By Pete Eromenok

For hundreds if not thousands of years, man has been training dogs basically the same way, blending rewards with corrections. What man has learned about the dog over the centuries is invaluable to understanding how dogs tick. Many dogs have been trained to do complicated tasks by blending reward and corrections.

In certain circles of canine psychology the new doctrine is that dogs don’t possess the same behaviors as their ancestors.

• That our domesticated dogs do not abide by a hierarchy. 
• These researchers conclude because feral domesticated dogs don’t usually pack up that they lack these inherited and easily observed behaviors.

No one has ever asked why. It is all in an attempt to look at the dog with a new age philosophy, making it wrong to exert our will over the dog in hope of becoming the leader.

InIndiaand many major cities around the world, feral dogs are common. There is no need for them to form a pack because they are rummaging through garbage or getting hand outs. There is no team work needed as would be necessary to bring down a large animal. Also they have no pack thus they form no pack.

We are our dogs’ pack. Most dogs do not seek new packs to belong to if they already have one. They are always content with their own until they are driven out, or in the case of our domesticated dog, given away. The same happens with our pets. A stray dog would not remain a stray dog if some one accepted him into their family. After being fed and groomed he then would be very content to remain in the new pack.  Feral domesticated dogs don’t run in packs in the cities, because they don’t need a leader to raid a trash can. If another dog started bringing him food and grooming him- he would pack up with that dog! But that doesn’t happen.

Have you ever taken in a stray and ended up eventually sharing a couch with him? .If given the opportunity these dogs would truly desire to belong to a pack. Note: whoever is doing the research determines the conclusion.

I believe the same people who come to these conclusions have the mind set that we should not correct wrong behaviors, but insist there is a positive approach to all behavior modification.   If dogs always take a positive approach toward each other I might buy that; but they do not. Also I believe it is an attempt to give animals the same status as people or vise versa.

In any category in life you have your Dr. Spocks; always presenting an enlightened view on a subject that has been well known for generations.

Boy. I’m in trouble now!