Jan Fennell

Who is Jan Fennell?

Jan Fennell, "The dog listener", is an English dog lover and dog trainer who applied the insights of Monty Roberts into horse behavior to the behavior of dogs.

Her training method is based on the theory that dogs, being descended from wolves, fit the social model of the pack - an ordered hierarchy with a clearly defined leader. She believes that dogs are unable to understand any other social model, and when co-opted into human families as pets still see themselves as pack members. Fennell argues that most inappropriate dog behavior arises if the owner does not consistently signal that he or she is 'pack leader'. Theoretically this makes the dog anxious: it cannot conceive of a leaderless pack, and so if its owner abdicates leadership the dog has no option but to try to take on the 'alpha' role itself. In the attempt it may become aggressive or difficult to handle, as it tries to assert dominance; hyperactive, through uncertainty on what it should be doing, or sometimes acutely stressed.

Other dog experts have cited recent scientific research to challenge the theory that dog behavior is based on the model of the wolf pack, criticizing this as an over-simplification.