Being the Alpha with your dog,is this method good?

Clearly......

You do not at all understand what is meant by "pack behavior". In the first place, dogs do "pack". So do hyenas, and lions, and many other animals. Then there are some like Tigers, and Lepords (sp) that are solitary animals. Wolves most certainly do pack. To be solitary is to not survive.

HOWEVER, when used in association with the domestic dog, it refers to a large number of dogs living together amicably in the same household. There is most definitely a "pecking order" which is usually over ridden by the owner......as I said in one post, I am chief, all the others are betas. There is some jostling for postion from time to time, but for the most part they do really well. Except when they think they can get away with starting a squabble.

As I said......all this theory that says nothing and means nothing------after you have lived with 30 dogs for 20+ years, then you will be qualified to give a disertation on pack behavior of the domestic dog.

Manchester's, the problem with people referring to groups of dogs as packs is the mental image that comes to most unexperienced owners minds. People get these horrible ideas of how to dominate their dog, they have some really strange ideas of what an Alpha is and what an Alpha should be doing. Some of the training is forceful and down right cruel. I know many breeders, some keep many dogs, not as many as 30 (but, one friend I have does keep a team of sled dogs)...these breeders do not refer to pack theory...just plan and simple give your dogs some rules so they understand the household and practice the NIFIL policy (wolves do not practice the NIFIL policy like we humans do ) and you will have yourself a wonderful pet.
I also want to give you this insert from a biologist who does keep more than 30 dogs at a time, has kept New Guineu singing dogs and done a lot of research with fellow wolf biologist Erik Zimen...Raymond Coppinger has been studying dogs for years, races sled dog teams, and raises hundreds of Border Collies...so, yes, he does keep many more than 30 dogs at a time. This is what he says regarding packing behavior.
Raymond Coppinger is a professor of biology at Hampshire College and the author of Fishing Dogs. A former sled dog racing champion, he now lectures widely about dogs. Raymond and his wife Lorna confounded Hampshire's Livestock Dog Project.
For a normal pet owner I think using the NIFIL policy works great to show the dogs the rules of the house. It is not teaching the dog that you the owner are the Alpha...dog's do not look at we humans as dogs. Teaching a dog with positive training is the best way for a new dog owner to begin....begin correctly. Why try to understand how to dominant your dog, if someone came into my house and tried to roll one of my dogs...watch out...it would not be pretty. My dogs would not understand that type of training...dogs and young pups may roll over in an act of appeasment to other dogs...but, so will livestock guardian dogs roll over in appeasement to a sheep that they will be guarding. This is an act of the dogs own free will, it takes on a completely different meaning when the dog is forced.
All animals including people have social hierachies...we have to have them. We also need rules. I myself am just going to stick with the NIFIL policy as it works wonderfully for me...I have 5 dogs from different background and one of which was very aggressive when I rescued her (the Rottweiler)...I never physically tried to dominate her...that would have been very stupid...and actually I think some people did suggest that type of training...and I think I tried it a little and it esculated the aggression. With positive training I now have a wonderful sweet dog that is a joy for anyone and every one to be around. No, I don't have 30 dogs...but, I do have my 5 all living in my home all sleeping in my room...and I am very pleased with the outcome. I have seen more dogs having to be put to sleep by some of these crazy alpha training schemes making the dogs more aggressive to make me realize that I am doing something right

I spent about 2-3 hours a day almost everyday for past year and a half in place where I can see how dogs behave. I can tell you one thing, you dont need 20+ years to know how packing order works in dogs... a year is plenty if you constantly look at dogs behaviours,.

You've never seen a dog pack?

I see them everyday in ukraine. There is a social structure, alpha, they hunt and scavange to survive. Those are street mutts which were domisticated at some point.

I do not believe dogs are wolves. However I do believe they are pack animals and packs have leaders. And I am that leader. And all the other humans out there are above my dogs because they are humans.
I didn't and don't teach this to them by holding them on the ground with my hand on their necks, growling at them. I teach them this by simply taking the role as leader and showing them in a kind way that I am boss. That I eat before they do, that they have to obey me, that what I say goes.

For one thing as I previously mentioned, packing behavior is a developmental response to a specific habitat. Woves don't alway pack; some populations never pack. Coyotes, which aren't thought of as a packing species, often do pack, especially in places where they are disturbed by wolves or people. It depends on the environmental signals that elicit packing behavior. Why when we have some wonderful positive training ideas available to use do we have to resort to some of these harsh training methods.
Anyhow, every one has their own ideals about training dogs and how they co-habitate. I watch my dogs every day and I see 5 wonderful well behaved dogs...all from different back grounds. I guess I am doing something right.

I just have to say, that those of you who believe that dogs are not pack animals must have never seen a pack of dogs interacting. No, it is not like watching wolves interact, but you cannot deny that they are pack animals and have strong pack structure. (Yes, this means dominant alpha dogs, and their subordinates.) The "boss dog" WILL correct the other dogs if they step out of line. It is not an attacking gesture of "i'm going to kill you", but just a correction. I've seen this many times and I'm completely convinced that dogs DO interact with one another in this manner.

I don't correct my dogs in the manner that another dog would correct them. To my dogs and those I train, I am FAR superior to other dogs, they respect me above all else. (The rank seems to go like Owner>>Lead dogs>Other humans>'Average' dogs>Puppies/Newcomers/Pushovers. ) I think my dogs and those in my dog's pack/clique would be shocked if I got down to correct them as one of their equals would. I believe doing that would cause the entire pack to LOSE respect for me, and they sure would have a hard time trusting me again.

Bottom line - Humans aren't dogs, and dogs know it. What might be a normal correction from another dog, could very well be a terrifying 'death threat' from a person.