I voted yes. I dont let the dogs charge through doors, I dont like pushy dogs, I think letting them get away with things as youngsters makes for a bolshy adult. They all get on the furniture, they sleep on my bed, they all eat together, they dont steal eachothers food, nor the cats food, so I guess it works for me.
dawn.

Well I feed Icon before us generally, depends on what time we eat - he goes through doors before me, but he knows I'm in charge (although he's doing the puppy testing thing at the moment) I don't really DO dominance, but he knows I'm mum and he's pup....if that makes any sense?

i do - sam is the dominant female - she always has been - she sadly is being taken over by millie - millie ahs picked up on sams weakness after her stroke and is trying to dominate her

i separate them and if say - millie is fighting over sams chew - sam keeps the chew and millie has 'time out' whcih works well imo

rightly or wrongly this is how we work - which seems to work

imo i dont think theres right and wonr gbaout this like - mahooli proabbly does complete opposite to us like you stated before which isnt the right way or wrong - suits you like our method suits us -

feeding from the table occasionally - because we dont want to encourage scraps

i cross the road before my dog, i eat before my dog - i take their food up when i want - and if i feel like sticking my hand in the bowl while she is eating i will and can, if she has alittle bit of chew that shes getting snappy about (millie) its taken off her - if she gets very snappy its time out (twice shes got snappy - no shhouting or anything just quietly take her to time out (cage))

millie sleeps in my room, always has - she is allowed on my bed when im in the office, but as soon as i go to bed, she gets off - i dont have to tell her

she does not get on my bed while im in my bed unless i say so.

they are a llowed on the settee - its leather so we hope they dont ruin it lol -

i sound like a tight cow in some ways but these are our methods to stop fights and keep thepeace which so far seems to be doing ok

gawd i ramble on lol!!!

I voted no Ollie goes through doors first,he gets his breakfast same time as us his tea is just before we eat.He has never been fed off our plates and he only comes in our bedroom if invited this is because we have to be careful of his joints being a large dog so keep him off the stairs as much as possible and there would be no room for us if he slept on our bed.
He is allowed on the sofa.I don't have any problems he has always known if he gets pushy who the boss is.

No I don`t `do dominance`, the original theory which is so rife today was debunked by the originator when he realised he`d got it all wrong, but an awful lot of people do still believe the old theory or completely misinterpret the whole dominance thing full stop. My dogs go through doors before me, sleep with me, eat before me, but have`nt yet decided to mount a world coup

Theres dominance within my dogs itself but not within us as humans they have made no plans yet to overthrow us and rule the house...

Mine walk through doors 1st and they get fed before us or we end up with a house full of drool as they are starving and watching a family eating wouldnt be my kind of heaven either They rarely beg or give the doe eyed look when we are eating as they are satisfied...

They sleep on the sofas as i dont want to risk my neck on an ill timed head lift when stepping over them, they get off when required quite easily...

Manners and basic obedience matters in our house not the dominance theory...

I don't believe in the pack theory when used in the context of humans and dogs. I see the human/dog relationship more as that of a parent and child with the 'human parent' providing for the child and teaching it what is acceptable behaviour (taking into account normal canine traits).I think what is often termed as 'dominant behaviour' between dogs and humans is just dogs being dogs and exhibiting normal canine behaviour which may have been misunderstood or incorrectly handled by humans. If a child behaves badly you don't say it is being 'dominant' but that it hasn't learnt good manners or how to behave correctly. Likewise I think so called dominant dogs are dogs which have not been taught acceptable behaviour, I don't think for a moment they see themselves as 'pack leaders' in a human family.

I believe there is a hierarchical structure between some dogs. We used to have around 20 dogs together in one area and one bitch in particular Franny was very much in charge. If any dogs were removed for say grooming/walking/going to a show on their return Franny would always growl and stand over them, her position was never challenged. The other dogs had a fluid 'order of importance' which changed all the time. Only Franny kept her position. When she died (of Pyometra) no other dog took on her role.


(Franny is second from the right in the picture with the cross face )

I can sometimes see it between the dogs, but like others have said, I don't go along with the pack theory between humans and dogs.

A lot of behaviour problems are passed off as dominance issues, when actually the dogs have just not been trained any better. For example, I've seen lead pulling being blamed on dominance, but the dog just wants to walk faster to get to wherever we're going! I used to be all for it, but having read more about it, it just doesn't pass with me.

My dogs have a pack order..Cruiser is top, then Seiko then Lola.. They are fed in that order and treated in that order and taken out in that order etc..


My dogs have a pack order and we reinforce that order.. They are fed after us.. They get on the furniture/bed etc if they are invited..
I am top above them all.. My dogs are all well behaved..

I'm not sure really!

There's no "dominance" theory practiced in our house, other than good manners.

Isla (I won't include Pickles in this as he's not really aware that he's a dog, so it's pointless really! ) eats whenever someone has a spare moment, she's not allowed to charge through doors because she's been taught not to and she does as she's asked because she knows if she doesn't she won't get what she wants etc.

So I think I personally don't subscribe to it, but can see how it may be necessary with breeds that can be, how can I put it, hardwork?!