How Canine Pack Hierarchy really works
Ok, you know all that stuff you hear about 'alphas,' betas, omegas, and so on?
It's kinda bunk!
Take a look at this picture of who-wins-conflicts-with-whom in an actual group of canines:
Now, of those, who's the alpha? Br has the most wins... and an equal number of losses. GS? Ed? Really, there's no way to tell... because wolves and dogs don't really sort themselves out like that.
With one, notably exception. When there's a small group, and the ones in charge are mom & dad to the rest. Which... well, yea, parents... who don't act in the stereotypical alpha-aggression fashion, almost never initiating conflict with the kids. Unless there's a step parent, in which case there can be may be some fighting.
Also, actual aggression in wild packs is pretty uncommon, and a lot of stuff associated with 'submission,' like, say, begging for food from another, doesn't necessarily mean a poor position- if there's a canine that everyone else gives food, that means they *like* that individual, possibly a lot more than the one who picks & wins fights, and may be of higher status.
Which makes it kinda funny when people try and frame human behavior in alpha/beta/etc. terms and paint aggression as the way to 'be an alpha,' when it's not even the case with wolves, the original use of that phrase was based on a very limited study of a single group in captivity, and doesn't represent any natural sorting.
Anyway, just an interesting article I thought I'd share.