Alpha is just a word, if you look it up it has many meanings. I prefer this one myself, The first unit in a Sequence.
kind of sums up how I see it.

My OH and grown up kids refer to me as 'She who must be obeyed' and the dogs probably go along with that too.

Good point C & D : this is the original question posed by Pidge, just to remind everyone :

"Who agrees that you must assert your authority over your dog and show them you are the pack leader etc etc. "

I agree entirely with this statement, with some provisos. I would like to insert the words "reasonable" or "acceptable" in there. I do believe we should assert our authority over our dogs, but such a bald statement could be open to misinterpretation. This does not mean that I think it OK for me to beat my dog, starve him, tie him up when he has been naughty, or abuse him. To me, it means that in return for giving him warmth, shelter, good food, access at all times to water, veterinary care, copious amounts of exercise and my undying love and welcome into my human pack, he in turn must abide by my rules, be what they may. This means he is allowed to sleep in my bedroom, but on his bed, not on mine. He is allowed anywhere in my house, but not on the furniture. He has to sit and wait for his food. He must NEVER growl or show aggression towards any young child, whatever the provocation. He must be fairly obedient, with a reasonable recall (I don't expect miracles from a breed such as mine). He must be well behaved and obedient in public, no jumping up or hassling strangers unless I say it is OK.

Our relationship is a brilliant one, it works, it is entirely symbiotic. I get a huge amount of pleasure from the devotion that I receive from my dog. He knows his place, he knows that if he is unruly - barks at me to tell me to hurry up when we are getting ready to go out on a walk, or jumps up in excitement - nothing is going to happen until he is calm. He knows I will not tolerate being barged down the stairs in excitement, or down our steep slippery steps into the field from our back garden. This is extremely dangerous, and I will not allow it. He knows this, and so therefore very rarely does it now.

I am definitely Boss, and he is happy and safe in the knowledge that hubby and I are top dogs, and so therefore he doesn't need to be, he can get on with his life and enjoy it ! I took him out in the fields last night at dusk, and there were bunnies everywhere. He had the most enormous amount of fun chasing them down their burrows, but when he got too close to the fence which leads out onto the road, at my whistle, he immediately returned to me, and of course was rewarded with praise.

I use that expression too Trouble ! You must be of a similar age to me then - you remember the film !!

Gave me nightmares, that film did ! Good one though.

I see what you are saying, and note english is full of common usage everyday words that have originated from different languages.
But 'alpha' doesnt really fall into that catergory.
Alpha isnt really a common usage word in the english language, and is only really used by members of the public when they start looking into dog training and behaviour.
Usually, their first encounter of this word is when they read a book, meet dog trainers, joining groups such as this.
Therefore, you have to understand the history of this word in this context.
There was a couple of studies of some packs of wolves about 100 hundred years ago (sorry, the study is on my PC at home). These wolves were not related by breeding, and taken from different packs, and then placed into a captive environment as a man made pack.
Then studied, whereby the biologists asigned terms to the different wolves in the heriachy: alpha, beta, etc.
Then another guy (Konrad Most, if my memory serves), just made some assumptions from this study which said that dogs come from wolves, wolves live in packs, the top wolf is the alpha, therefore a pet dog lives in a 'pack' with us, therefore we must be the 'alpha' (or 'top dog').
Which meant we must eat before the dog, because the alpha wolf always eats first, never let the dog on furniture as the alpha wolf gets the highest and most comfortable spots, never let the dog out the door first, because the alpha wolf is always out front.
Which up to date correct studies of actual wild wolf packs (whom are actually a family unit), show dont perform this way. David Mech is your fellow.
Thus, if you use the same linkage logic of the old studies, wolf -dog, then it stands to reason that if this 'alpha' doenst apply to wolves in that sense, it doesnt apply to dogs and our relationship to them.
The foremost dog biologists the Coppingers would also tell you why it doesnt apply to dogs in their own right as well.

Meaning that the word 'alpha' has taken on a 'factual context' based on being repeated enough throughout generations, just as the word 'celts' has to describe scots, or we must drink 34 litres (is that correct?) of water per day.
All based back to studies that werent actually correct and have since become popular fallacies.

The 'my mother's cooked ham' scenario.

Hence, when you consider the historical usage context of this word, and its actual meaning, it is not a correct word to use if you just wish to say I am the leader/boss of my dog.

If you wish to believe and therefore say (which is your right to do so) that I am am the 'leader/boss of my dog, then just say use the words which are your actual meaning: 'leader' or 'boss'.
After all, Cesar Milan does not referance this wolf alpha thing or phrase when he talks of dogs living in packs, he just based his ideas on his own observations of street dogs in Mexico.


Fair point.

Just as a side issue, ive noticed the word anthropomorphism has taken on a life of its own in recent years, amongst the dog behaviour community, especially in forums, often mis-used.
I have seen 2 examples on this thread.

The Concise Oxford Dictationary's interpretation of the word anthropomorphism:

"The attribution of a human form or personality to a god, animal or thing ".

Could you quote the two examples that you don't think fit in with this description Krusewalker?

Dogs are not wolves The studies were done on wolf groups put together by man-some related some not-they interbred, produced more than one litter a year & had frequent fights-this is still the case today in safari parks-Longleat for example.

Dogs are not simply domesticated wolves, wolves by nature stun human contact-99% of well reared dogs crave human contact. Whilst some breeds retain their prey drive most do not. The first wolf x dog(as in the now accepted FCI recognised breeds)were very shy & unpredictable-the subsequent development of the breeds included very strict selection for temperament. Wolves even raised from cubhood by humans do not make good pets, dogs on the other and do & IMHO the further the dog breed is from any common behaviour with wolves, they better the pet they make.

In captive packs the strongest fighters breed successfully, in the wild the breeding couple breed & raise several litters & when some of the offspring are sexually mature they leave the pack to form packs of their own-however some do not leave & act as "nannies""guards"for the new cubs

In my dog group of three BCs & three Cavaliers All the BCs are related two full siblings & one related further back in the pedigree. Two of my Cavaliers are closely related & the youngest is related but only back in the first generations of the breed well off the pedigree. Do my dogs fight for "Alpha"position-no, do my dogs all act as a "pack"-no, do my dogs all interact yes. My BCs play together, my youngest BC plays with every dog, my Cavaliers play with each other, the youngest BC & the cats. All my dogs also"do their own thing"within the contraints I impose.

I could even have my in season bitch in with my entire dogs(never left alone/out of sight of course)without all hell breaking loose & none of my dogs howled, pined etc She chose my oldest dog as the focus of her desires-however thanks to his Supreloren implant he had absoutely no interest in her at all.

They only animals here that do exactly what they want to do are the cats & even they come when they are called because I have conditioned them to do so.

If you want to understand dogs you(IMHO)should study dogs not wolves. I've never seen any studies done on wild cats(not the big cats)relating domestic cat behaviour directly to their wild counterparts. Yet with dogs who separated from the wolf in development before the domestic cat(some domestic cats breeds naturally have wild cat ancestors a lot closer than any dog has)

LOL Thats why I never said it..not many people will have heard it..I am glad it brought back happy memories

Totally agree with you..

Krusewalker..I am sorry but your English lesson is lost on me..I will use the word Alpha in whichever context I wish..whether the word originated in Greek, wolfspeak or the 7th pit of hell..

Its the word I use..doesn't mean dominance or any other such thing..it only means Boss to me..

I take this from living with my "pack" every day and seeing other Malamute "packs" working with multi sex, multi age households..I SEE these packs with my own eyes..I see them working and can see which dogs are which etc..

Thats where I get my reference from..SEEING it work.. (I remember a PACK of husky's escaping a few years ago..and these dogs stayed together..and were found together..Thats a pack) The leader..was an alpha...thats why he was a leader, he had a certain something that made the others follow and obey...even when there was no pesky humans telling them what to do)

I think your dogs have to have boundaries and I hope they know I am the pack leader or boss whatever. I have large dogs and I cant have them thinking they are equal to me as I believe that could be dangerous and lead to problems. As I have multiple dogs I believe that one is the pack leader of the dogs but she knows she also answers to me if that makes sense.

But that's just it! They aren't thinking like that. Dogs know that they are dogs and we are humans. They know that we walk them and feed them and make them feel happy & safe. They are not plotting a mutiny in your home if you soften up a little, they're thinking "wow, life just keeps getting better".