Travis, you're babbling. He might have been the alpha. Heck - he probably was. There are tons of people not in charge of their households when it comes to dogs.
Dogs don't consider people to be the leader - they respect the leader because the leader commands respect. No way any dog would assume that a baby was a new top dog.
The hierarchy of the pack is not a new discovery. Gillman has it right.
Added to the owners being gone, and a "new owner" in the house, and you have a recipe for disaster.