I thought this was an interesting article:

http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonli...0statement.pdf

Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of Animals
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior

Ok, now that this thread is going wey further than the original posters question lets add a little to the wolf alpha theory!

Firstly, I do believe that alphas are 'born', but largely because they are confident animals; timid alphas don't tend to exist. In this way you can see that the most confident personality tends be at the top. The same with any mammal society.

When a wolf pack gets too big, due to social pressures or resource limits there will then be dispersers (lone wolves). Wolves are social animals and for then safety comes in numbers but there are a lot of dispersers and this has been crucial to the success of the species. They will travel for huge distances in search of a mate or new pack that needs to expand. They have been tracked over great distances; for example Italian wolves have got as far as spain without being noticed in France.

Social pressures within wild packs can create very different behaviour. Aggressive behaviour is often seen in packs where they are under pressure from reduced rersources (prey, territory etc). In packs where the density of wolves is very low (Algonquin, Canada; Theberge)) the pressures are different and relatives will travel from pack to pack and interbreed, also these relatives have been known to visit neighboring packs and return to their own.

As for Alphas breeding, it does appear normal to have a breeding pair but it is not un-known for another female to breed as well. Unfortunately it appears that non of the wolves have ever read any text books, but the great thing about science is that it constantly evolves and what is a hard and fast fact today is disproved history tommorow. As nobel prize winning animal behaviourist Konrad Lorenz is reputed to have said: How could I have got it so wrong?

In a captive pack of wolves the pressures are greatly increased and you will often see signs of this (flesh wounds near the tale region on some animals) where animals would normaly disperse or live on the pack periphery. If the Alpha dies then there is not necessarily a replacement to be found within the pack which would back up the concept of the alpha being 'born' or simply having the right personality, if you prefer. There are several good examples of this, one being a captive pack in France where the 'alpha' was poisoned by a member of the public. This pack continued in a state of melt down for months until it was broken up into small units -before it functioned well.

While some wolf ancestry applies to dogs, much does not. Wolves (male and female) have a short breeding season, there is a hierarchy for breeding rights etc, but domestic animals (humans included) have no such constraints. Domestication has changed many of the patterns and survival needs.

Sorry but this is not true. Hybrid is a term that means the offspring of two animals or plants of different species OR varieties. Thus a wolf and a dog may be regarded as either the same species just different varieties (they can interbreed freely; so this is the best definition) or two different species in which case the same applies. When you buy an F1 hybrid tomato plant it is only a cross of varieties; not a cross between a cabbage and a tomato. Some dog breeders will deliberatly use the word 'hybrid' to advertise pups as it will bring a greater price than using the word 'cross'.

Gnasher you are wrong yet again , I never said any such thing. Yet again you seem unable to grasp what has been said. Let me repeat what I posted for the third time ...

..can I make it any clearer ?

Ps, Gnasher I haven't addressed any of the other points you mention though I think Wolfdogowner has. There seems little point in trying to debate anything with you, your previous posts in this thread make the reason for this very clear.

I've only ever had two bitches regurgitate for their pups, and usually just the once, and they always growled at the pups and gobbled it back up themselves lol!
Becky

Sounds very wolflike...

My pups always ask me to regurgitate my lunch for them though...

Patch, your girl sounds lovely

Gnasher, I seriously doubt that Patch bred from her!

I am really interested in links to any research done on wild wolf packs - I dont think captive wolf packs really help us understand behaviour that much as it is such an unatural situation

and I totaly agree that the more is studied the more we will learn, for example chimps were thought to have an alpha that lead with aggression and power displays, but looking at more and more groups it has been found that some take the top position by being diplomatic and making lots of friends
So we need studies of many many packs over long periods of time to understand anything of the pack dynamic

One thing tho
I cannot see that only the alpha wolves mate - if that was the case then Darwins work would tell us that over time wolves would evolve more 'alpha' characteristics
Also it is a lot of work for the alpha pair to raise many many litters for only a tiny few to go on to breed, nature isnt wastful

Interesting point; firstly some alpha females have been observed having a quickie with another rank while the alpha male isn't looking... then bringing up the pups is a communal affair with a non breeding female taking charge of the pups for mum while she goes out. Uncles and last years juveniles will also have a large input to the raising of the pups in their first few months.

Your point about chimps is also very valuable- there are many different ways of holding a social group together.

Good article!
Really interesting points - like the difference between an alpha and a leader
How we missuse the tearm dominance to mean badly trained
How the submissive animal only defers to the alpha when they are there, but if trained and something is a habbit it happens whether the leader is there or not

Yes I agree that the other wolves are helping to raise the cubs
But my understanding is that the wolves raising the cubs are the previous litters of the alpha pair - the siblings of that litter - and they have not yet reached sexual maturity
When they do they then leave to form their own packs

'Nanny' wolves would be non breeding females that are mature, the same with some 'Uncles', the juveniles will help but would not be in charge so to speak.

Not all juveniles will leave the pack when they will mature; this depends on the natural size of the pack. Very few wolves in the pack will breed, but breeding will depend on other pressures, its been shown that when the population is under threat they will panic breed to fill the gap left (by extermination from hunting etc) and in quieter times will have fewer pups.