Rini wrote:

  I had a lab who used to be the youngest of four dogs. She was picked on by
the alpha dog until she got old enough to assert herself, and then she
mauled the alpha one day (the vet was only a block away so the alpha was
saved, but barely).
 
Something I find interesting in the canine world is our misunderstanding of
the whole Alpha thing.
My experience with both dogs and wolves is that a true Alpha does not pick
on others. They are true born leaders respected by others naturally, so
usually need very little if any aggression to make their position clear.
It's the middle ranking animals with no true leader present to keep them in
line that feel the need to hassle others to try to prove they are the big
shots. Unfortunately there are many more insecure middle ranked dogs trying
to be boss then there are true alphas, so  we're much more likely to have
middle ranking dogs trying inappropriately to assert themselves. With at
least 25 dogs in my life at one time or an other I've only had two true born
Alphas and they where never in a fight as the others needed nothing more
then a serious glace or a quick woof woof from these dogs to get them in
line. Life was always so much easier in our families when these guys where
with us. Elaine