Jul 3, 2023 08:45 PM
(This post was last modified: Jul 3, 2023 08:46 PM by C C.)
https://youtu.be/3EyLLTQCGjc
VIDEO EXCERPTS: . . . here’s the thing: Alpha pack theory isn’t true. It comes from a misunderstanding of both wolves /and/ dogs. And there are much better ways to interact with animals.
This theory had its roots in a study done in the 1940s, when a scientist did behavioral tests on a pack of /wolves/ that had been caught in the wild.
[...] Since the ‘40s, many scientists and naturalists have observed wolf packs both in enclosures and in the wild. Including one hugely influential one named David Mech...
He also noticed that wild wolf packs /don’t/ exhibit the intense aggression and competition that were seen in the captured wolves. In fact, they work together as a family to raise young and keep each other safe. Although some of the animals are natural leaders of the pack, they didn’t grow into this because of competition and aggression, but rather because of personality, seniority, and mentoring their younger siblings.
So, how was that study from the 1940s so off? Well, /turns out/, if you put a bunch of unrelated animals from different regions in an enclosure with few resources, they’re going to act differently. That experiment got rid of the only social structure those wolves knew, so they had to come up with something else.
[...] Despite the common ancestor, dogs aren’t wolves. Studies show that thanks to domestication, dogs respond differently to humans than wolves do: For instance, they show more attachment to their humans than wolves in captivity, and some studies suggest they’re better at picking up on our cues.
That’s not to say that all dogs live in harmony: When they live together, they can still have conflict over resources. But it’s /not/ because of some ingrained, linear social hierarchy. Today, the consensus among researchers is that alpha pack theory is ineffective when training dogs and actually detrimental to their welfare...
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/3EyLLTQCGjc
VIDEO EXCERPTS: . . . here’s the thing: Alpha pack theory isn’t true. It comes from a misunderstanding of both wolves /and/ dogs. And there are much better ways to interact with animals.
This theory had its roots in a study done in the 1940s, when a scientist did behavioral tests on a pack of /wolves/ that had been caught in the wild.
[...] Since the ‘40s, many scientists and naturalists have observed wolf packs both in enclosures and in the wild. Including one hugely influential one named David Mech...
He also noticed that wild wolf packs /don’t/ exhibit the intense aggression and competition that were seen in the captured wolves. In fact, they work together as a family to raise young and keep each other safe. Although some of the animals are natural leaders of the pack, they didn’t grow into this because of competition and aggression, but rather because of personality, seniority, and mentoring their younger siblings.
So, how was that study from the 1940s so off? Well, /turns out/, if you put a bunch of unrelated animals from different regions in an enclosure with few resources, they’re going to act differently. That experiment got rid of the only social structure those wolves knew, so they had to come up with something else.
[...] Despite the common ancestor, dogs aren’t wolves. Studies show that thanks to domestication, dogs respond differently to humans than wolves do: For instance, they show more attachment to their humans than wolves in captivity, and some studies suggest they’re better at picking up on our cues.
That’s not to say that all dogs live in harmony: When they live together, they can still have conflict over resources. But it’s /not/ because of some ingrained, linear social hierarchy. Today, the consensus among researchers is that alpha pack theory is ineffective when training dogs and actually detrimental to their welfare...