The more you study animals, and dogs in particular, the easier it is to understand humans.
Humans are social predators; pack animals.
Look at the human face -- eyes forward, same as a dog or a lion or a wolf.In mammals, eyes forward is the sign of a predator, just as eyes on the side (cows, deer, rabbits) is a sign of a prey species.
One reason humans feel such an affinity with dogs is they too are social pack predators.
Not only do dogs make us part of their pack, but if we have a proper relationship with our dogs, we are also the “alpha” leader of the pack.
This is why dogs are popular across the world, and across all economic sectors.
While almost everyone has to be subordinate to someone else at some time in their day, nearly everyone is King or Queen at home with their own dog.
It should be said that dog packs, like armies, churches, and offices, have hierarchies. To step outside the hierarchy is an act that generally results in a response designed to symbolically restore the order.Not everyone is comfortable with this.
Folks who are not dog people may see an omega dog in a pack as a pitiful thing which must show submission to the alpha female or male, and which eats last, and must ask permission to go through a doorway.
But is this life really any different or worse than the army private who cannot go the to Officer’s Club, or the new hire at the company who does not have a parking spot?
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7 comments:
Humans' eyes-forward morphology may have been adaptive for savannha hunting, but it evolved because we needed the depth perception while we were swinging from the trees.
All primates, including near-obligate leaf and fruit eaters, are eyes-forward.
We gain depth perception with eyes front, but we lose peripheral (and rear) vision which is to critical to avoid being predated on -- a trade off which is OK if you are a top end social predator like humans and wolves, as your "team mates" can (theoretically) be your peripheral vision scouts.
Chickens and other birds keep depth perception and peripheral vision by constantly moving their heads in little bobs. That quick jerky head movement that drives dogs wild actually creates a kind of binocular effect from each single eye so the chicken can strike accurately with its beak, but also see in a huge arc.
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I don't want to live with a pack of wild dogs, wolves, or anything like that.
I want to live as 21st century human who lives with animals that are not big game hunting wolves from Canada or Northern Europe. As 21 century human, I live with animals that want to learn rules and social mores in order to get more freedom and social interaction, as they mature don't need to be micromanaged.
I also live with animals that have been selectively bred to read human body language and to seek human approval. For me to treat them as these adrenaline-soaked animals called wolves is a waste of my time and will more than likely confound the animal.
"But is this life really any different or worse than the army private who cannot go the to Officer’s Club, or the new hire at the company who does not have a parking spot?"
I totally agree. Nobody's created equal. That's life. Big deal.
I live with 8 dogs, and they are quite a wild bunch. I find them easier to understand than humans, they dont have hidden agendas and everything you see is everything you get. The veneer of civility is my least favourite aspect of the human species.
Retrieverman - I completely agree that we shouldn't treat dogs like wolves. Were I to live like a wolf, I would've been born one. But that doesn't free us from the responsibility we have to provide fair leadership to the dogs who thrive on it and/or who require it. And we all know that doesn't always mean we have to "alpha roll" and "bite" and growl/bark at them to get that way. However, with dogs not knowing how to speak English proper, we do need to know SOME of their habits or language to help them "learn rules and social mores in order to get more freedom and social interaction" as well as help us understand them better. And it seems that with a lot of dogs out there, part of social interaction includes having a fair leader, even if it's not as obvious as NILIF or going through a door after the owner or ALWAYS walking behind the owner. Being a leader includes knowing when the trust the dog to make the right decisions and giving the dog freedom to make those decisions. In return, all I ask is that the dog respect me as a leader, do what I ask, and respect the boundaries I set. Micromanaging? Maybe for a small period to help teach boundaries and basic obedience. But not for life...that's way overkill.
There's a reason why true working dog breeders do not sell their puppies to homes that do not know the first thing about what the dog was bred for, whether it's a working border collie, Labrador (Marley anyone?), or Dutch shepherd.
"Folks who are not dog people may see an omega dog in a pack as a pitiful thing which must show submission to the alpha female or male, and which eats last, and must ask permission to go through a doorway."
Pffft. Dogs, like kids, need structure. When presented properly, this hierarchy makes them thrive - it doesn't oppress them. A greater crime is inconsistency of enforcing training; being the omega is a pretty sweet position - all of the food and protection and hardly any responsibility other then being a dog!
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