Uploaded with permission from the author, it may be reproduced for non-profit purposes with author's credit given. This page has been checked out times in this library. My dog got into the trash can and when I scolded her, she growled at me. They've taken over the leadership of the families that love them. Your dog can love you very much and still try to dominate you or other members of your family.
Dogs are social creatures and believers in social order.
The leader of the pack is the alpha, supreme boss, Top Dog. The leader also gets to be first in everything - he gets to eat first, to leave first and to get attention first. All the other dogs in the pack respect the alpha dog's wishes. Any dog that challenges the alpha's authority gets a swift physical reminder of just where his place in the pack really is. Many dogs fit easily into the lower levels of their human pack's pecking order and don't make waves.