Alpha

ALPHA

The common belief that the dog looks at man as a dog has always trouble me. I firmly believe that this remarkable creature knows he is a dog and I am a man. With this being understood, I do not for a second accept that my dog deems me the head of a non-existent pack. I will relay what I believe to be true on this subject. It is for you to find your truth.

First of all, let me state that I do not believe the domestic dog to be a pack animal. I believe he is a social animal. Let me state why. The wolf is a true pack animal, choosing to be with other wolves over man. In fact, he shuns man, avoiding him at all cost. Even in the confines of a zoo, the wolf is noticeably bothered by the presence of man. Which makes it so frightening when these Jekyll & Hydes or wolf hybrids, are offered for sale to the public. The dog leaves his own littermates to follow man. Avoiding, even protecting against other dogs, his two legged companion.

No other animal is so bound to mankind as the dog. It is only man that so foolishly effects this bond by desiring to be a dog or the dog to be man. Instead of accepting the relationship for its uniqueness, man shows his stupidity by inventing unseen forces he calls drives, and tries to control by calling himself alpha, a situation that is already naturally balanced.

I cringe when I hear some human clown telling someone to growl at their dog or to bend over and sniff it, or one of the many other imitations of canine behavior meant to communicate handler superiority. We are talking about a creature that can separate one smell from another in such a minute quantity, that a machine cannot detect it. The dog can detect cancers, oncoming seizures, death, direction, sincerity, and distinguish good from evil. Yet some people believe we can convince the dog, a master of body language, that we are a more powerful dog through lame and pathetic displays of canine rituals.
The dog knows better than the human, his role.It is a reverse from the pack instinct, which pulls a dog from his littermates to follow the human voice and seek the human bond. As I stated earlier the dog is the only animal that willingly and by nature serves man with such total commitment. If only we as humans would accept, that we do not have to conquer that which is given freely.

I hope this causes discussion and that some gets back to me. To plainly put, it in, closing; we do not have to pretend, coerce, trick, bribe or force ourselves upon our K-9 friends. They know who they are, and they know who we are. It is us that are confused andwe need only to see the truth of the matter.

E-mail Mike with questions or comments.