pack instinct in dogs by referring to their close
relative, the wolf.
Wolves and wild dogs live in a hierarchical society,
governed by rules and understandings that to humans
would be extremely unfair. Wolves would laugh (if they
laughed) at our ideas of social equality (although it
has only been in the past few years that biologists
realized that sexual equality forms the basis of wolf
civilization. A female graduate student observed packs
where the alpha animal was the female, and took the time
and energy to point it out to her older, male
professors, who finally saw it too). Some wolves really
are "superior” to others, having first rights to mating
and reproduction as well as having responsibilities in
pack leadership such as providing food and protection
for the others. There are “alpha” animals, male or
female (or an alpha couple), who lead each pack and to
whom others in the pack defer. The alpha male or female
makes decisions about where and when the pack hunts
eats, sleeps and breeds. It also determines who stays in
the pack, and may oust or kill outright other animals
that for reasons of aggression, character, illness or
age don’t fit into the structure of the pack. The alpha
animal regularly backs up and reinforces its authority
by fighting those who may challenge it. When a younger,
stronger animal prevails, the pack acquires a new
leader.
Wolves fight a lot; over food, over sex, over places to
lie down and sleep. Occasional fights break out in the
way that three-year-old humans squabble over the crayon
box (only picture bared fangs and loud, snarling barks.)
When one wolf asserts its dominance over the other, the
submissive wolf either runs away or rolls over on its
back, exposing its belly to the dominant animal;
basically saying, “I give; you’re the boss”. The point
in rolling over is acknowledging that the dominant
animal could, if it wanted, kill the submissive one by
tearing open its stomach. Rolling over may also serve to
protect the submissive animal by recalling to the
dominant one the way helpless puppies roll and tumble
about. The submissive wolf, by looking vulnerable, may
cause the more aggressive wolf to see him as something
puppy-like; to be protected rather than viewed as a
threat.
Anyone who’s witnessed a dog fight has seen the
open-mouthed snarling, barking and really frightening
attacks that even smaller dogs can make on one another,
and wolf fights are even more disturbing to the
two-footed observer. But in fact, they’re just doing
what comes naturally (in Nature, anyway, if not in your
local dog park). There is something terrifying about the
way that dogs and wolves fight – the lunging, the
frightening faces, the horrid noises are all designed by
Nature to help the animals decide who the boss will be,
thus furthering the advancement of the pack.
When wolves chastise their young, they tend to bite them
on the face and neck, using really sharp nips to keep
the pups under control. The pups screech loudly, and it
all looks pretty brutal to people, but it also serves as
a lesson to us: the way you treat your dog tells him or
her whether you are capable of leading the pack.
Organizational theory (sometimes disturbingly close to
observations of Nature at her more brutal), underscores
the importance of hierarchy. People, like pack animals,
feel much more secure when they know the rules, know
who’s in charge, and in particular, who is
accountable. Great leaders don’t just boss people
around –they take responsibility for themselves and for
the gains and losses of the greater organization. Pack
leaders do the same, and for your dog to feel
comfortable and secure living in your human pack, you
have to set aside political notions of inter-species
social equality and take on the responsibility of being
the boss. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to bite your
dog when he makes a mistake, but it does mean that
you’re going to expect him to follow your rules, that
you’re going to teach him what he needs to know,
reinforce his behavior consistently and provide feedback
and remediation when he makes mistakes. Reading books
like this one helps you understand dog culture even
while teaching your dog what he needs to know to live
peacefully in human culture.
Article
Summary
Wolves and dogs see the world in terms of pack
structure.
Every pack needs an “alpha”, a leader.
It’s your responsibility to lead your pack.
Being the alpha means choosing, teaching and reinforcing
rules that are useful for the health of the pack.
Your job is to help your dog understand the rules of the
human community.
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