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Should I pin my dog down to show dominance?
Jacey Hintz
2025-06-12 21:00:54
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Pinning down a puppy or dog is also known as an "Alpha roll" and it is definitely not a move that most people are able to perform effectively. If performed incorrectly, it can damage the relationship between you and your puppy. However, there is very little evidence that pinning a dog to the floor or ground will actually cause submission. In fact, if done incorrectly it could do just the opposite and cause your puppy to become fearful of you because he believes you are attempting to hurt him. So, it's not something I really like to do. It's not something I recommend to people. Most people wouldn't know how to do it the correct way. So, don't do the alpha roll.
Lillian Stokes
2025-06-02 12:21:16
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Using dominance techniques with your dog doesn't show them "who's boss," it puts them in a state of fight/flight/freeze due to the nervous system sensing a threat to their survival. Please remember that your dog is a sensitive and emotional being and you don't need to use force or scare tactics in order to train him. I'm not against having rules and boundaries, or using sharp verbal corrections. But physical force is not only unnecessary, it's detrimental to your relationship with your dog. Whenever you use pain or fear to train or intimidate your dog, the results will be bad. Your dog may end up showing you some obedience behaviors, but deep down they will be hiding a boatload of insecurities which can later manifest into problem behaviors.
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Kurt Daugherty
2025-05-23 04:52:34
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I don't do this often, probably three times so far with her and once every 3-4 months with my older dog but I'd really like to kick the habit. I realized yesterday I only do it when I'm physically restraining the dog and the dog tries to break free from me. Normally I'm the most nurturing positive reinforcement as it gets but for some reason when I feel challenged physically by the dog I lose it. I didn't make it clear enough initially but the reason I feel so strongly that she has to submit to me pinning her down is because I don't think I can win a wrestling match in the future when she's 80lbs. Thoughts of her trying to sprint off into the street to chase a squirrel and her fighting me to get away flash into my head so I think that I have to teach her now when she's small that fighting me is futile. I don't want my dog to be afraid of me though so I realize that's a stupid thought process. You guys have given me great suggestions to avoid this situation and I appreciate it. I'll start training her recall and positive interrupt as priorities now and try short time outs until she's learned those commands.
Laurence McDermott
2025-05-23 04:26:52
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The act of holding a dog down forcibly as a correction is generally called the "dominance down."
It is inappropriate, ethologically absurd, and completely counterproductive when interacting with dogs.
In a nutshell — don’t do it.
Ever.
This is flawed in multiple ways.
Before an owner performs the dominance down, there are rarely any body language signals exchanged that would make any sense to the dog.
This makes the interaction confusing for the dog.
It comes out of the blue, which makes it scary, and for some dogs it looks like an invitation to fight.
Owners throw dogs to the ground without warning.
This causes fear of the owner and puts dogs predisposed to aggression in a fighting mood.
Fear doesn’t equal obedience.
It just equals fear.
If you just won’t give up on the idea that your dog should submit to you, why don’t you just teach your dog to lie down on his side.
Then, when you want to show him that he should be submissive, you can just ask for it.
That seems a lot easier than holding your dog down.
If you want to show your dog that you are more powerful, intelligent, and dominant, while also teaching him to be obedient, get a handful of treats.
Then, use the treat to lure him into the down position.
When he can reliably lie down on cue, you can start to use the treat to lure his head back toward his shoulder.
When he is consistently falling onto his elbow, move the treat back to lure him onto his side.
Then, pair this action with a verbal cue such as "lie on your side."
Easy as that, you have achieved your goal — an obedient dog who gets into the submissive position.
And you will have done it all without fear, intimidation, or force.
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