Dominance Aggression, Canine - contd.
Dominance aggression has its roots in the social organization of wolves, the closest wild relatives of domestic dogs. Wolves live in social groups called packs. Within the pack there is a social hierarchy in which each individual animal knows its rank in relation to every other animal. The dominant individuals have a priority to the critical resources of food, water, and resting places.
Dynamic, rather than rigid, the hierarchy is maintained through a complex communication system using signals of dominance and submission; thus, the social relationships within a pack of wolves are quite complex. One of the functions of the hierarchy is to reduce aggression within the pack. When the hierarchy is stable, overt aggression is minimized. Presumably, domestic dogs manifest dominance aggression when they perceive that the hierarchy within the household is unstable.
