Our pack consisted of my dogs (their number varied from 4 to 6) and the dogs of my friends that we met almost daily for several years. Most of my friends also had several dogs (usually two) and, although they lived separately from us, constant contact gives us the right to consider them full members of the pack. Rottweilers prevailed in strength and prestige in the pack, the breed is by no means light in character and earned an undeservedly notorious reputation. In the pack there were also several American Cockers, Bernese Mountain Dogs and two likes. In addition to standing about 10–15 (at different times) dogs, “allies” periodically appeared in the pack – dogs that were well known to the members of the pack, but did not walk with us all the time, joined the walks from time to time. There were dogs of various breeds: from the miniature pinscher to the Great Dane; Central Asian Shepherd Dog, Afghan, etc. In any case, the rottweilers set the tone and for many years the undisputed leader of the pack was Frank, a dog with a very strong character, a typical Alpha dog. The first dog of this type was the founder of the school, Bianka, and I can say with confidence that of those dozens of dogs that I knew closely for many years, no one else was of the type Alpha. Apparently, a strongly dominant type of behavior is very rare, even among such strong dogs as rottweilers.
The basis of trouble-free dog behavior in society (society) of people and other dogs is socialization. Simply put, socialization is the ability to understand other members of the community, the ability to adapt to them, to occupy a worthy place between them is the ability to live in the community. Unlike wolves, whose society for almost their entire life is a flock (or, in any case, a community of representatives of the same species), dogs live in a much more complex society. Consisting of at least two different species: man and dog. A pack of wolves usually does not exceed a dozen individuals. A typical urban dog is in direct or indirect (visual) contact with many acquaintances and strangers and dogs every day. Therefore, domestic dogs, having lost some of the natural instincts, instead acquired the ability to perfectly adapt to the complex and rapidly changing world of people. Wolves lose their ability to form strong social ties with people at a relatively early age. Dogs retain this ability throughout life. Of course, provided that they were introduced into the society of people (socialized) at the appropriate age. A puppy raised in isolation and not knowing a person until the end of the critical period (about 12 weeks), as well as a wolf, loses the ability to establish trusting strong relationships with people. It can be tamed, but the manual wolf will never be a dog.