In nature, there are three positions in the dog pack—in the front, in the middle, and in the back—and each dog will gravitate to its natural position. The weaker dogs will wind up at the rear, and the more dominant dogs in the middle. The pack leaders are always in front.
Each position has its own function within the pack. Dogs in the three positions work together to find food and water, and ensure the pack’s survival by defending the pack against danger. The dogs in front (including the leader) provide direction and protection to the pack. They determine where the entire pack will go, and they fend off any dangers from the front. The dogs in the rear are primarily concerned with alerting to danger approaching from behind, and their function is to warn the rest of the pack. The dogs in the middle are mediators, communicating between the rear and the front.
Every function is important. Without the dogs in the front, the dogs at the rear don’t know where they’re going. Without the dogs in the back, the dogs up front are not aware of any problems coming up from behind. And without the dogs in the middle to relay messages, the front and back of the pack are isolated from each other.
The canine pack leader may be able to smell that fresh water and available prey are on the other side of a dark and scary forest, and move onward toward it. Meanwhile, the dogs at the rear know only that they are all entering a dark and scary forest. Their normal reaction would be to alert to danger and start barking. The dogs in the middle sense the calm energy from the front of the pack, and they in turn calm the frightened dogs at the rear through their own calm energy. However, if the pack is being stalked from the rear by a large threat, the dogs in the rear will remain agitated and continue to alert to danger. The dogs in the middle, in turn, will pick up on this energy and communicate it to the front. The pack leader will turn the pack around to provide protection against this new threat.
By communicating through energy and having an established hierarchy, the entire pack functions as one unit. Each dog knows his place within that hierarchy, and there is no jumping around. A dog that naturally gravitates to the rear of the pack will not try to move to the middle or front, and a dog in front will not give up her position without being forced to by another dog; this generally will not happen unless that lead dog becomes unstable.
As responsible dog lovers, it is up to us to learn where our dog would normally position herself in the pack. By observing her energy and body language, you can see where your dog might most likely fit in. It is also up to us to respect our dog’s own position in the pack and not try to change it—because we can’t. It would violate the Natural Dog Law: Dogs are social, pack animals with a leader and followers. If you try to put a dog from the rear or middle in a leadership position (or force him to lead because no one else is doing it), the dog will become unbalanced.
The vast majority of dogs are not born to be a pack leader, and these dogs, if raised properly by humans, will never try to assume that leadership position. When you do not understand and respect your dog’s position in the pack—either by trying to change it actively, or forcing the dog to change by not providing leadership—then you are not working with Mother Nature, and the outcome will not be pleasant for you or your dog.
