Читать книгу The Practical Dog Listener: The 30-Day Path to a Lifelong Understanding of Your Dog - Jan Fennell - Страница 9

1 The first key ritual is performed whenever a pack is reunited after being apart. As the pack reassembles, the Alpha pair remove any confusion by reasserting their dominance via clear signals to the rest of the pack. The pair have their own personal space, a comfort zone, within which they operate. No other wolf is allowed to encroach on this space unless invited to do so. By rejecting or accepting the attention of other members who wish to enter their space, the Alpha pair re-establish their primacy in the pack – without ever resorting to cruelty or violence.

2 When a kill has been made by the pack, the Alpha pair get absolute precedence when it comes to eating the carrion; the pack’s survival depends on their remaining in peak physical condition. Only when they are satisfied and signal their feed is over will the rest of the pack be permitted to eat – and then according to the strict pecking order, with the senior subordinates feasting first and the juniors last. Back at the camp, the pups and ‘babysitters’ will be fed by the hunters regurgitating their food. The order is absolute and unbreakable. A wolf will act aggressively towards any animal that attempts to eat before it. Despite the fact that the pack contains its blood relatives, an Alpha will attack any wolf that breaks with protocol and dares to jump the queue.

3 The Alpha pair repay the respect the pack bestows upon them with total responsibility for its welfare. Whenever danger threatens, it is the role of the Alpha pair to protect the pack. This is the third situation in which the natural order of the pack is underlined. The Alpha pair perform their leadership role unblinkingly, and from the front. They will react to danger in one of three ways, selecting one of the ‘three Fs’: flight, freeze or fight. Accordingly, they will run away, ignore the threat or defend themselves. Whichever response the Alpha pair select, the pack will again back up their leaders to the hilt.

4 Inevitably, the Alpha pair are at their most dominant during the hunt. Food, after all, represents the pack’s most fundamental need; its very survival depends on it. As the strongest, most experienced and intelligent members of the pack, the Alpha pair take the lead during the search for new hunting grounds. When prey is spotted, they lead the chase and direct the kill. The Alphas’ status as the pack’s key decision-makers is never more in evidence than during this process. The wolf’s prey can range from mice to buffalo. A pack may spend as long as four hours stalking, cornering and slaying its target. The logistics of this operation require a combination of organisation, determination, tactics and management skill. It is the Alpha’s job to provide this leadership. It is the job of the subordinates to follow and provide support.