I really love this quote by Victoria Schade.
"Alpha. I shudder at the word. To me, alpha is the dirtiest concept in dog training. It reeks of everything I despise in old-school training. Be the alpha dog, the master. Make your dog obey. The problem I have with the alpha concept -- aside from the punishing training techniques required -- is that there's no sense of partnership between dog and human in the alpha school of thought."
I believe that training should be fun for both the trainer and the dog. Those "authoritative" tones that many people use with their dogs to get them to "obey" can be used in other ways. For example, if an adventurous dog happened to get off of its leash and started running around, an owner who yells and screams at her to come really doesn't accomplish anything. It also teaches the dog that coming when called takes the fun away (i.e., the dog is running around and having fun instead of having to walk at a slow, boring pace matched with her person when she was on her leash.), therefore the dog won't have a reliable "come." However, if the owner uses an excited tone of voice, and keeps an "emergency" toy (i.e., a squeaky toy) with her when she's out walking her dog, showing the dog that it's more fun coming when called rather than running around is much more successful in my opinion. I never use "authoritative" tones with my German Shepherd. I always use excited tones. Having fun is the main key in successful dog training.
When a dog disobeys their person, it doesn't neccessarily mean that he's "trying to be the alpha." It means that his person didn't properly train him and "set him up for successful." When a dog has behavior issues, that doesn't neccessarily mean that he's "trying to be the alpha", either. It means that his person didn't do something right with his training or simply didn't train him correctly to prevent the behavior from happening.
I like how people assume their dog is "trying to be the alpha dog" when their dog has food aggression. Dogs have food aggression because their person didn't prevent them from having food aggression. People can prevent food aggression in dogs by starting out when they're puppies by demonstrating different ways to put treats in their food bowls while the puppy is eating, i.e., coming up behind the puppy and dropping a treat into his bowl, walking by and dropping a treat into his bowl, etc.
I'm editing my post in response to Eharri3's:
Like I said about dogs who have food aggression, when dogs claim territory in the house or make intimidating gestures toward household members doesn't mean that the dog is trying to be "the alpha." It means that their owner didn't teach them what was right and to be respectful. For example, if a dog claims a couch and reacts aggressively whenever someone tries to sit on it, it's because their owner didn't prevent this from happening. It has nothing to do with getting the dog to "submit." I'd like to know your definition of "getting a dog to submit." A dog owner can prevent this from happening by starting out when the dog is a puppy, and teaching the dog to ask permission to get on the couch. When my German Shepherd wants up on the couch, I didn't teach him that it was okay to just jump up there. He asks permission first by sitting politely and waiting for me to tell him that it's okay to get up there. The same goes with the rest of the furniture in the house. Also, when a dog who makes intimidating gestures to household family members, it doesn't mean that "he's trying to be the alpha." It means that this behavior was more than likely encouraged when he was a puppy because whoever owns the dog thought it was "cute" or "funny." In fact, a cousin of mine used to have a Rottweiler who would aggressively bark or growl whenever someone entered or went near his bedroom. This was because my cousin thought it was "funny" when the dog first started this behavior (the dog first started this behavior because he was encouraged by my cousin who would say "get her" whenever his mom would come into his bedroom), and even used to encourage it further by actually praising the dog because he wanted his parents to stay out of his room. Well, he didn't think it was "funny" anymore when the dog bit his mother when she was putting laundry in his room and he wasn't home. Then, right away, it was considered as "the dog's fault" and he was given away. Dogs, unlike humans, come without mistakes, and the blame lies with the owner as a result of their training or handling.
Well, whenever I'm teaching my dog a new trick, I consider us as a "team." Whenever I take my German Shepherd to hospitals or nursing homes (he's a certified Therapy Dog), I consider us as a "team." Whenever I take him to an agility trial, I consider us as a "team." Also, any Search and Rescue dog handler or K9 Police officer will tell you that it's "teamwork." Everyone has their own disparate way of looking as things. This is my way. Period.