Are dogs pack animals?

I don't have much to say about the whole alpha thing between humans and dogs. Between dogs living together though I think ranking is fluid based on the situation.

I think of myself as a teacher.  Teachers can be fair and patient or they can be dominating tyrants.  It's much easier and less stressful on the dog and the human, to be fair and patient. :)   The concept that we have to dominate our dogs is not a new theory; it's been around for many years.     Most trainers, who make any attempt to stay educated, have learned that dominance based training has many pitfalls and using positive reinforcement methods is a truly easier on everyone. 

I don't think there is anything wrong with being a leader.  Like teachers, there are good leaders and bad ones.  I think too many get hung up on the actual words such as leader and pack.  I refer to my four dogs as a pack sometimes.  That doesn't mean I think I have to dominate them every minute of every day.  I teach them how to be good members of our family and I don't expect them to obey me because they fear me as the big scary alpha leader.

Thanks for the insight on the street dogs of Bangkok. 

JackieG

I don't expect them to obey me because they fear me as the big scary alpha leader.

I love the phraseology that we are their teacher essentially - I read somewhere to be the benevolent leader - and I think that too is an awesome description of our relationship

I've never witnessed enough stray dogs to comment on whether they demonstrate pack mentality but I will say that hounds and other hunting dogs do work as a pack.  Feral wild dogs (according to Nat Geo) do as well to catch prey.  So perhaps when left completely to their own vices they might form packs, however in urban environments they don't need a pack to eat garbage. Just a thought.

And just because they do or don't form packs doesn't mean they are or aren't pack animals - for instance, humans aren't considered pack animals but 'pack mentality' is often used to explain the insane rushes into stores for hot sales and also for horrific violent attacks on one person by many.  People that would not normally be violent get caught up in it and join in. So 'pack mentality' can be evidenced in non-pack animals, just a thought.

(I'll be moving the thread over to behavior & psychology)

I completely agree with Jewlieee's comment on ranking being fluid - my dogs exhibit different strengths in  different situations - taking a situation in isolation you may consider one as being the leader of the other - but then this can be completely reversed in another situation.

Kpwlee - some interesting thoughts on street dogs -  it's true they don't need to hunt as such for food - and much of it is provided by people here - the dogs tends to hang out round the food stalls - and receive food from the customers and scraps/left overs from the owners. So I guess they only need to hunt down a friendly food stall

And you're right - humans can and do demonstrate pack mentality - which I guess suggests we are closer in mentality and instinct to our furry friends than we may be aware.

I think that dog social systems form around resource distribution. I'm sure there is a term for that... If resources are clumped together, dogs will clump together, but they have the social skills to make this a harmonious arrangement. If resources are more evenly spread, dogs are more evenly spread and don't mix so much. In our homes, resources are plentiful and so don't dictate the social system that arises. I think that dogs in multi-dog homes end up using their social skills to maintain social harmony.

I think of my relationship with my dogs as a parent-child kind of relationship. I look after their needs (which are obviously not the needs of a human child), provide for them, teach them, offer them comfort and support when they need it, and guide them through life. I don't want their decisions to be my decisions. My greatest joy is my dogs confidently and competently making good decisions in a variety of situations. I want them to grow up to be well-adjusted and confident. 

 I think the key is dogs are social animals.  Not only that but they have been selectively bred to want to be around and to work closely with humans even more so than other dogs.  They really are closely linked to humans and it is interesting how dogs born on the streets still often end up rather dependent on the trash/scraps of their human neighbors.