Nonlinear Dogs

By Alexandra Semyonova

  • Book Excerpts
    • Introduction
    • Myths about origin and nature
    • Myths About Puppies
    • Myths About Aggression
  • What is a Dog?
    • What is a Dog? Part 1
    • What is a Dog? Part 2
    • What is a Dog? Part 3
    • What is a Dog? Part 4
  • Analytical Papers
    • What You Need to Know About Wolf-Dog Hybrids
    • Analysis: “The Role of Breed in Dog Bite Risk and Prevention”
    • Behavior Testing Shelter Dogs – Document 1
    • The Fantasy that a Protection Dog Can Be a Reliable Family Pet
    • The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog
    • Heritability of Behavior in the Abnormally Aggressive Dog
    • Aggressive Dog Breeds: Backward Reasoning, Crooked Logic, Denial
  • Commentary
  • About
  • Contact

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Dogs are not wolves.
You do not need to keep your dog “subordinate.”
Dogs build on trust, not on dominance.
The first, most basic dog rule is “no real aggression.” Humans need to learn this.


The “dominance hierarchy theory” is badly in need of replacement. Schenkel (at the time, the greatest living authority on wolves) protested the instant the theory was used to explain the social organization of wolves, but for some reason everyone ignored him. It didn’t take long before the same myth was being used to tell us how domestic dogs organize their groups. We can’t even call this bad science because, in fact, it wasn’t science at all. It was and still is simple human projection.

So how do dogs create stable social systems if not by forming ‘dominance hierarchies’? We are proud to offer here the revolutionary work that gives the real answer to this question.

In her paper, The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog: A Longitudinal Study of Domestic Canine Behavior and the Ontogeny of Domestic Canine Social Systems, animal behaviourist Alexandra Semyonova presents a new and accurate model of what the dog is all about. She explains how dogs construct their social systems — and that dominance has nothing to do with it. Dogs follow three simple rules as they interact. These three simple rules enable them to form groups of almost unlimited size, absorbing both strangers and other species into the groups they form. These groups are complex self-organising systems, without a central authority. They are much more stable and elegant — and at the same time more flexible — than anything so clumsy as ‘dominance’ could produce. The paper is a compact journey into the life of dogs, how they become what they are, and what really moves them as they construct social relationships.

We also proudly present excerpts from Alexandra Semyonova’s groundbreaking new book The 100 Silliest Things People Say About Dogs.

Intended for both beginners and “experts”, this serious book takes us through many of the beliefs we have about dogs, explaining what domestic dogs really are and where their behavior really comes from. It is a fun, easy read that will change the way you see your dog and greatly improve your relationship with him or her.

Alexandra Semyonova

Alexandra Semyonova is an internationally acclaimed animal behaviorist and author of The 100 Silliest Things People Say About Dogs. Academically educated in behavioral science and specialized in animal behavior, she has worked with dogs and their owners on a daily basis for more than 30 years. Her book is available at:
Amazon USA  |  Amazon UK
100 silliest things people say about dogs

Shelter Behavior Testing

behavior testing shelter dogs

Behavior Testing Shelter Dogs – Document 1

The academic community admits it still doesn’t know what ‘behavior tests’ really measure. They specifically exclude several crucial variables that would give their tests value as risk assessment. They refuse to use field data in developing and assessing validity of their tests. The samples used in developing tests are often biased, as is the outcome the tests aim at achieving… Read More about “Behavior Testing Shelter Dogs – Document 1”…

Domestic Canine Behavior

Behavior of the domesticated dog

The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog

The theory that a hierarchy based on dominance relationships is the organizing principle in social groups of the sort canis lupus is a human projection that needs replacing. Furthermore, the model has unjustifiably been transferred from its original place in the discussion of the behavior of wolves to the discussion of the behavior of domestic dogs (canis familiaris). This paper … Read More about “The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog”…

Wolf-Dog Hybrids

wolf dog hybrids what you need to know

What You Need to Know About Wolf-Dog Hybrids

It’s clear from all statistics that wolf-dog hybrids present a severely heightened risk for infants and young children. Some people are indifferent to this fact, claiming that the main issue is animal welfare or consumer freedom. In light of these emotional arguments, it’s important to understand that the breeding of these hybrids is a serious problem for wolves, dogs and the hybrids… Read More about “What You Need to Know About Wolf-Dog Hybrids”…

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