As Liz said, the dog is looking for clues from you. Especially if you are not showing for certain that you are the alpha. The only thing to watch out for is if you are not showing you are the Alpha then your dog will act like he is Alpha even if he is not secure in this position.

I am also not a fan of the Alpha roll. There are more positive ways of enforcing that you are the alpha in the pack. Some suggestions....

Make the dog sit at doors and only allow them out after you say it's okay. I make mine wait until I go out first sometimes. If they were not sure of thier position in the pack then I would make them do it all the time.

Give your dog it's kibble by hand. Hand feeding shows two things. 1. You are the provider of what they need to survive and 2. You are the giver of all good things!

Make the dog "work" for all toys and adventure. For instance, I play train my guys by making them speak or sit before throwing their frisbee. We do some healing exercises before going for a walk. Once they catch on, they come to expect this instead of just going.

Use an authoritative tone of voice when giving a command. Never give up until the dog does what you ask. If you give a command and the dog does not listen and you say "Oh the heck with it", you are inforcing that the dog does not have to listen.

I try to set my dogs up for success all the time. I try not to ask anything of them that they do not thoroughly understand! That is why training is so important. Plus it helps establish a closer bond.

If your dog does stare you in the eyes, try to win the contest! If you have to, make a funny face at the dog or some exclamation that will make the dog wonder what the heck is going on here! In other words you took the challenge away and your the winner!