, at least I don't flame others for their own personal opinion and as such, I'll continue ignoring some members on here.

Difference of opinions again.

What breeds do you consider to be dominant then? Your posts would suggest it to be very few, so even if the dominance theory was true, it would apply to very few dogs. If so few breeds are dominant, then the majority of dog-owners won't have to concern themselves with this idea. Therefore, I don't feel it is right for this advice to be given to all pet owners & I don't see how you can agree with this advice being given as a general fix-it rule when you yourself have said the most breeds aren't 'dominant'.