The Myth of Dominance: What Neuroscience Reveals About Dog Behavior
If you’ve ever watched a dog training show, scrolled videos for dog training advice, or heard someone tell you to “be the alpha,” you’ve run headlong into the dominance myth. The idea is simple and sticky: dogs are trying to climb a social ladder, and if you don’t put them in their place, they’ll take over your household.
It sounds convincing. After all, wolves, the ancestors of our dogs, live in packs with leaders, right? Except, that’s wrong. The theory came from research on captive wolves, and the results were misinterpreted.
Modern science tells a very different story, backed by decades of fieldwork and new insights from neuroscience. When we look at how dogs’ brains actually work, the dominance model fails, and it actively damages the bond we’re trying to build.
Where Did The Dominance Myth Come From?
The foundation of the alpha myth goes back to studies of captive wolves in the mid-20th century. In those artificial enclosures, unrelated wolves were thrown together in tight spaces. Predictably, they fought. Researchers concluded that wolf packs must be rigid hierarchies held together by constant battles for dominance. [1]
The concept of “alpha wolf” is primarily attributed to, and popularized by, David Mech in his 1970 book “The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species,” which stayed in print for over fifty years.
The term caught on, and the story leapt from scientific journals into popular culture. By the 1970s and 80s, dog trainers had adopted the idea wholesale: if wolves fight for dominance, then dogs must do the same, and humans must assert themselves as “alpha.”
As early as 1986, David Mech said his outlook changed as he learned more about wolves. By 1999, Mech and other wolf biologists formally corrected the theory, calling it outdated. Their more recent studies of wild wolves showed something very different: packs are simply family groups. Parents guide their offspring, and cooperative care, not dominance battles, holds them together. [2]
Why the Myth Persists
Unfortunately, myths spread faster than corrections. The “alpha dog” story proved catchy, dramatic, and marketable. Trainers built empires on confrontation and control, and they have been slow to abandon the myth. And owners, desperate for easy answers to tough behavior problems, cling to the idea that being more dominant would fix their dog.
When Cesar Millan went on air in 2004, with choke holds and dominance methods, the alpha theory regained traction. It still lingers as “science,” even though Millan has since softened his stance, now calling it a “calm-confident presence.”
Part of the dominance myth’s appeal is psychological. Humans like simple narratives, and “dog misbehaves → you didn’t act alpha enough” is as simple as it gets. It also flatters our ego. Being in charge, taking control, and projecting authority are concepts we understand from our own human social structures.
There’s also the Hollywood effect. From television trainers to Instagram clips, dominance-based methods look dramatic. A leash pop stops the barking. A “sssshhhppp” sound and a stern glare halts the growling. The dog seems to “submit.” Viewers don’t see the underlying stress, fear, or long-term fallout. They only see the quick fix.
But science has caught up, and the data tell a different story.
Here is a recent interview with David Mech (April, 2025) in which he is still attempting to correct the alpha myth. [https://www.sciencearena.org/en/interviews/selfcorrection-science-absolute-truth-david-mech-wolves/]
What Neuroscience Tells Us About Dogs
Buzz kill! Dogs are not plotting power struggles. They’re learners, with brains wired for value/reward, stress, and social bonding. Neuroscience has given us a look at these systems, and the results align far more with positive reinforcement than with dominance.
The Reward Pathways
In the early 2010s, Gregory Berns and colleagues conducted fMRI studies on awake, unrestrained dogs. They found that the caudate nucleus, part of the brain’s reward system, lit up when dogs anticipated food or the return of their guardian. [3] In other words, dogs’ brains are built to seek reward.
Jaak Panksepp’s research on core emotional systems adds more depth to the reward pathways. He was ridiculed by the scientific community for defying traditional behaviorists and studying the neuroscience of animal emotions, but he persisted and coined the term “affective neuroscience.”
He identified seven core emotional systems and two stand out in dog training and behavior:
SEEKING – the dopamine-driven drive to explore, learn, and anticipate good things.
PLAY – the joy system that produces bouncy movements, play bows, and goofy vocalizations.
Both are intrinsically rewarding and reinforce learning,4 thus eliminating the need for dominance during training. [4]
The Stress Systems
Corrections during training don’t just interrupt behavior. They trigger the brain’s fear and stress systems. Studies measuring cortisol (the stress hormone) and heart rate variability show that aversive methods elevate stress and impair learning. Cooper et al. (2014) found that dogs trained with electronic collars were not only less effective at learning but also displayed more stress-related behaviors compared to dogs trained with reward-based methods. [5]
Chronic stress doesn’t build respect; it builds shutdown. Dogs may stop a behavior, but usually because they’ve gone into survival mode, not because they “understand who’s boss.”
The Social Bonding System
Now let’s talk about oxytocin, the so-called “bonding hormone.” Studies by Nagasawa et al. (2015) showed that mutual gazing between dogs and their guardians increases oxytocin in both species. [6] This hormone strengthens attachment and trust, making cooperative learning possible.
The dominance model ignores this biology. Neuroscience makes it clear: dogs thrive when training enhances trust and connection, not when it erodes it.
Corrections vs. Reinforcement: Why the Difference Matters
If corrections “work,” why should we abandon them? The answer is in how the brain processes experience.
Aversive methods suppress behavior through stress. The dog may stop barking, lunging, or jumping, but not because they’ve learned what to do instead. Often, they’ve simply learned that expressing themselves is unsafe. Suppression without understanding can resurface later as aggression, avoidance, or anxiety. [7]
On the other hand, reinforcement builds lasting behavior by tapping into reward pathways. When a dog is reinforced for calmness, recall, or polite greetings, those behaviors become intrinsically valuable. The dog isn’t avoiding punishment; they’re actively choosing connection because it feels good.
Case in point:
A dog corrected harshly for barking at strangers may freeze or avoid eye contact. The problem looks “fixed,” but the dog is stressed, and the risk of reactivity remains.
A dog reinforced for even a moment of calm behavior in the same situation, learns that good things happen when they stay composed. Over time, calmness itself becomes rewarding.
Practical Takeaways for Dog Guardians
So what do you do instead of trying to be “alpha”?
Shift your mindset from dominance to guidance. You are your dog’s teacher, not their rival.
Focus on reinforcement. Catch the behaviors you want - calm on a mat, check-ins on walks, coming when called - and make them worth your dog’s while.
Understand stress. If your dog is barking, lunging, or “acting out,” ask what their stress system is telling you rather than assuming they’re challenging you or being “reactive”.
Build joy. Play, problem-solving games, and enrichment aren’t luxuries. They’re brain fuel. Dogs learn better when they are emotionally engaged.
Invest in the bond. Eye contact, shared routines, gentle touch, hand feeding, when possible, are moments that trigger oxytocin and strengthen the feedback loop of trust.
Closing
The myth of dominance is just that - a myth! Wolves aren’t locked in endless battles for power, and dogs aren’t plotting to overthrow your household. When we look through the lens of neuroscience, the truth is far more hopeful.
Dogs are wired for connection, joy, and learning. Corrections may silence behavior in the short term, but they activate stress pathways that block learning far more than they help. Reinforcement of wanted behaviors changes the brain in positive ways that last. By embracing what science tells us, we can move beyond old myths and into training that strengthens both behavior and the bond we share with our dogs.
And isn’t that the real goal? Not to dominate, but to live with them as trusted buddies who choose us over the environment, and are ready to face the world with us.
[References]
Schenkel, R. (1947). Expressions studies on wolves. Behaviour, 1, 81–129.
Mech, D. S. (1999). Alpha status, dominance, and division of labor in wolf packs. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 77(8), 1196–1203.
Berns, G. S., Brooks, A. M., & Spivak, M. (2012). Functional MRI in awake unrestrained dogs. PLoS ONE, 7(5), e38027.
Panksepp, J. (2005). Affective consciousness: Core emotional feelings in animals and humans. Consciousness and Cognition, 14(1), 30–80.
Cooper, J. J., Cracknell, N., Hardiman, J., Wright, H., & Mills, D. (2014). The welfare consequences and efficacy of training pet dogs with remote electronic training collars in comparison to reward-based training. PLoS ONE, 9(9), e102722.
Nagasawa, M., Mitsui, S., En, S., Ohtani, N., Ohta, M., Sakuma, Y., … Kikusui, T. (2015). Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds. Science, 348(6232), 333–336.
Herron, M. E., Shofer, F. S., & Reisner, I. R. (2009). Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 117(1–2), 47–54.
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