Alpha vs Leader

How about we look at things a little bit different than we have for the past 20-30 years. Everyone has heard that you must be the Alpha of the pack so your dog will listen to you. The problem with that scenario is the definition (or the perceived definition) of the word ALPHA. Most people think that the way dog/wolves/coyotes attain Alpha position is through brute strength. Survival of the fittest and all that. Guess what? That's WRONG!

All the scientific studies done in the 70's told of an Alpha male and an Alpha female who ran the pack. When to eat, when to hunt, when to sleep, where to go etc. What those scientific papers didn't tell us was that the Alpha male and the Alpha female was Mom & Dad! Good 'ol Mom & Dad! The pups grew up listening to Mom and Dad and so it continued through the generations of the pack. Eventually, Grandma & Grandpa would get too old to head out on the hunt first, so the next oldest would take over. It was very simple, very civilized. I'm not saying there was not fighting amongst the pack members. What family doesn't have quibbles between siblings? But very rarely.would an offspring take on Mom or Dad. It might happen, sure. But very rarely.

So how about instead of thinking of yourself as Alpha, you think of yourself as a Leader instead.

Mary Ann