Talk:Dog society

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[edit] Changes in dog society from research?

Anon user has posted here and in dog collar that recent research says there is no dominance hierarchy. I've heard or read nothing to that effect. Has anyone heard such a thing and are there sources to cite for this, as there are plenty of other sources for the current knowledge that contradict this? Elf | Talk 02:46, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Request for sources, dissent

I, too, would be interested to see some journal sources cited, particularly dealing with dogs, not wolves. I live in a rural area with three Golden Retrievers. They exhibit a clear pecking order. One dog, if nearer the door I'm about to open when the other two approach will always back away and enter last. This same one always eats last, even when served first.

More assertive dogs typically are more demanding of attention, they insist on having the rawhide bone or ball -- often forcibly removing it from the others, and so forth.

In short, there're generations of observations of real dogs to support the view that they arrange themselves -- with, without, or despite owner training -- into a definite hierarchy. Choosing not to label them alpha, beta,... omega, seems to go against the facts.

That's my observation, too, and as you say there are plenty of reference sources for the existing view. I have taken the liberty of reverting the changes, since they were made by anon user and we have no supporting evidence. Elf | Talk 00:26, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Please provide sources for new material

To anon user who has twice posted edits to the dog society article that fly in the face of everything I can find published on wolf and dog pack behavior: If you want this information to stand, you'll need to cite multiple reliable references for why the thinking has changed. If you can cite only one reliable reference, the info really needs to be listed as an alternative theory, not changing the whole article. If you can't cite any reliable references, please don't change the information to your own theories. Thanks. Elf | Talk 21:46, 26 February 2006 (UTC)