Denali – Takes it in Stride

Denali is lower ranking and that is a fact.  We knew it from the time that he was a pup and we saw it when he was a two year old and showed no signs of leadership, when there was a vacancy created by Shadow’s retirement.  He willingly let’s Luna establish dominance and rolls as soon as Aidan applies some pressure.  He takes it in stride, but the question is, is he willing to be at the bottom of the rank order in a position often called the “Omega”.  This will be the dynamics we are watching as the pack matures in 2015.   Boltz is currently the Omega because he was a male pup that grew up with some strong male pack mates.  But, Boltz is growing up and Denali is such a mild-mannered personality.  We have learned a great deal from our previous omegas; Lakota and Malik, even Aidan played this role in the 2008 – 2010 Exhibit.  We know that the Omega is important.  Without the bottom of the rank, the top aren’t reinforced.  The Omega often stimulates the social behavior that keeps the pack interacting.  Malik, Lakota and Denali all seem to share the same wolf grin, paw at the ground, and invite chase behaviors that lead to a lot of activity and a lot of tail wags.