Are Dogs Really Pack Animals?

Dogs are social, yes – they communicate with one another and with us and they form social bonds. Sometimes dogs will form a temporary band, for instance to run down a rabbit. And obviously most dogs adapt well to living in households with people and other animals. But scientists have observed free-living dogs – city strays and village dogs, for instance – for decades, and those dogs just don’t form permanent, stable packs. You’ll see a mother dog with pups, or a bunch of males following around a female in heat, but you won’t see the dog equivalent of a wolf pack, with a long-term parent pair, an adolescent or two, and the current crop of pups.

We can and must help our dogs by providing a stable structure for their lives in the human world. For example, they need early socialization and a well-learned repertoire of mannerly behaviors, such as sitting to greet people and not charging out the door every time it opens. We can call our role “pack leader” if we want to, but it’s unlikely that that notion has much to do with what’s going on in the dog’s head.

(provided by Brandykegs Saint Bernards)
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