Alpha and Omega characteristics

[Vail]

What are some characteristics to differentiate Alphas from Omegas? Specifically female BCs.

 

Also, I thought I read somewhere (it must have been a BC book I didn't buy) that female BCs are usually, in a pack or litter, one Alpha and the rest Omegas with the males falling inbetween.

 

Thanks.

[Vail]

Don't everybody chime in at once.

[Tassie]

OK - I'll stick my neck out. IMHO, the Alpha thing is somewhat outdated. The pack structure I see in domestic dogs is way more complicated than can be simply expressed. What I see is that quite often behaviour is context dependent. Sometimes one individual will appear to be 'the boss' - then you'll see that same individual do something which doesn't appear "boss-like' at all.

 

My old Kelpie x Border Collie, though on the small side, was a very confident bitch, who had no trouble putting obnoxious adolescent GSDs in their place. Yet, she would not always insist on things like going through a door ahead of my male BC. After Sam died, Jess as an old lady, would let the new pup, Fergus take some liberties - like chewing on her tail, but disciplined him for other matters.

 

ISTM it's not a clear black and white (even in Border Collies)

[sandra s.]

I agree with Tassie.

 

We don't have an Alpha and an Omega, we have a Kyla and a Kessie . Who is the "boss", if there is a boss at all, depends on the situation. None of the typical "alpha" theories work with our dogs (nor with the complete human/canine pack).

 

Some examples:

 

- Kyla starts most play fights. But Kessie ends them when she's had enough. Or I end them, when one appears to be bullying the other who isn't feeling like fighting. They can fight with me if they've got too much energy.

- Kyla wins scuffles over toys. She wants them more!

- Kessie wins those little shoving matches for petting. She's more confident that it's "hers" (and yes, we do push her aside and finish petting Kyla when she does that!).

- Kessie uses much "softer" body language than Kyla does. Towards humans, she can be downright submissive. Yet she is the one who will try to slip past you and get her own way if you don't watch out. Kyla has far more respect. Btw, I don't think that Kessie tries to get her way because she's scheming and plotting to become pack leader. She just wants to get her way (don't we all!) in the situation at hand.

- Kyla will trot after Kessie sometimes when we're strolling around on unfamiliar ground (Kessie is older and much more confident outside). When she's really insecure, she'll walk behind me and let Kessie go to h*ll. In places they know well, neither one follows the other, unless someone acts like they've found something interesting.

- When Kyla pretends to be hunting mice, Kessie will follow her (hoping, I believe, to be a mouse thief rather then a "follower").

- whoever gets to the ball first brings it back.

- whoever sits on a certain place first (couch, bed etc) is normally allowed to remain there.

- whoever is most bored will try to shove herself out the door first when it finally opens!

[PSmitty]

OK - I'll stick my neck out. IMHO, the Alpha thing is somewhat outdated. The pack structure I see in domestic dogs is way more complicated than can be simply expressed. What I see is that quite often behaviour is context dependent. Sometimes one individual will appear to be 'the boss' - then you'll see that same individual do something which doesn't appear "boss-like' at all.

 

Ditto. I just don't put much stock into the whole alpha stuff. The dynamic around here is constantly shifting and changing. True, I don't have all border collies, but if pressed to identify an alpha dog, I don't think I could. I just let them be themselves, work things out themselves, and intervene only when necessary. It works for us.

[Root Beer]

And I second and third what everyone else has said!

 

None of my four is "ALPHA"!!! Each is a leader in some ways and a follower in others. All are "soft" in some ways and "hard" in others.

[OurBoys]

Same here with JJ and Jake. At times JJ is the leader and at other times Jake is the leader. If JJ growls for some reason, Jake backs down. If for some reason Jake growls, JJ backs down. JJ's more outgoing than Jake and Jake 'feeds' off JJ but I still wouldn't label JJ as alpha.

 

To put a different spin on the OP's question, do you feel we don't have the "Alpha vs Omega" problem(s) because we, the pet owners, 'set the stage' everytime we get a new addition? For example, when we adopted Jake, we didn't want JJ feeling we were replacing him so I would set JJ's food bowl down first, JJ goes out the door first, we still have one on one time with each one separately as well as together time, etc. and by doing so, we took the responsibility of establishing the 'pack order' so they wouldn't have to? Or do you think it's just a bc trait?

[sandra s.]

To put a different spin on the OP's question, do you feel we don't have the "Alpha vs Omega" problem(s) because we, the pet owners, 'set the stage' everytime we get a new addition? For example, when we adopted Jake, we didn't want JJ feeling we were replacing him so I would set JJ's food bowl down first, JJ goes out the door first, we still have one on one time with each one separately as well as together time, etc. and by doing so, we took the responsibility of establishing the 'pack order' so they wouldn't have to? Or do you think it's just a bc trait?

 

I don't believe we can actually choose the "pack order", because it's far too subtle and complicated for us. What we try to do is to avoid situations where they have to compete seriously (for example, I have no idea which one of ours would win a fight for food - the hungrier one, I'd guess - because we've never let it come to that situation).

[Guest TheRuffMuttGang]

I think that's great and wonderful but when you have more than one or two dogs, the pack theory rings all too true. The fact is, dogs are pack animals and just like humans, their social status is well-defined. We have distinct leaders and followers and dogs do as well. Does that mean that leaders will ALWAYS insist on being the leader in every last situation? No. I have a lot of dogs and I know who is boss. There ARE alphas, betas and omegas and that is totally independent of ME. There is no choosing the order FOR the dogs but it does make things easier if you as the SOLE ALPHA support the order the dogs have chosen for themselves. Do my alphas always want to go through the door first? No. But they darn well better not be bothered by the other dogs while they are sleeping. If a scuffle breaks out and the alphas are not involved, guess who tries to step in? The alphas. And the other dogs listen. That's just how dog packs work, whether you want to believe it or not. These aren't things you will necessarily see or believe unless you live with or routinely see how a larger pack of dogs lives. It's not as simple as "I am me and you are you" as some of you say it is with your 2 or 3 dogs. Sure, that's how it was when I only had two or three dogs, too. There was a leader but he had far less to actually do with "leading" than just being a jerk. Alpha status does still exist in dogs. Do some research on wild dog packs and you'll see that. It's just that most domestic dogs don't live in true packs so the dynamics are far reduced from those that do.

[OurBoys]

Thanks for answering, Debbie. I knew because we only have 2 dogs it would be different than having a larger pack but because I've never had a large pack, I didn't know how different.

[Dixie_Girl]

Having 6 dogs, I have to agree with Debbie.

[Tassie]

Thanks for that explanation, Debbie - yes, it makes a lot of sense if there are more dogs and they are living together as a pack. And I guess, it's all moderated a bit by the dogs' relationship with the humans. Good food for thought - thank you.

[bskeeter]

We only have four dogs, but we still see that "pack" in those four. Debbie's explanation was great. Thanks.