We have suddenly been given temporary custody of a large and powerful Doberman Pinscher.  He is tall enough to give me a nose poke in the arm over the top of the arm of my armchair.  He does this poking when he needs to go out.  Or when he wants me to think he needs to go out, even if he doesn’t need to, but wants to.  This would be the male dog manipulating the alpha male.  Being king around here is an illusion.