in my dogs case, who are both very strong willed, that defo being alpha over them. if faith doesnt respect me and think shes in control of me, the consequences would be dire
i think you have gotta have a certain degree of respect from your dog, but still respect them.

I think it depends a lot on the breed you have.. I don't alpha roll my dogs etc..but they know what I say goes..

I don't intimidate them...I don't have to..they respect me...and we all live in harmony..

The world consists of leaders and followers... In a human/dog relationship the human must to be the leader, and the dog the follower...

Can't be an alpha male....... wrong sex.

Can still give them leadership and set some firm consistent boundaries though.

Personally I prefer the idea of a working partnership with me as the senior partner

I think 'dominance' or 'alpha' is over complicating things. If the dogs needs are met and you respect and trust eachother then the dog will be happy to obey you. Some dogs might try it on depending on breed, but you don't have to be constantly asserting your authority in order for the dog to know who's boss... In fact if anything that would seem like a weak leader, to me. I don't like to anthropomorphise but I think that it's more of a parent/child type of relationship than a dominant/submissive one.

Totally agree with this post..I am not continually on at my dogs..in fact I don't really assert any authority over them every day..except with things other people normallly would..(walks, food, playing too boisterously!) I just need to clear my throat loudly in their direction and they KNOW I mean behave!

I think everyone see's the ALPHA differently..I see it as being in charge of my dogs and my dogs knowing I tell them what to do..

Others seem to see the ALPHA as someone who is constantly being dominant over their dogs..which I certainly am not..

Mrs. S and I are in charge - we control access to the food, the biscuits and the sausages! Warmed bums are offered, occasionally, but never administered - a gruff "oi-oi!" and a wagged finger will suffice, usually. "We people, you, dog"


Snorri

I don't think dogs are after world dominance of humans. I think they are opportunists.

It does to a certain extent depend on the breed, but that said, yes I do 100% agree with the statement.

Were OH and I not alpha male and female, we would have one big problem.

We are not dogs, cats etc we are humans & as such we should be providers for our pets.

Dogs living together with owners are rarely a"pack"as such, a pack of canines consist of the parents & all the(entire)offspring from different litters. They are a loose group of co-existing dogs,who we choose to have share our lives & the lives of other animals who we also choose to own.

I do not believe that "Alpha Males"are the pack leaders of wild dogs/wolves-the leaders of these packs in the wild are the breeding male & female who are the parents of all the others in the pack & it is only when the offspring come to sexual maturity that they leave the family pack to seek out a mate of their own to start their own family group.

In wild packs there are no disputes as seen in captive groups of wild canines/wolves etc because they are very closely related. Captive groups are a missmash of related & unrelated animals of the same & different ages, that in the wild would not live together.

We do not need to try to be pack leaders, we need to be the rule givers & providers & by interacting with our pets we develop a bond & mutual respect.

Dogs do not naturally wear collars & leads, but they do so & accept being restrained because it is rewarding for them. All dog training should be reward based-what the reward is depends on the dog & owners-but I know of no one who will go to work for nothing & I wouldn't expect my dogs work for me without reward