Years ago, the '70s IIRC, Russians raising foxes selectively bred the most docile and social/cooperative foxes.  In a few generations the fur changed from silver or red to black and white, the muzzle shortened, and certain canine cooperation signals such as tail wagging became more pronounced.  Basically, they had reinvented the dog.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand." 

Well, I know "Hund" is German for dog, and in Dutch we call it a "hond".

Also, I would never leave one of our dogs all alone to pass away, I will do anything to just be there for him, sobbing mess and all.

On 3/10/2021 at 12:10 PM, BillyBones said:

Did ya'll know we do not know where the word "dog" comes from? Like the word "hound" we know comes from the word "hund" in old English. Linguists do not know the roots of the word nor any word in English related to it. 

 

True. From the OED:

Quote

The etymology of the English word is unknown. No likely cognates have been identified with a meaning at all close to that of the English word, and all attempted etymological explanations are extremely speculative. A word of this phonological shape is hard to explain as a regular development from a Germanic base, but nonetheless a number of attempts have been made. One attempt sees a connection with the Germanic base of dow v.¹, assuming an original meaning such as ‘useful or faithful animal’, but this has not met with general acceptance. In this connection an Old English personal name Dycga is sometimes compared as a possible formal parallel from the same base, but it is quite possible that the personal name has no connection with dog n.¹ Another attempted etymology takes the word ultimately from the Indo-European base probably meaning ‘run’ which is probably reflected by Sanskrit dhav- (see prothetely n.), but this poses a number of formal difficulties. Another suggestion is that the word shows a development from an Indo-European base meaning ‘to be or become unconscious’, but this involves a very large number of unattested stages in the semantic development (assuming a development ‘bundle’ > ‘cuddly bundle’ > ‘pet’ > ‘dog’), and also involves a very uncertain original base form.

 

On 3/10/2021 at 12:10 PM, BillyBones said:

Hog and pig are also mystery words.

As are "stag" and "frog". The OED notes that these (together with a few other now-obsolete examples) form a group of words in Old English that are distinguished by ending in "-ocga" and that all refer to animals. A complex mystery!

"The more I interact with people, the more I love my dog"

The greatest compliment to my cooking is when those I serve act the same way my dog reacts when I bring him a bowl of kibble.

May you find someone who looks at you the same way your dog does.

This is our 10yr old Shadow.  Lab/Belgian Shepard mix.  He stays outside and guards animals.  He goes on every trail run with me and the wife.  He likes fire pit but hates anvil.
 

What a good Boy!

Debunked by BLOG!? Are you joking John?

Yes, Dogs and Wolves live in family units, sometimes even clans, some maybe even the of majority of units are matriarchies. More recent observations and genetics do show they aren't strictly run by the alpha male or female. There are . . . call them outliers or hangers on that contribute to the genetics. Breeding takes place between packs. Non-breeding members, homosexual male/female members are common enough.  

I'll concede what I recall about the alpha deciding who mates is probably dated, even maybe debunked it's decades old and I haven't read much in more recent publications but from what I recall more recent findings were in details not principles. 

However, I'll be more than pleased to read  more recent publications. I'm old fashioned that way, I only read books and articles mostly by peer reviewed authors. I don't base opinion on social media / blogs.

Frosty The Lucky.

17 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Debunked by BLOG!? Are you joking John?

Considering that that’s the personal blog of Dr L. David Mech, founder of the International Wolf Center, author of eleven books and almost 400 scientific papers, and researcher of wolves since 1958, I’m more than happy to rely on its accuracy.

Dr. Mech's article from the Canadian Journal of Zoology (a peer-review journal, in case you were worried) where he revisits the alpha wolf concept can be found at http://www.wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/267alphastatus_english.pdf

If you’d care to explore more of his peer-reviewed work, the IWC has links to about 140 articles at https://wolf.org/wolf-info/basic-wolf-info/in-depth-resources/scientific-publications/.

I'll take a look. I admit my opinion has been pretty thoroughly soured by my experience with your typical blogs. 

I look forward to reading a blog that isn't, "everybody knows" drek. Thank you for the link,

Frosty The Lucky.

We're well past the days when blogs were the sole province of those who couldn't get published in any other way. These days, most academics have some kind of individual web presence to publicize their own work and teaching.

 

The Archaeological Metallurgy mailing list recently had a great discussion on the problems with "peer review" in Journals; including the difficulties of getting people who are trained in the exact area of an article willing to work for free to do an in depth study of an article.  This was started by some articles getting published that had obvious errors in them when examined by people whose area of concentration were in in the areas discussed.  Especially in cross disciplinary research! (Know many archaeologists with PhDs also in Etruscan Language and Metallurgy?) The rate of retractions in journals like "nature" has gone way up over the years.

There seemed to be no good way to get out of the current problems that did not involve more funding.

Still a whole lot better than no peer review at all. That's just opening the floodgates with no regard for water quality.

I'm sure that one is posted in the break room where my Daughter is a Veterinarian!

 

I've tried to get her to share Marty Feldman's Vet's waiting room sketch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlPAVm8Gl6M

with her other colleagues.

Love the "Standard Book of British Birds" reference, especially since Marty Feldman was in the original version of the Bookshop Sketch (in "At Last, The 1948 Show").

Was that the one without the nuthatch?

Does anyone have "Ethyl the Aardvark goes Quantity Surveying"?

No, but I do have a copy of "The Adventures of Captain Gladys Stoat-Pamphlet and Her Intrepid Spaniel Stig Amongst the Giant Pygmies of Beccles" (volume 8).

Mr. Powers,

I seem to recall that I asked you for the U.R.L. for the archaeology metallurgy mailing list. And I somehow never got in touch with them to get on the list. Could you p,m, me with it?

Were you serious about your reference concerning the Etruscan language. I had not noticed that there were many new elucidations in the last twenty years. (just two or three letters).

We are all waiting fir the discovery of a bilingual.

Regards,

SLAG.

Mr. JHCC could I get that tome by inter-library loan. I'm in Missouri, U.S.A.

Also,   Mr.  TIKI  I should like to read your cited book.

NICE!  Thats a pretty deep pull right there.

Slag should be in your PM queue.

Yes indeed.

Thank you.

SLAG.

Not actually one of my pets but it’s visited the shop the last three nights, I usually catch one a year that moves in the shop during the spring time or early summer. 

Good pets to have around here. They eat venomous snakes and scorpions. 

And ticks. Particularly useful when you’re in an area with Lyme Disease. 

They are nice critters to have around for ticks in my area I agree but I also own chickens and for some reason they don’t get along well with chickens lol. I usually just live trap them and haul them way off from everyone’s farms and let them go where they won’t be a problem. I hate to see them get shot for just doing the only thing they know how to do. I have to save all the king snakes too because my closest neighbor kills any snakes he sees. I personally don’t mind an ol fat king snake in my shop because that means I have less mice running around but I normally haul them off too because eventually they find the hen house and start eating all my eggs.