alpha wolf
Dominant canine figure
The dominant individual in a wolf pack, traditionally believed to rule through aggression and maintain status by force.
This concept, though widely popularized, has been largely discredited by wolf biologists—wild packs are typically family units led by breeding parents, not hierarchies of dominance.
The term persists in popular culture and extends to humans who see themselves as natural leaders or dominant personalities: He fancies himself the alpha wolf of the sales team.
- packGroup or compress
- pack leaderDominant animal in group
- dominantHaving superior influence
- leaderOne who guides others
- top dogDominant leader
howl · territory · hierarchy · social hierarchy · pecking order · apex · predator · canine · wild dog · wild · prowl · hunt · teeth · sharp teeth · fur · wilderness · nature documentary · strength
- pack behaviordog pack, pack dynamics, pack hunting, pack mentality, dominance display
- caninesfox, jackal, dingo, coyote, dog
- canine mythologyAnubis, Cerberus, Fenrir, hellhound, werewolf