Meet Your Dog by Kim Brophey

Author:Kim Brophey
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Published: 2018-04-19T04:00:00+00:00

Untitled, Alpine Mastiff, 1815, brought to Britain. Source: The late J.S.Morgan, Esq., Leasowe Castle.

Scientists are still working hard to understand the exact mechanisms by which such a divergence could occur, but many epi-geneticists (scientists studying regulatory DNA) and other researchers believe that the differences in DNA SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) that regulate this expression of genes could be responsible for changes such as this muting of the predatory behavior.(18) In other words, the natural “hunter” may technically still be in the DNA “hardware” of these dogs, but is silenced by the “software.” The result is a natural predator who will not hunt and kill the vulnerable herds and flocks it is charged to protect. Suddenly, these dogs’ reputation as the wonderfully patient and tolerant gentle giants they are makes a whole lot of sense.

This difference was to the agricultural man’s advantage—the guardian’s total lack of engagement in the predatory sequence has been a blessing for humans as we put his other skills to good use. If he were not so distinctly different from his ancestors, our flocks would not have been safe amid these guardians, but would, instead, have been their prey.

How could these good-natured dogs, merrily living among little lambs, possibly be later developed into war dogs and gladiators in blood-sport events? Again, the answer probably lies in the functions and effects of genetic diversity. It’s possible that, by favoring certain dogs historically, shepherds managed to genetically mute the guardian’s predator behavior while strengthening his instinctually territorial and protective behavior. A guardian dog’s incredible perception for potential threats—his concern about dangers to his territory and social members—is the very nature and historical value of this kind of dog. A concentrated manager of threats, he is cautious, deliberate, and capable when facing any opposition; yet he is no longer the traditional predator he once was. The difference is, somehow, in his DNA.

These dogs’ phenomenal physical and behavioral attributes have been employed, admired, and valued for thousands of years in a variety of conditions, and they still are today.

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