Vanessa Woods

Why reading: Brian Hare contributed to the brilliant children's book [b:Fox Talk: How Some Very Special Animals Helped Scientists Understand Communication|26406466|Fox Talk How Some Very Special Animals Helped Scientists Understand Communication|L.E. Carmichael|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442817823s/26406466.jpg|25880090] and this is all that I can find by him for lay adults.
......
So far so good; preface and first chapter convince me of the rigor of the science, plus it's engaging.

But now I'm at an interesting chapter break. Claimed is that early humans (like almost all humans throughout history and prehistory around the world) are afraid of wolves, and that wolves competed w/ us for meat, and that therefore the traditional theories that we intentionally domesticated wolf puppies as helpers is wrong. Well, I'm not reading on until I set down what had always been my theory. I think children adopted those cubs that were of lower status, perhaps even expelled from the pack, as companions. That is to say, certainly the son of the alpha wolf wouldn't have appealed to human nurturing instincts, but a cub in need of rescue would.

But then, I may be overly influenced by the powerful metaphors of literature like [b:All the Mowgli Stories|1897436|All the Mowgli Stories|Rudyard Kipling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411333762s/1897436.jpg|1899044] and [b:The First Dog|196968|The First Dog|Jan Brett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1172603798s/196968.jpg|952400].

Hare's cliffhanger chapter end indicates that he's confident of what he figured out (discovered?) and so we'll see.
............
Ok done. Lots of book-darts, so much to type, procrastinated. Really should be letting you know, asap, that if you have even the slightest interest in the topic you want to read this. Gracefully, intelligently written, effectively argued, fascinating.

"Dogs had independently evolved to be cognitively more similar to us than we were to our closest relatives [primates]."

The answer to the cliff-hanger? In a word, very oversimplified, 'self-domestication.'

"Humans did not create dogs; we only fine-tuned them later down the road."

Ok for friendly descendents of wolves... now look at the Russian domestic foxes, and at bonobos. Bonobos have smaller teeth and the females are more closely bonded, etc... "All this goes to show that often, it's survival of the friendliest."

Wolves v. dogs, wild foxes v. Belyaev's foxes, chimps v. bonobos... -> humans v. apes...? Hare hypotheses... it seems a stretch to me but his argument merits consideration.

"The mostly peaceful high-density living we enjoy may be the result of self-domestication facilitating today's urban populations, which are so innovative."

So, I expected "Part Three, Your Dog," to be more casual and also (duh) directed at dog owners. And of less interest to me, as I've never actually known a dog personally. And also I knew, going in, that Hare is recruiting 'citizen scientists' in order to get more data to enrich his research.

Well, I was still fascinated, and I do feel enlightened. Iow, don't skip Pt 3.

"Historically, dogs were divided into breeds ... by function, so any dog who chased hare was a harrier, and lapdog was a spaniel, and large, intimidating dog was a mastiff."

"As you can see, there is not a lot of research out there, and not a whole lot of agreement within the research, but that is the fun of a scientific revolution. It is supposed to be a messy, opinionated, data-based conversation. The more data you collect, the louder you get to holler, and that is how progress happens."

"Milo's temperament changed [mellowed] when his testes were removed, which reduced the androgen levels in his body. As a result, cognitive skills that were there all the time finally had a chance to influence his behavior."

[I can think of a few men who should be castrated, y'know....]
...........
Well anyway, read this book if you have any interest in dogs, animal cognition in general, or even general evolutionary communication and psychology. Easy to read, entertaining, and provocative.… (more)