Do you know that dogs descended from wolves and are wolves are known as pack animals? In the wild, packs are crucial for survival. Due to the dogs’ pack mentality, dog owners often question whether my dog thinks we are a pack?
Yes, your dog considers you a pack member. Over years of domestication, the thing that hasn’t changed is dogs’ pack mentality. In most cases, dogs give humans the dominant role in the pack. But rare cases also exist where the dog considers himself as the pack leader.
Here you’ll find everything to understand your dog’s pack mentality.
Signs Your Dog Sees You As A Pack Leader
When your dog considers you a pack, you can either be dominant, alpha, or submissive, beta or omega. Alpha or dominant pack member is known as the pack leader. Here are some signs that you can observe when your dog sees you as a pack leader:
1. He Follows You Everywhere
If your dog follows you everywhere, it’s a clear sign that he considers you the pack leader. According to Canidine, the wolf pack leader is always followed in everything; otherwise, it will be a sign of disrespect.
2. He Lets You Walk In The Door First
Since the alpha member always leads the pack, your dog will always let you walk in the door first if he respects you as a pack leader. As in the wild, junior pack member never goes into the cave before the alpha, the same goes for doors.
He does so because he considers you the protector. He knows that you’ll handle anything dangerous or scary that might be on the other side of the door.
3. You Get Kisses
Dogs are famous for their incredibly social and affectionate nature. If your dog gives you attention by licking your face, it means he considers you dominant. It’s a gesture to show that he looks up to you for something or seeks your approval.
4. He Doesn’t Steal Your Food
In the wild, the alpha member gets to eat first. In a pack, not eating before the alpha is considered respect, and if your dog lets you eat without stealing, he thinks you a pack leader. However, he may look at food; that’s pretty normal because they are dogs. Just make sure he isn’t stealing or even slightly encouraged to eat your hot dog or barbeque!
5. He Leaves Space For You On The Couch
In a dogs’ pack, the alpha male always gets the best position for resting. While living with you at home, your dog probably knows your place of resting or sleeping. So, when you come in the room to have some rest, he’ll leave your place due to respect.
6. He Breaks Eye Contact With You First
Eye contact is used to scare other animals in the wild. While scolding your dog, if he breaks eye contact, it’s a sign of submission. It is also an indication that he is guilty of doing what triggered you and apologizing for it.
Signs Your Dog Think He’s Pack Leader
In some cases, your dog may think of himself as a pack leader. Here are some signs when your dog considers himself a leader.
1. He Likes To Be Up High
If your dog considers himself a pack leader, he’ll try to have the best spot in the house so he can watch out for the pack. If your dog sleeps on the bed and climbs on couches, he is claiming dominance. Particularly, if his head is on the pillow, he’s showing himself as a leader as he has no respect for you.
2. He Physically Dominates You
As a leader, he’ll try to dominate you physically; this includes jumping, standing on you, or sitting in your lap. He’ll also put his paw on you to show superiority and dominance.
3. He Is Demanding
If your dog dominates you with his will and demands food, attention, etc., then he is showing himself as a pack leader.
Ways To Strengthen Your Bond As A Pack
If you want to strengthen your bond as a pack, here are some tips that you can follow:
Show your pup genuine care and love. Nothing can give you better results in getting close to your dog other than this.
The next step is to understand your dog’s behavior and emotions. You must remember that dogs and humans are two different creatures. So, you can’t assume the same meaning of dog’s actions as humans.
While training your dog, make sure that you remain patient. Punishing your dog for not listening to you while training will negatively impact your friendship. Instead, stay calm and treat your pet politely. Rewarding his behavior when he listens to you will also make him like you more. He’ll follow your instructions to winning treats or rewards.
Take him out for a walk and make time to play with him regularly. Spending time with your dog also makes him attached to you more.
Your dog will only consider you a pack when he trusts that you work for his welfare. You can ensure this by removing your dog from uncomfortable situations and providing him a secure sitting. The bond between you and your dog will build over time, and you must understand that you can’t force anything on your dog during this time.
Summary
Any dog owner would want his canine to listen and obey him. The thing becomes easier when your dog considers that you and he are a pack. Due to years of domestication, dogs have been used to considering humans as their pack members.
In a pack, there is an alpha dog who is the pack leader and is dominant. Other dogs are submissive and are called betas and omegas. While living with humans, dogs can consider themselves both as pack leaders and submissive members too.
In both cases, if he considers you a leader or not, he’ll show some signs that you can observe easily. With training, loving, and caring for your dog, you can make him think of you as a pack leader.
So, he’ll respect you more and listen to your commands. You just have to be sure that you remain calm and patient during the training process.