How does a dogs social structure work as a pet within a standard human family?
I was lead to believe that most dogs view the humans their most commonly around in much the same way as they’d view other dogs they’d be around in the wild, kind of like a pack. What position within that pack does the family dog give view itself? Does it consider itself to be a member of the pack (family), or does the dog view the family as being members of the dogs pack, and thus the dog views itself as the leader?
That is an excellent question. Dogs view things differently then we do and there is much speculation about the question you just asked as to how a dog finds his place in a pack, albeit an artificial one since we, humans are not dogs.
In a dog’s world things are black and white simplicity wise. Everything a dog does stems from pack drive, the fundamental force behind a dog’s existence. In the so called civilized society of ours, we have brought the dog in our home, but, to that dog, we are still his pack and he still wants to belong and find his rightful place within it.
That is where things get confusing. Most people have no idea what pack drive is, most people refuse to view a dog for what he really is, a dog, and confuse it and themselves by trying to alter the dog’s point of view to fit their fantasies.
Weak tempered dogs will try to appease their human pack members and fit in anywhere they can within the social structure of a pack. Appeasing can include, but is not limited to behaviors such as "kissing", "licking", etc, behaviors that humans view for other then what they really are.
Strong temperament dogs will often take advantage of a human who does not understand and try to position themselves at the head of the pack by displaying behaviors that most people also do not understand and further confuse and incite the dog to push further and further until he becomes a problem.
Since dogs do not posses language skills, they must be taught by behaviors what is acceptable and what is not by their owners. The dogs that receive that instruction and provided that they come from a solid genetic backround are the happiest and healthiest ones in our world.
In conclusion, dogs that are genetically correct and are raised by someone who understands dog behavior will find themselves within a certain position, assigned to them by their owner and live a happy, structured life belonging to a human pack in safety and comfort.
Hope I helped!!