A lot of people dont seem to understand an animal's emotions. dogs seem to be least misunderstood, but with that being said it should also be noted that people dont understand the complexity of emotions dogs have, and where those emotions come from in an evolutionary sense. Whats the owner (or perspective owner) understands what their dog feels they can train their dog better, and in the end relate to their dog better.

Because of their close relation to wolves, dogs are still predominantly pack creatures as i see it. Almost all of them are very social, and are usually protective of their owners/families. The exceptions are abused and neglected dogs, but this is an entirely separate case. (Note: if you are going to adopt an abused/possibly abused dog, please note that this article will probably not relate to your animal unless said dog has undergone A LOT of training/treatment.) Te secret in training the animal is to show him the place in the family/household. If you have other dogs there will be some adjusting, and they will form their own order, but the end goal is to prevent the dog from becoming the Alpha.

In packs of wolves, the alpha is the leader. it has been observed that the alpha naturally takes the role of leader, and although there is some competetion for a short time, most of the other wolves in the pack settle in. Those who do not settle become the legendary Lone Wolves, and live solitary, lonesome lives (or so the wolf experts tell us.) There is some order to the animals underneath the alpha, but the most defined role is that of the Omega. Most family dogs end up in this role, which is what my dog has settled in to. Omega wolves are most likely to wander from the group if not naturally omegas, just as some dogs run from home. Omegas eat last, have pretty all of the packs abuse doled out to them (the whipping boy/girl) and are generally looked down upon by all of the other wolves. The omega wolf, however, tends to be the jester within the pack. They never back down from an opportunity to play, are always trying to cheer other wolves up, and all of this especially if something major happens (like a death within the pack.) The abuse to such a kind creature seems horrible, but most of it is to keep the omega in check. there has to be an omega for the pack to function, and although they all deep down care for the omega, they dont want to be.

So by now you have figured out if your dog is an alpha, an omega, or somehwere in between.

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