Comments | dot_pet_snark: Completely off topic, utterly without snark.

bloolark in dot_pet_snark

Completely off topic, utterly without snark.

Oct 27, 2005 17:08

But silverblaidd asked, so maybe I can get away with it. I can also put it elsewhere and/or delete if you think it's horrible of me, but...

( The Monks on Alpha Rolls, take two. )

alpha roll retraction, the monks of new skete, northwolf, alpha rolls

Comments 22

rottnpagan October 28 2005, 00:24:46 UTC

Tis cool.

rottnpagan October 28 2005, 00:27:00 UTC

So while they don't actually say that they don't work, they *do* say that it's just not worth the trouble of losing your face. *nod*

Excellent!

kayt3 October 28 2005, 00:45:16 UTC

That's very helpful since i've heard conflicting statements on it, thanks for sharing!

(The comment has been removed)

bloolark October 28 2005, 01:41:55 UTC

I know. :) It's a direct quote, no changes. I still think their 'pack dynamics' thing is weird, but reading the book, I can clearly see how their ideas were astonishingly forward thinking in 1978 when they wrote the book.

Keep the dog with you and train it? Discipline it by small, not seriously painful gestures? Try and understand your dog? That's crazy talk! You should just beat your dog with a stick when they do something you don't want.

I think dog behavior studies have come farther than they have, but I can respect that they came up with some good and interesting ideas back when they weren't as common.

tatjna October 28 2005, 01:50:08 UTC

You know that back in days of yore (like, before our grandmas were born) sheepdogs in the British Isles lived in the house with the people, right?

But then I guess, with the things that sheepdogs are expected to do, the trainers of sheepdogs have always had to think a bit beyond the big stick mentality.

I have no idea what pet dog trainers were doing in 1978, but the main progression with sheepdogs has been with nutrition rather than training.

tatjna October 28 2005, 01:46:52 UTC

The first paragraph describes something that I see as laughable in terms of dominance. If you want your dog to think you're a) a nutter and b) weak, do this.

I know nothing of wolves, only having ever observed dogs.

The middle paragraph, I imagine, is the crux of their retraction. People tried it and got hurt. I'm not surprised.

The last paragraph makes a lot of sense.