Why Alpha Rolls can Worsen your Dog's Behavior

Picture this: Your partner is play-wrestling with your dog, teasing him with a tug toy or ball, and naturally Fido gets excited and jumpy and starts mouthing your partner’s arms or snapping at his face. He thinks its all in play, but your partner wants him to stop.
A simple and firm “no” has no effect. He goes still and tries to ignore him, and that just serves to make Fido even more frustrated and mouthy. He keeps trying to continue the play. Clearly, he didn’t get the memo that the game is off.
Your partner, getting increasingly frustrated decides to let Fido know in no uncertain terms, that this type of behavior is not ok. He grabs him by the arms and rolls him on his back and leans over him and tells him “NO!” firmly and loudly. Fido is shocked into stillness for a moment and once he goes completely still, he is allowed up.
What just happened here?
What is the Alpha Roll?
If you’ve ever watched certain dog training shows or read outdated training books from unqualified authors, you might have come across the concept of the alpha roll. This technique involves physically forcing a dog onto his back and holding him there, supposedly to establish dominance and show the dog who’s the “alpha” (or boss) in the relationship. The idea is rooted in the now-debunked notion of dogs being like wolves in a pack, where a dominant “alpha” wolf would force subordinates into submission. For more on when and why this theory was debunked, check out this post here.
Why Do Most People Use It?
Many people use the alpha roll because they believe it will establish their dominance over the dog, making the dog more obedient and less likely to “challenge their authority”. The alpha roll is often suggested by unqualified trainers as a way to correct behavior seen as aggressive, stubborn or defiant, based on the assumption that dogs need to understand who’s in charge. This method has been popularized by certain television personalities and outdated training philosophies that emphasize dominance and submission.
Why You Should Stop It Immediately
It’s Based on Really Old, Flawed Science
The alpha roll concept originates from studies on captive wolves conducted in the 1940s by Rudolph Schenkel. He observed that wolves in captivity would sometimes engage in aggressive behaviors to establish dominance. However, later research by wildlife biologist David Mech in the 1990s debunked this theory. Mech’s studies on wild wolves revealed that wolf packs are more like family units, where the so-called “alpha” wolves are simply the parents taking care of their offspring. Wolves in the wild do not engage in the aggressive dominance behaviors observed in captivity and applying these flawed concepts to domestic dogs is misguided and outdated.
It Can Damage Your Relationship with Your Dog
When you alpha roll your dog, you’re not establishing respect or trust; you’re instilling fear. Dogs already rely on us for the simplest things in life, like when to eat, sleep or go out, or where and when to potty, they’re definitely not under any impressions of being the boss of you, despite what it might sometimes seem like!
They put their trust in us to take care of them and their needs, and subjecting them to alpha rolls can make them anxious and fearful of their guardians, damaging the bond that exists. Remember a fearful dog is less likely to trust you and more likely to exhibit stress-related behaviors, including avoidance and in some cases aggression.
It Can Escalate Aggression
Instead of curbing aggressive behavior, alpha rolling can actually make it worse. Dogs may feel threatened and respond with increased aggression. According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), confrontational training methods, including alpha rolls, can lead to fear and anxiety in dogs, increasing the likelihood of aggressive responses. That’s right! Instead of sobering your dog down, you’re actually putting fuel in the fire, for a bigger explosion later on!
It’s Physically Damaging
Physically forcing a dog on their back or forcing them down can lead to injuries for your dog. The physical force used can harm your dog’s muscles and joints, in more extreme cases causing fractures and dislocations. In turn, you’d get a dog that is frustrated AND in pain – a terrible combo that most often results in the types of behavior problems you were initially looking to resolve!
Not mention the risk to you in the form of bites and scratches, should the dog decide to resist being rolled.
What should you do instead
Gentler Play
Stop revving your dog up to the point of no return! Intersperse highly arousing play, with calm periods to bring your dog down to a baseline of excitement. Just like when playing with kids, we need to be the responsible ones and keep an eye out for when positive play behaviors might tip over into unacceptable ones to stop them BEFORE it happens. Remember you model your kids, and you model your dogs. If you’re calm and gentle in your interactions, your dog will be too (eventually – you might need to ride out the adolescent years patiently first!).
Don’t make a big deal out of it
If you find your play has crossed the line and your dog has lost the plot, raising your voice or exaggerating your movements, will only communicate to the dog that you’re also getting excited – Not what you want!
Instead, calmly get up and get them a high value long lasting chew toy (frozen Kong or Lickimat or Raw bone) and lead them to another room with it. Engage them with that, and once they’re engaged, leave them calmly to enjoy it. Come back and get them calmly once you feel calm yourself!
Teach them how to Channel their Excitement in Acceptable ways
Work with a certified trainer or behaviorist using positive reinforcement methods to teach your dog acceptable outlets for excitement. That’s right! You can teach your dog to redirect their excitement by going to get another toy to shake or shred, or run around with when they get to a certain point in their arousal. Pretty neat eh?
Rolling it to a close
The alpha roll is an outdated, dangerous, and ineffective training method. Modern animal behavior research and expert opinions strongly advise against using it.
Here are a few key sources:
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB): In their position statement on the use of dominance theory in behavior modification, the AVSAB states, “Punishment-based techniques such as the alpha roll have been shown to cause fear, anxiety, and aggression in dogs.”
- RSPCA Australia: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) states, “Alpha rolls and other dominance-based techniques are not only outdated but can lead to a deterioration in the human-animal bond and an increase in problem behaviors.”
- Sophia Yin, DVM, MS: A renowned veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Yin emphasizes positive reinforcement and humane training methods. She noted, “Dominance-based training methods, including alpha rolls, are less effective and more dangerous than positive reinforcement techniques.”
Instead, focus on building a relationship
with your dog based on trust, love, and positive reinforcement. Positive training methods are not only more humane but also more effective in creating a well-behaved, happy, and confident dog.
If you’re in Singapore and struggling with your dog’s behavior, consider seeking help from a professional dog trainer or behaviorist who uses positive reinforcement techniques. For more tips on effective dog training and building a strong bond with your furry friend, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Together, we can help your dog learn and thrive in a safe, loving environment, all while enjoying tons of happy play sessions!
Sources:
- [American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)](https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dominance_Position_Statement_download-10-3-14.pdf)
- [RSPCA Australia](https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-the-rspcas-view-on-dominance-dog-training/)
- [Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS]( https://cattledogpublishing.com/blog/the-alpha-roll/)