ALPHA (word discussion)

I do use the word. And the meaning I attribute to it is: The highest ranking member of a defined group. The one who COULD have what they want. My husband and I share the alpha role of the group of beings living in this house. In addition to being the highest ranking, we make the rules, we provide the stuff and we guarantee safety and security for the entire group.

Cara is the highest ranking of the dogs. How I know this is from studying the group. Several indication I have that she is "alpha dog" are:
1) No dog attempts to take anything away from her. (She also never takes anything away from them, but the other three exchange treats and toys all the time)
2) When she warns another dog, they back off. (The other 3 fight, spar and play among themselves)
3) The youngest 2 dogs avoid getting too close to her when they're playing rough. She doesn't like it and she has warned them many times. (She has severe hip dysplasia and is protective of her back legs because when a GSD falls on her leg, it's painful)
4) She is the calmest and most assertive of the dogs. (See "calm-assertive") []
5) She is the only dog in my pack that has never humped another dog. (I believe humping is akin to saying, "I'm the boss of you, so do what I say." Alpha dog doesn't need to be explicit about that.)

I know some people are turned off by the word, but I believe that is only because of ADDED meaning they give to it. If we defined some of our terms (thank you, dgriego), I believe there'd be a lot less squabbling and more understanding and learning.

Notice nowhere did I use the words "dominant", "control" or "power" in this post. []

I avoid using it with my students, since I avoid using any language that suggests that humans need to dominate dogs to be successful at training them.  Not that there is inherently anything wrong with the word, used in proper context, but it does tend to connote the attitude of "show 'm who's boss", which is not the attitude I want to convey.

Four
 
 What is your opinion of how the word might be misunderstood?
 
 As in people hearing it and applying it as in "that is why my dog is misbehaving, it is because he is thinking he is alpha, I will show him who#%92s boss"?
 
  I ask because I am beginning to see that in the hands of someone with very little knowledge, such a word could be taken to the extreme and cause them to believe that they just need to show their dog who is boss. This seems to be the main reason so many people automatically become “upset” when they hear the word, regardless of the context in which it were used.
 
 You might say I am the alpha figure within my pack and have people freak out (no real cause for concern) or someone else might say I am having a problem with my dog biting me and I have never trained a dog but I heard that if I grab him by the collar and throw him on the floor that will show him I am the alpha dog (maybe now we have cause for concern).
 
 Now mind you, with that being said it is possible for any word or method to be taken out of context and misused due to the person having limited knowledge and not seeking to gain any more.
 

Alpha always implies some sort of linear hierarchy--Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and all the other letters follow--it doens't change, it isn't situational, it always is first. If you don't believe that dogs have an inflexible unchanging linear hierarchy, there's no need to use that term. And if you don't believe that your dog views you as part of a wolf-type linear hiearchy, again, there's no need to use that term.

ORIGINAL: dgriego
Four

What is your opinion of how the word might be misunderstood?

People hear all kinds of theories about dog behavior. It's like anything else. If you're not really paying attention, you might miss the whole point and think your dog is constantly trying to take control of the world. There's no way we can control what people hear and how they interpret it. The best we can do is try to add our input and hope it makes more sense than what they've heard before.

I ask because I am beginning to see that in the hands of someone with very little knowledge, such a word could be taken to the extreme and cause them to believe that they just need to show their dog who is boss.

Well, maybe they do need to remind the dog who's the boss. NILIF is great for that. Boss is just another word. If the dog is growling and snapping at people, guarding or disobeying, perhaps they DO need to be reminded somehow that the people are the ones who are making the rules here. How does one remind a dog of that? In the least invasive way possible.

You might say I am the alpha figure within my pack and have people freak out (no real cause for concern)

Yeah, all the time. It's because of the meaning they add to the word. They picture me hanging my dog by the leash or angrily wrestling them to the ground. I can't help that they add all that. I can tell them over and over and over, but ... they still have this context around the word. I use 'leader' sometimes, but to me, it means exactly the same thing.

or someone else might say I am having a problem with my dog biting me and I have never trained a dog but I heard that if I grab him by the collar and throw him on the floor that will show him I am the alpha dog (maybe now we have cause for concern).

This person needs guidance, not judgment. Too many times if someone says something like that, they get attacked. That's the LAST thing they (and their dog) need. They need to be informed what grabbing a collar does to a dog. And what steps to take instead.

ORIGINAL: houndlove
Alpha always implies some sort of linear hierarchy--

I disagree. That's like saying Red implies a rainbow. Alpha (to me) describes the position of one unit in the whole. As long as I've had Cara, she's been the alpha dog (except for a time when I fostered a dog). But that's not saying she always will be. I have youngsters that might someday challenge her position.

If you don't believe that dogs have an inflexible unchanging linear hierarchy, there's no need to use that term. And if you don't believe that your dog views you as part of a wolf-type linear hiearchy, again, there's no need to use that term.

I don't think it's inflexible, unchanging or even always linear. The other 3 dogs don't much care about it. I'm not sure how my dogs view me, to tell you the truth. And I wouldn't trust someone who tried to tell me how they view me. But I don't think they see me as a dog... I don't think they care. I'm just mom. I'm the one with the stuff. The leader.

I don't like the word either. I (and my dogs) don't consider me part of my dog pack, so I don't go around calling myself alpha or leader. Dog Slave might be an appropriate word for my position considering how much time I spend caring for their physical and mental needs.
 
I do currently have an alpha bitch. She is "top dog" in every situation involving more than one dog that I have ever observed, and thus I feel comfortable calling her that. The other dogs have fluid levels of "dominance" depending who else is present and what is going on.

ORIGINAL: dgriego

or someone else might say I am having a problem with my dog biting me and I have never trained a dog but I heard that if I grab him by the collar and throw him on the floor that will show him I am the alpha dog (maybe now we have cause for concern).

 
That can happen without even the word being said, is matter of knowledge, no semantics
 
 

but do hope that people do not oversimplify the social structure of dogs or assume that all behavior is an indication of attempted leadership.

 
Good post and this line is most important.
 
Let me sidestep and reiterate that L. David Mech found that wolf packs in the wild are usually family units. And even the "omega" or smallest or youngest of the litter will go off with a mate and be "alpha" in their own pack. In that case, the term means parent, just like your parents were in charge of you. Dogs rarely get to stay with the parents longer than 2 months at best. Meet stranger dogs all the time. Look to humans, another species, for cues to problem solving. Retain neotenous behaviors found only in wolf cubs. According to a show I saw on NGC, the genetics of a dog lend to rapid mutation and that is how we are able to breed a new look in a few generations. Well, it can also lend to mutation in brain function and capacity and in social behavior. So, even at a .2 difference in genetics from the wolf, it is indeed a fact that dogs are not wolves, regardless of what they look like. Shadow, most times, resembles a timberwolf, especially in winter. A number of people have guess at him being at least part wolf. And he's nothing of the sort.
 
Point being, the actual term that should be ascribed to the leaders in a wolf pack is parent or guardian. And dogs may have som similar behaviors arising out of different needs and what we might call leader is flexible, varying with the context of the situation. That being said, Shadow only eats his full portion of food, for him it's about a cup to a cup and a half, in my presence. That doesn't mean I'm alpha, but I am his mate.
 

ORIGINAL: espencer

ORIGINAL: dgriego

or someone else might say I am having a problem with my dog biting me and I have never trained a dog but I heard that if I grab him by the collar and throw him on the floor that will show him I am the alpha dog (maybe now we have cause for concern).

That can happen without even the word being said, is matter of knowledge, no semantics

espencer
 You are correct, it can happen without the word, I have noticed when the word is used the first response tends to be a discourse on why the word is not appropriate, why dominance is not needed, rather than discourse on a more appropriate manner to handle the situation. Not everyone does this, but it does occur so I am suggesting that the word is somehow a trigger that causes frustration, and brings out a more negative response to the person seeking clarification or assistance than it would if they described the same scenario and did not use any of the "trigger" words.
 
Four
 I do not currently have an Alpha dog as my two fluctuate a lot. Now Hektor is only 7months old and has taken over some things, yet others he still defers to Gunnar. I am willing to bet that with his confident attitude (he is my bull in a china shop dog) he will wear the dog pants exclusively soon. Gunnar is more gentle in nature, is never confrontational and just seeks to please everyone. So as Hektor matures I expect the changing social status to become more stable.

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

I don't like the word either. I (and my dogs) don't consider me part of my dog pack, so I don't go around calling myself alpha or leader.

 
mud
 
 I do not believe that anyone who uses this word thinks that their dogs see them as dogs. I have a pack of dogs, I call them my pack of dogs, and I called them my pack of dogs long before it was popular on TV to do so. But I know I am not a dog (although I have been called words that imply that at times), and I am fairly certain (I can never know for certain what they think, maybe they do think I am a dog) my dogs know I am not a dog. If I described myself as the alpha of my pack, which I do in a sense even though I do not use the word alpha, I am not necessarily saying I am a dog or that my dogs perceive me as a dog.

 

One reason I dislike the term ALPHA is that it,  as well as the term "dominant" is frequently used by people instead of aggressive.  I have run into I don't know how many people who tell me that their dog is an "alpha" or a "dominant" dog to excuse their dog's obnoxious behavior.  By using the term "alpha" or "dominant" not only are they saying their dog's actions are O.K., but implies that it is something good.

I don't use the term.  I don't really get what it means since I haven't really studied the behavior of wild dogs and their social hierarchies.  Kenya is not a wild dog, nor am I.  So far, I haven't found any useful application of pack theories as far as my relationship with my pets is concerned.  I don't really care what Kenya thinks about me or my position as long as we both enjoy each other's company.  If she thinks that she is the "alpha", OK by me.  She still does what I say and she does it with her tail wagging.

ORIGINAL: dgriego
I know I am not a dog

Uh,,, If it really needs to be said, I also know that I am not a dog. Just for clarity. [sm=biggrin.gif]

Another point I'd like to put forth is that when I had 2 dogs, one was more "submissive" than the other. However, I didn't feel like I had a "pack" on my hands until I had 3 dogs. That's when the real interplay began to show up. And with 4, it's even more interesting.

But, while I do hang out with them a lot and even sleep with them sometimes, I haven't started eating kibble and pooping in the yard. So... I know I am not a dog. []

ORIGINAL: FourIsCompany

ORIGINAL: dgriego
I know I am not a dog

Uh,,, If it really needs to be said, I also know that I am not a dog. Just for clarity. [sm=biggrin.gif]

Another point I'd like to put forth is that when I had 2 dogs, one was more "submissive" than the other. However, I didn't feel like I had a "pack" on my hands until I had 3 dogs. That's when the real interplay began to show up. And with 4, it's even more interesting.

But, while I do hang out with them a lot and even sleep with them sometimes, I haven't started eating kibble and pooping in the yard. So... I know I am not a dog. []

 
That is good news Four [] (I sort of figured that was the case and would have been shocked had you responded that you did think yourself to be a dog!)