04-29-2017, 01:16 AM
German shepherds, which look like very primitive dogs, are a rather recent breed -- from the late 19th century. They are relatively-recent descendants of crossbreeds between (tame) dogs and (wild) wolves. It's domestication that separates wolves and dogs, the exceptions being feral dogs descended from once-tame dogs.
Wolves try to domesticate humans, which is not good for humans. We cannot live to adulthood on the raw-meat diet of wolves; it's just too much protein for our kidneys. It is worth remembering that the legendary Romulus and Remus and the fictional Mowgli die young -- probably from kidney failure. It's not for a lack of affection.
The domestication of wolves into dogs depends paradoxically upon some wolves being just aggressive enough to approach humans while recognizing that small children are not meat. An extended human family has much the same structure as a wolf pack -- but even if the alpha humans are much in charge, some subordinate wolves can still breed.
Wolves can thrive on the cooked meat and fish that we humans eat. They can also thrive upon bone marrow which wolves can get by cracking bones as we humans generally can't. They don't need to expend as much energy. They also get a partnership with a creature with color vision that wolves do not have. Color vision is good for spotting bears and big cats that can prey on solitary dogs and wolves -- and for detecting prey. Dogs' night vision is far better than human vision at night, so that is a valid partnership. Add to this, dogs in the presence of humans are far less likely to get into dangerous fights for dominance.
Except for humans and dogs, wolves are the least dangerous of large predators to humans. It's arguable that under some conditions a dog is even more dangerous, as when defending its turf.
Wolves undergoing domestication were more likely to survive and breed than wild wolves. But humans were more likely to survive if they had dogs around. Two of the nastiest predators in the animal world made a unique partnership in the animal world.
It may be paradoxical, but the smallest dogs generally became almost cat-like in their predatory habits -- and similarly efficient. Some terriers have become almost as tiger-like in behavior as the more obvious cousins of tigers of like size. I have my idea of a plot for a horror story -- a Yorkshire terrier that grows into a big dog yet maintains terrior-like (and in many ways tiger-like) behavior.
Wolves try to domesticate humans, which is not good for humans. We cannot live to adulthood on the raw-meat diet of wolves; it's just too much protein for our kidneys. It is worth remembering that the legendary Romulus and Remus and the fictional Mowgli die young -- probably from kidney failure. It's not for a lack of affection.
The domestication of wolves into dogs depends paradoxically upon some wolves being just aggressive enough to approach humans while recognizing that small children are not meat. An extended human family has much the same structure as a wolf pack -- but even if the alpha humans are much in charge, some subordinate wolves can still breed.
Wolves can thrive on the cooked meat and fish that we humans eat. They can also thrive upon bone marrow which wolves can get by cracking bones as we humans generally can't. They don't need to expend as much energy. They also get a partnership with a creature with color vision that wolves do not have. Color vision is good for spotting bears and big cats that can prey on solitary dogs and wolves -- and for detecting prey. Dogs' night vision is far better than human vision at night, so that is a valid partnership. Add to this, dogs in the presence of humans are far less likely to get into dangerous fights for dominance.
Except for humans and dogs, wolves are the least dangerous of large predators to humans. It's arguable that under some conditions a dog is even more dangerous, as when defending its turf.
Wolves undergoing domestication were more likely to survive and breed than wild wolves. But humans were more likely to survive if they had dogs around. Two of the nastiest predators in the animal world made a unique partnership in the animal world.
It may be paradoxical, but the smallest dogs generally became almost cat-like in their predatory habits -- and similarly efficient. Some terriers have become almost as tiger-like in behavior as the more obvious cousins of tigers of like size. I have my idea of a plot for a horror story -- a Yorkshire terrier that grows into a big dog yet maintains terrior-like (and in many ways tiger-like) behavior.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.