• SatanicNotMessianicEnglish
      172·
      1 year ago

      Evolutionary biologist here.

      As the importance of killing wolves and foxes died down due to the rise of cities, territorial competition, and so on, dogs adapted to fit into new niches - thus hunting dogs, herding dogs, guard dogs, and so on. Obviously, this was largely human driven selection, but as a theoretical biologist I consider all selection to be essentially the same.

      We eventually reached a point where dogs became more companions than utilities, although there was pair and family bonding all along the way. What I mean is that they frequently had fewer pragmatic jobs to do.

      Combine that with the biological phenomenon of neoteny. That’s when an animal continues to express childlike characteristics into adulthood. Most domesticated dogs express neoteny, some to a greater degree than others. It’s not completely inaccurate to think of them as wolf puppies, but permanently. Interestingly, neoteny seems to be a side effect of breeding for human family compatibility (ie friendliness towards people).

      Humans (and other mammals) also have a hardwired response to juvenile features, and it often triggers a caring response, so that became a second level but intense reinforcement of the toy breeds, for example.

          • zepheriths@lemmy.worldEnglish
            22·
            1 year ago

            I only now realize this is the UK sub. I am from the states a lot of people are terrified of pitbulls, I disagree but I live in one of the most friendly to pitbull places, New Orleans.

  • saltesc@lemmy.worldEnglish
    233·
    1 year ago

    I’ve recently gotten a Finnish Lapphund and it’s been a cool breed to train and work with.

    Contrary to this meme, his system can’t handle dog foods, chicken, pork, etc. The part of the world he’s from and what they’re bred to do, his diet needs to be gamey meats, bones, organs, lots of random limbs, and fatty fish. Basically any far north small game he’d catch himself, or the leftover parts of a carcass after the Sami people took all the meat off. Just years and years of years of that bred in. He’s only 16kg so far but has a rather large set of teeth for crushing bone and shredding frozen meat. The back crushers are insane.

    So while he’s a cute boy…

    Even at just a few months old, his teeth be scary…

    Edit. Just made his dinner. Bit of venison organs/meat leftovers, frozen goose neck, frozen sardine, and a rabbit foot for good luck. It’s what a tundra dog craves.