I often get calls from dog guardians who are genuinely worried that their dog is trying to “take over” the household. They’ll describe situations in which the dog won’t let them on the bed or sofa. Almost always, the conclusion is the same: “They’re trying to be the alpha.”
It’s an understandable assumption, but it’s also one that’s rooted in outdated science.
The idea of the “alpha dog” comes from a long-standing myth about dominance and hierarchy. In reality, domestic dogs are not trying to dominate their human family members. Their behaviour is far more about learning and emotional safety than about power or rank.
The concept of the alpha wolf can be traced back to 1947, when scientist Rudolph Schenkel published a study titled Expression Studies on Wolves. Schenkel observed wolves living in captivity at a Swiss zoo and concluded that wolf packs were ruled by an “alpha” who maintained control through aggression and dominance.
This idea quickly captured public attention and became deeply embedded in how people understood wolves and dogs. For decades, it influenced dog training methods and reinforced the belief that dogs need a strong, dominant leader to keep them in line.
What Schenkel didn’t account for was the context of his observations. The wolves he studied were not free-roaming family groups. They were unrelated wolves taken from different packs and forced to live together in a confined, unnatural environment with limited resources.
This artificial setting created stress and competition—conditions that naturally led to aggressive behaviour. What Schenkel observed was not a normal wolf social structure, but a breakdown caused by captivity.
In the 1970s, renowned wolf biologist Dr. L. David Mech helped popularize the alpha wolf idea in his book The Wolf: Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species. However, after decades of studying wolves in the wild, Mech renounced the alpha concept.
His long-term research showed that wild wolf packs are not rigid dominance hierarchies. Instead, they are family units. A typical pack consists of a breeding pair—the parents—and their offspring. The so-called “alpha” wolves are simply the parents guiding their young.
Decisions about hunting, movement, and territory are cooperative. Order is maintained through relationships and communication, not constant aggression or power struggles. Wolves survive because they work together, not because one wolf is constantly asserting dominance.
Despite this updated science, the alpha myth has lingered, especially in dog training. Many guardians still believe that because dogs descended from wolves, they must be trying to climb a dominance ladder within the household.
This belief has led to harmful, dominance-based training practices like intimidation and “alpha rolls,” where a dog is forcibly pinned to the ground.
Modern canine behavioural science is very clear; dogs are not trying to dominate humans.
Domestic dogs have evolved alongside people for thousands of years. Their behaviour is shaped by learning, environment, emotional state, and individual temperament, not by a desire to control their guardians.
When a dog growls on the bed, it’s not about “being alpha.” More often, it’s a sign of resource guarding, fear, uncertainty, or a learned behaviour that has unintentionally been reinforced.
Instead of trying to “put them in their place,” we focus on meeting their needs and teaching alternative behaviours. Resource guarding, for example, can be successfully modified through positive reinforcement training and thoughtful management—not force or punishment.
When we let go of the dominance model, we make room for something far healthier, a relationship built on trust and understanding. Your dog isn’t trying to take over your home. They’re trying to communicate, and when we listen, real change becomes possible.