The “wolf-pack” model originated in mid-20th-century wolf research on captive animals. Rudolf Schenkel’s 1947 study of zoo wolves described rigid dominance ranks (with “alpha” males/females) .  L. David Mech later popularized these ideas in his 1970 book The Wolf, spreading the notion that a pack was led by an aggressive “alpha” .  Popular dog-trainers adopted this model (e.g. the “alpha dog” concept in media).  However, these early studies were on unrelated wolves forced to

the term pack walk is still widely used to describe group walks. It sounds tidy, almost romantic — conjuring images of a cohesive canine unit moving harmoniously under a calm, capable leader. The problem is that the terminology is rooted in outdated behavioural theory. If we are positioning ourselves as modern, ethical, evidence-informed professionals, it is worth examining both the language we use and the assumptions...

For decades, dog training has been influenced by the flawed idea that domestic dogs operate within rigid dominance hierarchies modelled on wolf “packs”. This theory shaped the language, tools, and methodology of an entire generation of trainers. However, the scientific foundation of that model has long since been...