The Alpha by Pat Rawle

Ky left and Carra right.

Just before I left Sydney for the far north coast, I did a quick trip to “Merigal” to say farewell to Berenice and the dingoes. It was a surpise visit and nobody to be seen as I walked in, leaving my part dingo in the car in the street.

Walking past one of the enclosures on my way to the house, several pups (and Mum) spotted me, of course, but only one or two came up to the fence. The others stayed well back with Mum.

Berenice came out and after I had had an admiring peep at Sheila (in her house yard) Berenice asked me to bring my dog in, which was very unusual. She then told me to take my dog, Kyogle, over to the fence containing the pups. Berenice watched the reaction of the pups and it became obvious that she knew Ky was an alpha and was using her to confirm her own pecking order selection. As with my first look at the pups, the same thing took place – just one or two coming over to the fence, the others staying fairly close to Mum in various positions.

The pups reacted in the same way to Ky’s scent as they had to mine, which of course was Ky’s.

Dogs incredible sense of smell is always a wonder to me. Whenever I am out without my current alpha (dingo) and meet people with a dog they (the dog or dogs) show me the same respect as they would to my alpha. A quick sniff of me and deference is displayed at once!