I used to believe in the alpha theory but have since changed my views. It all seems a bit silly to me now, lol. The dog is pulling you out the door first... he's "dominant'. No, he's probably just really excited and wants to get outside and explore. The dog jumps on you constantly, he's automatically dominant. No, he's probably just overstimulated and joyed to see you and hasn't been taught otherwise. I just think the words "dominant" and "alpha" and "pack leader" have been way overused and used in the wrong context. I see that suggested far too much. Someone comes asking why their puppy is constantly biting them and I'll see replies like "You need to become his alpha, he thinks he's the pack leader" (and, I was probably one of these in the past
) but its really a lot simpler than that: he's a puppy and he doesn't know better.
I do think that establishing a mutual trust is very important. I've been able to enjoy the experience of bonding and learning with a dog through truly positive reinforcement. Then I discovered clicker training as well. It's really amazing what you can do with a dog with a little encouragement and positive vibes.
I am not my dogs "pack leader" nor his "alpha". He doesn't obey commands because he HAS to... he does because he WANTS to and he ENJOYS pleasing me. I think the discipline is okay, of course. A dog does need to know some boundaries and limits.
But it did kind of open up my mind to see that the people who CREATED the "pack leader" and "alpha dog" theory disproved it themselves.
And, though dogs biologically are like wolves (in their anatomy), dogs are NOT wolves but are domestic animals bred to work with humans. Wolves were not.