What upsets me about the "all positive" dog training advocates is their rigidity and hostility to anyone who doesn't agree with everything they think, and that they seem not to have thought their ideas through very carefully. For example, they believe the notion that alpha dogs exist depends entirely on the studies of wolves in captivity, where apparently observers have seen alpha behavior. But dogs exist in captivity. Doesn't that give them even a moment of uncertainty? Absolutely not. Like Trump supporters, their beliefs arise from emotions and aren't subject to inquiry. Let me say that anything you believe that makes you furious when it's challenged needs to be re-thought. Also, why all the sensitivity to dogs and the absolute rage exhibited toward people? Don't we deserve all-positive reformation?

I'm reminded of when my children were in nursery school. Many parents were didactic in their notion of the perfect and perfectly raised child. One size fits all. Well, to me, dogs are not interchangeable. A shy dog needs gentle handling while a determined and self-confident dog might blow off that kind of handling. While I would never endorse abuse of a dog, I believe the training should fit the dog and not the other way around. This, by the way, I'm certain will earn me the undying hatred of the acolytes of all-positive training.

As for the existence of alpha dogs being "debunked," I have no idea how that could've been accomplished. For example, I'm a committed atheist, but even I know the existence of god hasn't been "debunked." Why? Because you can't prove the non-existence of anything. And, by the way, I know alpha dogs do exist--but they are exceedingly rare-- because I had the privilege of owning one for thirteen years. She was a calm, devoted, sweet and friendly German shepherd, but when she walked by, a lot of dogs bowed low. Of course there are dominant dogs, which does not dictate viciousness in training them. How can there be dominance in so many species, including our own, but not in dogs? It boggles the mind.