[dipper]

Hi Skip,
I think we have two different scenarios going here --probably my fault.
I believe we/I may be intermingling two separate things.
If you are standing on the field with your helper in front of you and training your dog, that is very different than your dog living with you and maybe 3 other family members.
Your dog still has to see you as the "boss" or "in charge" or "alpha" if you are to have good success in training---he must respect you or he will not obey you.
When your dog is living in a home with parents and children, the pack order does come into play.
Do you have to consider "pack" behavior while training? probably not to any great extent.
Should you consider it a mealtime with children in the house? definitely.
Interesting that you mentioned wolves, I used to sit and watch them for hours at times.
I used to live in PA and there was a gentleman that had about 15 or so of the last remaining Lobo Wolves---near Sheffield PA.
I learned a lot from watching these wolves and from speaking with the gentleman that owned them---the interaction of the wolves with themselves and with the owner was something to see.
I don't see how we can expect dogs to act or address us in any other way than what they have learned through thousands of years of evolution.
And yes, all dog species do grow up in packs, it's called a litter--they learn what they need to learn from the bitch and the interaction with their littermates and then they are driven out to be on their own for the survival of the species---some may live solitary adult lives but they darn sure started out as members of a pack.

Rich