Personally I believe that dog / dog interactions go much deeper and are much more complex than we still understand.
We miss so much body language and inter dog communication that it is difficult to know what is going on within the dynamics of a domestic pack.
These dynamics can be subject to change.
I would suggest that by all means put on a specific dogs lead first and have a specific routine and order that you do things all I am saying is that I am not sure how this human concept of dominance heierachy will affect what actually goes on between our dogs.
Your dogs will come to accept this routine I have doubts it will change the dynamics of your pack .we seem to be looking at this issue with a human vision of dominance.
What makes a dominant dog?
An alpha dog does not need to go through a door or eat first everytime because he knows if he wants to he can.
A popular perspective on the social behavior of dogs in multiple-dog households sees the dogs' behavior as reflecting the sociobiological laws of the rigidly structured dominance hierarchy.
Like wolves, domestic dogs are social animals (and hence should not be socially isolated) and they have an hierarchical social system. However, the hierarchy is neither created by, nor necessarily maintained by physical domination, nor is it strictly linear. If anything, the hierarchy is created and enforced by psychological control, and the peace of the pack is maintained by active appeasement rituals of lower ranking individuals. In fact, the famous Cambridge and Berkeley zoologist, Dr. Thelma Rowell has suggested that the status quo of social groups is better termed a subordinance hierarchy - a much more precise and descriptive term.
Yes, most groups of male dogs generally have a surprisingly stable linear hierarchy, but females tend to show significant day-to-day variation and male-female interactions can be extremely unpredictable, with rank-reversals being the norm rather than the exception. Indeed, bitches have virtually rewritten canine hierarchical law with the First Bitch Amendment which states, I have it and you don't. Moreover, individual members of a domestic dog pack have special friendships, alliances and bodyguards. And truly confident top dogs are more than willing to share and even allow underdogs and buddies prime access to bones and favored sleeping places. To say one alpha male rules the roost is an oversimplification to the point of ridicule. In fact, in most domestic canine social groups it is not a single male, but rather a group of females which decide what's what.
