Is there always an alpha?

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

So I'm wondering as I wait for Yogi's sister, is there always an alpha? Will one dog take the lead, or sometimes do they share that role? I've never had multiple dogs before, so I'm curious what this will look like. What does the alpha do that let's you know which it is?

Will I feel bad for Yogi if it's not him? He is such a mild temperament puppy, I just wonder what it will change.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Yogi has ever since he was a pup wanted to hump other dogs. Our trainer assured us it was okay, he was just trying to get attention while the other dogs were playing. Every once in awhile he'll do it with smaller timid dogs. I wonder what this means in terms of "alpha"

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

"Alpha" doesn't mean a lot in our household. Lucy and Oscar have such different personalities (but both are very sweet and easy to live with and get along well with each other) but Lucy is usually the one who playfully initiates a game of domination by 'side humping' Oscar. Its not really a hump but just putting her front legs on Oscar's back and hanging out a while. Oscar just puts up with it, like he's just ignoring the fact that she's towering above him with half her weight on his back. Until he's had enough and turns to grab her. Then he becomes the dominator. So they take turns all day long being Top Dog. Lucy is always the one to give up toys to Oscar, though, but he's more assertive with getting the toys. That's all part of Lucy's game too, as she likes to tease Oscar in trying to get the toys back, knowing full well it bothers him. She really enjoys being the thorn in Oscar's side!

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Debb, that's interesting. Your explanation sounds exactly what Yogi and his sister looked like.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

While the term may not be the best, we all understand what we mean by Alpha.  Our old lab mix was definitely our leader and it was marvelous.  He trained others  to potty on command, to keep their eye on us and not stray too far when they were off leash, he made sure the others were okay and put them in their place when needed - mostly with just a look. We really miss him and so do the others. When Simon became ill - too bad we didn't know it, but Ned did - Ned  took over protecting Simon ( and the pack).  Now that Simon is gone, Ned is boss and our others do not challenge his right to toys or pushing in for first pets. This is good because Ned is smaller.  However, Ned is not a nurturing, natural leader and it is showing - Junior, my son's doodle puppy, runs roughshod over Ned; they tug-of-war over toys and even if Ned gives a growl, Junior wins.  Pretty funny.

Here is a picture of Simon giving Clancy the "look" on his second day here.  Notice Clancy immediately dropping the toy at that 'look."  Simon didn't want the toy at all, he just wanted Clancy to know who the toy belonged to.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Nancy, that is very interesting, and funny. I look forward to seeing the relationship develop between the two dogs. Getting very anxious :-)

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

That's so funny! Not at all the experience we had when we brought Oscar home. Lucy would actually take toys to Oscar. She wouldn't drop them for him but stand and wait for him to come to her. She's always loved any attention she gets from him, and it was her way of drawing it in. She does it to this day!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I have never been able to really figure out who has the alpha role in my household, but I think maybe because that is clearly me ;-) My dogs know and understand I'm the leader.  I am going to read the discussion Karen linked to see if I can get more insight.  Between them they seem to alternate a lot, but I think when push comes to shove, Sophie is more confident than Winston, not always, but more often than not, so more naturally assumes the role of top dog in most situations.  There are a variety of reasons for this which I won't get into, but they are specific to my dogs' experiences and personality, so really I think every dog is different, and you won't know for sure until it plays out.  Either way, I think it will  be fine and your dogs will naturally fall into whatever role works best for them and makes them happiest - which means there is no need to feel bad for Yogi if he isn't the dominant one. If he does decide to step up, and as a result they start to rumble, well, there is plenty of support here to get your through it. Good Luck with the new addition!