[dipper]

Skip,
I'll admit that I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer and I have lost your point.
I disagree with your thoughts on the home scenario being VERY different as to what takes place in the wild--yes in the wild there is one Alpha and everyone else is subordinate ---and its the same thing in our families.
If you think that your dog that may live in a family of 5 people looks at everyone of them as an ALPHA you are wrong---he/she doesn't---whether you think they do or should does not matter they don't.
They don't strike out or attack or correct your 6 year old child (if YOU are alpha and have trained them) because they know you as the alpha will not permit it--NOT because they look at the children as alphas---and that is just what happens in the wild, the alpha sets the tone for the pack---who eats and when---who mates--who fights and when etc.etc.
Its seems obvious to state that human children and canine animals grow up,learn and mature at much different rates there is and can be no comparison to the two at a developmental level.
Lastly, we (humans) are of course not dogs and should not act like dogs, it is very helpful in living with dogs to understand how THEY think and use this in training and daily life with them----why not??
You say -- "go ahead and kid yourself that you are part of your dogs pack" --you don't get it!! HE IS A PART OF MY PACK--not the other way around---THAT is what being alpha means.
It's all good though--what you say generally flies in the face of everything I have ever been taught or read---maybe you'll break some new ground in canine behavior and we'll all be adjusting our training and thinking to yours someday---it could happen---new things pop up everyday.
In the mean time, I'll struggle along and we can agree to disagree.

Peace Man!!

Rich