Pack (canine)
Animals which typically predominate over others are associated with the term "alpha". Among pack-living wolves, alpha wolves are the genetic parents of most cubs in the pack. Such access to mating females creates strong selective pressure for intra-sex competition.
Jan Fennell
Her training method is based on the theory that dogs, being descended from wolves, fit the social model of the pack - an ordered hierarchy with a clearly defined leader. She believes that dogs are unable to understand any other social model, and when co-opted into human families as pets still see themselves as pack members. Fennell argues that most inappropriate dog behavior arises if the owner does not consistently signal that he or she is 'pack leader'. Theoretically this makes the dog anxious: it cannot conceive of a leaderless pack, and so if its owner abdicates leadership the dog has no option but to try to take on the 'alpha' role itself. In the attempt it may become aggressive or difficult to handle, as it tries to assert dominance; hyperactive, through uncertainty on what it should be doing, or sometimes acutely stressed.