23/05/2026
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IS DOMINANCE REAL IN WOLVES OR DOGS?
According to Merch (the originator of the dominance and alpha theories) indicated that wolves in the wild DON'T exhibit dominance or alpha tendencies after all!
In 1958, as part of a research project on wolves, David Mech, a graduate student in wildlife ecology at Purdue, was flying over Isle Royale National Park, on Lake Superior. From above, he saw a wolf pack capture and kill a moose. This was rare. More than nine times out of ten, he had witnessed the wolves’ prey escape. “I wanted to see how old this moose was, and to see if it was ill,” said Merch. He had the pilot drop him off some distance away, and snowshoed in. “I remember arriving to the edge of this clearing, and there were these fifteen wolves feeding on this moose,” he said. He didn’t know how the wolves would react when they saw him. “Long ago, when I started, we knew very little about wolves in the wild. We knew that they lived in packs, that they preyed on large animals, and that they howled. And the standard things from storybooks.” Upon spotting him, the wolves ran off, leaving behind the moose carcass. “They could have attacked me,” he said. “They could have had something more to eat!” The wolf, as he later described it in print, is “one of the wildest and shyest of all the animals in the northern wilderness.” David Mech, The Myth of the Alpha Wolf.
Dogs Are Not Wolves
Wolves and dogs share similar DNA, same number of chromosomes, teeth and behaviours, but they are different – all wolves look and behave the same after 14000 years but not all dogs look and behave the same since dogs have developed and evolved physically, emotionally and behaviourally over 14000 years. Dog’s skull sizes, reproductive cycles, growth stages, coats, gait, brains, coats, tails, ears and predatory motor patterns have changed overtime and resembles little of that a wolf. Wolves hardly bark while dogs sometimes bark a lot. Dogs are bred to do different jobs while wolves remain wolves – there are no working wolves while we have working dogs! In summary, wolves have remained unchanged for thousands of years while dogs continue to change in size, shape, form and behaviours that make them different from wolves.
Where Does Alpha Come From?
Wolves have a nuclear family - a breeding pair and their offspring - or an extended family (uncles and aunts) or a ‘step-family’ (non-related family members). The breeding male is called the alpha because he the only male to retain full functioning of his te**es all year round. The females only come into season once a year. If the male is fit and strong enough to leave the pack, he will go in search of a mate to ensure gene diversity. So, there is no competition with each other. They engage with each other via ritualised behaviours with little chance of injury and do not waste energy on fighting. The same applies to other female wolves who can leave to find a mate so as not to compete with the female alpha. Once the breeding female (alpha) becomes pregnant, the te**es of the beta wolves’ atrophy. There is no dominant and autocratic leader in a pack of wolves. They become involved in taking care off, protecting and feeding the young of the pack.
Alpha refers to breeding and not leadership.
Sometimes wolf pack rules are misinterpreted and applied to dogs which only serve to demotivate, depress, confuse, frustrate and anger them. This could lead to behavioural issues like resource guarding, rage, aggression, anxiety, depression, digging and chewing. Some examples of these are - if food is scarce, the pups eat first and if there is a small kill, the breeders eat first – the alpha doesn’t eat first! Eating first will confuse and depress your dog especially if food is delayed from a time he was used to eating. Alphas lie on higher ground to protect the pack as he can see intruders - your dog will probably lay atop furniture because he is comfortable and not seeking to dominate you. Asking him to move will confuse him and it may lead to resource guarding.
Dogs are not seeking to dominate and rule over humans. Dominance in human terms means to rule, control and have authority over another or a situation, which applies a similar human construct of behaviour to dogs, which implies that dogs have cognitive abilities like that of humans and can make conscious decisions. However, as we understand more of how dogs learn, we realise that dogs make choices based on reinforcement and not by scheming and manipulating people/situations. Since most dogs can be easily trained, it will be better to train them to follow the social rules of the family unit rather than punish them by asserting yourself as a pack leader. Since dogs have a high social, interaction need, they may be depressed, frustrated and confused if some of the rank reduction programme rules (eat first, step in their bed, go through the door before them, roll them over, etc.) are applied to them. They may develop behavioural issues which may result a strained relationship between them and their human.
Dogs don't dominate each other as well. Yes they compete for resources and bully each other for toys, food, attention and beds but the feeling is more primal and less cerebral.
Sadly, many veterinary professionals still believe in these outdated theories and concepts from the 80's, so the next you hear these words from him or her, please respectfully question them about it. Dogs have the emotional maturity of a 2 year old child so I doubt they can take over your home.
They are a part of your family. All that they want is love, understanding and to be accepted. Nothing more.
Do you still believe that your dog is trying to dominate you when even wolves are proven to not be dominant?
