Interesting. I see a lot of this in my pack.

Male dogs have a rigid hierarchy.
My alpha dog is a male and he's been alpha forever.

Female dogs have a hierarchy, but it's more variable.
My females don't have a hierarchy. The three who live in the main yard don't care about being dominant at all. Two others have their own small packs where they are supreme ruler and will use force if they have to. The other female is so dog aggressive she can not function as a pack animal at all.

When you mix the sexes, the rules get mixed up. Males try to follow their constitution, but the females have "amendments."
Only the alpha dog remain rigid in my pack. Everyone else's pack order position changes all the time.

Young puppies have what's called "puppy license." Basically, that license to do most anything. Bitches are more tolerant of puppy license than males are. Absolutely.

The puppy license is revoked at approximately four months of age. At that time, the older middle-ranked dogs literally give the puppy hell -- psychologically torturing it until it offers all of the appropriate appeasement behaviors and takes its place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The top-ranked dogs ignore the whole thing.
Never saw any of that. Puppy liscense was revoked somewhat later, maybe at 6 months. I think because Muskwa is so dominant, the puppies who followed him never thought to question his authority.

There is NO physical domination. Everything is accomplished through psychological harassment. It's all ritualistic.
Absolutely. My alpha never fights, never starts the fights that do happen. I've never seen Muskwa in a real fight. I've seen him plenty of times look and sound like he was fighting, but without any force.

A small minority of "alpha" dogs assumed their position by bullying and force. Those that did were quickly deposed. No one likes a dictator. It has been attempted and quickly put down. There are a few lower ranking dogs who use physical domination on dogs even lower in the order. Muskwa usually steps in and puts a stop to that.

The vast majority of alpha dogs rule benevolently. They are confident in their position. They do not stoop to squabbling to prove their point. To do so would lower their status.
Absolutely. Muskwa rules with a velvet paw, never with aggression or force.

Middle-ranked animals squabble. They are insecure in their positions and want to advance over other middle-ranked animals.
Nothing worse than a Beta Bully! Hoodoo was a Beta Bully, but smart enough to never challenge Muskwa for alpha! Middle of the pack dogs cause almost every fight around here, always with lower or equal dogs. We had the most fights shortly after Hoodoo died as they tried to work out who was second in command

Low-ranked animals do not squabble. They know they would lose. They know their position, and they accept it.
Almost never see low ranking dogs fighting. A low ranking dog gets picked on here, sometimes, but they never start the fights. Earle is at the bottom of the pack order and has never even gotten involved in a pack fight.

"Alpha" does not mean physically dominant. It means "in control of resources." Many, many alpha dogs are too small or too physically frail to physically dominate. But they have earned the right to control the valued resources. An individual dog determines which resources he considers important. Thus an alpha dog may give up a prime sleeping place because he simply couldn't care less.
Yup, somedays Muskwa doesn't care what the other dogs do and they can take the bones, toys, and best spots. Somedays he won't let them. Muskwa never cares about food and always lets the other dogs eat when and where they want. Heyoka weighs close to triple what Muskwa does and could easily physically dominant him. He doesn't bother.

In general, I don't give a hoot about their pack order. I am the boss of all of them. I will not tolerate aggression or fights in my yard. They happen because of the sheer number of dogs here, but I don't care who started it or what their pack position is. Any dog involved in a fight, no matter how minor, gets punished. If they can work out their order without fighting, I just let them do so.