this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2025
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Dogs don't need a leader - the whole alpha male wolf thing has long been disproven, by the original author none the less. Dogs are highly social and live in groups, yes, but there's no boss dog. Very few animals have a concept of a leader. In fact I'd argue that none do and it's a totally human idea.
I like your cat/dog thinking idea though. Cats very much think 'me me me'!
This isn't quite true, wolf packs do have leaders: the pack's mom and dad.
Most wolf packs are a breeding pair and their children, and the children will break off and form new packs over time. Every time you hear pack you should legitimately just translate it to "family"
I'd argue that parents are different to a 'leader' as we perceive them, or as I read was suggested in the comment. Children will stick with their parents, up to the point at which they're ready to start their own family, like you say, but is that leadership in the same sense?
But yes, I agree, pack = family is accurate.
Elephant seals definitely have a leader, though.
Is that leadership or just breeding and/or social dominance though? Do they tell others where and when to hunt e.g.? I'm not so knowledgeable about seals of any species so a genuine question.