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Call for questions: ETHNOCYNOLOGY (Patreon)

Published:
2024-11-12 21:34:06
Edited:
2024-11-12 23:31:35
Imported:
2026-06

Content

You may have run across David Ian Howe's @ethnocynology account on Instagram. Through social media, David's already taught us a lot about the science and history of human/dog relationships -- now I have an opportunity to ask him questions one-on-one. We'll get into ancient dogs, human's intense attachment to dogs, the Columbian exchange... what else? We're talking Thursday morning so let me know your questions ASAP.

Deadline: Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm PST

 

Comments

Nico Price

Why are the differences in cat & dog domestication????

Quincey Robisheaux

Do you have any knowledge about canines in the Americas before European contact?

Matt Thompson

Were there any attempts at domestication of other dog-like animals like foxes or coyotes?

joesyourmom

Is there a trend that humans are becoming less allergic to good boys over time as we co-evolve? Also is it true that your micro biome is better when you touch dog paws??🐾🐾

Björn Fredberg

You mean the human domestication of dogs vs the cat domestication of humans?

Olivia Eliasson

Is it true that dogs became domesticated by playing fetch with humans? And that it was dogs that taught us fetch?

Brittany Rivers

When ancient people worked side by side with their ancient pups, were they as revered and loved as our fur babies today? I guess, did they treat them as family or tool?

Mana

when and why did humans start breeding tiny dogs that suffer their whole lives

Matt Thompson

My blue heeler was wondering, is it true that Australian cattle dogs came from dingos?

Kayla Whyte

How does our relationship with dogs change when they’re bred for certain attributes that harm them (smushed faces, thick legs)?

Ess

First time asker: do we know what the genetic mechanism is behind domestication? Is it epigenetic?

Kate Oldham

Is it true that dogs’ lil eyebrow muscles evolved so that we’d think they’re cuter and even more friend-shaped than before?-first time asker

Alexandra Roth

I've read an interesting theory at the juncture of solipsism l philosophy and Dog Studies, that dogs evolved to mimic understanding and expression of human emotions, eg., they don't feel with us, but their nervous systems mimic these feelings because it benefitted them in terms of selection. What do you think? Can this question even be answered?

Zed Shirogane

What are your thoughts on the current projects on domesticating foxes and recording which genes are linked to the domestication process?

Oscar Courchaine

What kinds of protections/rights can we give dogs to help with abusive/exploitive breeding practices, their use in lab experiments, etc.?

Doug Stewart

Who is the best dog and why is it always mine? Seriously though is there any research into why some people, such as myself, choose to have pets rather than children (beyond the economical)?

Logan Muller

is it true that dogs know when they’ll pass so they hide so they don’t make us sad?? i watched my neighbors dog do this when i was a kid… still scarred & will probably never recover lol

Jaedin Guldenstern

What's the deal with the smell of dog paws ?! It brings me instant joy and calm

Lindsey Wallace

In what ways have different dog breeds been bred to help humans with specific tasks? example: i think it's true that beagles have white tips on their tails to assist humans in seeing them through the grass when they're following a scent? FIRST TIME QUESTION ASKER AND I AM SO EXCITED TO BE HERE.

maryellen chaney

What do you think the future of the dog/human relationship looks like?

Staci Pinkowitz

Oh my gosh I am so excited I'm going to have to kiss my little dog on his soft baby head about this

thulahn

What evidence is there of dogs domesticating humans?

Catherine BH

How does dog domestication compare to other animal domestication? If that's too big a question, how long did the process take compared to other animals?

Staci Pinkowitz

Why do puppy paws smell like corn chips?

Staci Pinkowitz

Does my dog actually know that he's a really good boy????

rachel

any thought on the challenges of losing a dog, and why it's hard to talk about (without seeming like a crazy dog lady?) and whyyyy aren't they evolutionarily living the same amount of time as humans?

Minty Mcgee

Why do puppy paws smell like Fritos?

BeeDubs

First time question asker--are there records of when we started naming dogs? How have dog names evolved over time (or has Spot just always been a dog name)?

Patricia Brewster

What makes some dogs noses better than others for tracking/trailing?

Adam Foote

Were there dogs in the Americas before colonization?

the ren you know

Any thoughts on the Talking Dog Buttons and what affect they have on consent/respect in a human/dog relationship?

Staci Pinkowitz

Any info on the theory re: dogs/wolves with williams syndrome? I don't know much about it but find the potential connection super interesting, though it is always important to tread carefully when discussing real people's lived experiences

Corey

Completely unrelated and I am so sorry BUT AND ALSO, I recently relistened to an episode (I can't remember which one, but it was about linguistics?) and there was a comment about "what does skibidi toilet mean?" And I have summer break from exams and time and access to a Gen Alpha speaking person who would LOVE to be able to explain things to me (I'm 25, he's 20- and delights in my complete confusion and curiosity at every other sentence he says) Soooooo The Origins of Skibidi Toilet The first reference to 'skibidi' was in the song "Dom Dom Yes Yes", by the Bulgarian music group Biser King. The original song was released to spotify on April 17th, 2022, but gained more popularity when it's Official music video was released to youtube on the 1st of June that year. Here, it amassed 1.7 million views in the span of five months. It's something- but what caused it to become ubiquitous slang seemingly overnight? On both TikTok and Instagram the song continued to be shared, often alongside videos of women changing outfits. And yeah, that got some views- but the true peak of this audio was in a video by Turkish TikToker Yasin Cengiz @yasincenigiz38 of him jumping to the song- where it received 29.2 million views in 10 months. But where does toilet come in. Best summarized by Know Your Meme "On February 7th, 2023, YouTuber[1] DaFuq!?Boom! posted a video set to a remix of "Give It To Me" and "Dom Dom Yes Yes" titled "skibidi toilet" where the camera tracks over to a toilet and a man's head pops out of it and starts singing the lyrics to "Dom Dom Yes Yes." (https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/skibidi-toilet). The video gained over 37 million views in three months. ". Thus began the catch phrase of "skibity toilet"- which does not mean anything . Which my Gez Alpha speaking friend could not stress enough. Whilst "skibidy" can be used like "what the skibidy?" Or "as a swear on skibidy" (no one wants the meme to die, and so they swear on it like you would on a parents grave)- Skibidy Toilet specifically is a refence to the meme, and more a nonsense word used to fill space. Thankyou for reading IM SORRY BUT also maybe you're welcome.?

SusanM

Dogs have been bred to serve, historically pest control, animal protection, search and rescue etc. What human services are dogs being specifically bred for now?

Sophie

what came in between wolves and modern dogs? what was the middle ground and how long did it take?

Ruby Gordon

First time question asker. At what point did we breed dogs just for cute companionship rather than functional support in life/activities? Although one could of course argue that cute companionship is providing highly functional support in life!

Jaedin Guldenstern

(another question)- something I think about a lot is how ethical it is to have a dog... how we often "tame" the wild out of them with leashes, obedience, keeping them inside, etc... seeing my dogs run free at the beach with no leash just feels right (for me and for them). Are we in their best interest ?

Corey

Why is it always the victorians - can you talk about the breeding pugs and similar dogs in the victorian era, and why they did that to the bestest friend? (Ftqa)

Charlotte

What is the first known instance of a dog being a companion animal? Is there an example or an archeological find that stands out as the earliest time dogs and people started to hang out for no reason except to hang out?

Heather Leonard

I’m so excited for this! Did humans first domesticate dogs in one place and time and then it spread or did it happen for the first time in many different places? Why dogs for hunting? Why not big cats like lions who also hunt together? Were dogs of Aztecs (for example) still the same species as Old World dogs? What is the oldest breed of dog and what was its main role? Hunting? Companionship? Herding? What’s the oldest record of a dog’s name and what was it? Were/are there any cultures that built their lifestyles around the dogs they relied on? How realistic was the movie Alpha? What’s your funnest most obscure history of dogs fact?

Anjali Himali

I’m so excited for this episode, I love David’s account and his work in sci com!! As an archaeologist, I would love to know: when do we first see wolves/dogs living with humans? When do you first see domestication in an archaeological context?

Avren Keating

Can you discuss pit bull origins/flim flam? I see arguments all the time online where some people say pit bulls are kind nanny dogs and others who say they were bred for bullbaiting and inherently violent.

Harper Atlas

Why do puppies smell so good but wet dogs smell horrible?

Kelsey Larson

Where did the American social division of “cat person” and “dog person” as opposites come from? What similarities/differences are there in our history with cats and dogs? Is there anything to the dog person/cat person division, or is it just another inaccurate and oversimplified social binary? Sincerely, a cat owner who likes dogs

EmiTheStrangest

I find it so interesting that dogs have evolved so close to humans they picked up the social meaning behind pointing with a finger. Dogs can know to look where you point while primates, much closer to humans evolutionary-wise, will just stare at your finger if you point at something (Coyote America, Dan Flores)

Eating dog hair for a living

What's the closest breed the ancient dogs are related to or fathered? Did they have bigger canines than they do now? Any other things that they had in ancient days that has been evolved away? And dew claws, have they always been there?

Harper Atlas

Side note: my grandpa saved all of the fur he brushed out of his chow-chow malamute mix with the intention of one day having it spun into yarn so my grandma could knit him a sweater with it. Can you even image how that would smell!?

Jessica Schlarbaum

First time question asker and I have two! Is there evidence of multiple origins of human domestication of dogs? or did it originate with one community/region and then spread to others? We know human domestications of dogs, cats, and cattle were successful (mostly...), but is there evidence of other failed domestication attempts in human communities?

David

What does the domestication in russia of foxes teach us about the domestication of dogs?

David

Are humans fully or partially domesticated? Why or why not?

Chandler Witherington

How did dingoes get to Australia and are they now considered a "native" species?

Scott Sheldon

Are there other canines (like foxes or coyotes) that today are living in a sort of symbiosis like early dogs that led to domestication?

Reuben Clamzo

Why do their feet smell like Fritos?

Sheepan

my dog can understand some of my words, but i can’t understand any of his barks. am i stupid?

Chandler Witherington

I've heard this theory that any dogs left on their own for long enough, after a certain number of generations, they will revert to "default dog form" i.e. pointy ears, sandy brown, short hair, etc. Something that looks like a "Carolina Dog" a jaunt down a wiki-hole told me. Any truth to that?

Grace Angelone

First time question asker: what is the oldest fossil of a potentially domesticated canine? How long does domestication date back to?

David

How do biochemical and phenotypical holdover of immature patterns into adulthood hold up as a story for how domestication happens? To the extent it holds up, what does it tell us about what creatures are potentially domesticatable?

Katie Hultman

I didn't know this was a topic of study and I am so excited! Do puppies smell like heaven so we will love them even when they poop in our shoes? If a wolf and a dog meet up in the wild, do they recognize each other as sort of relatives? Do wolves look down upon their domesticated brethren? Have we done them a disservice by taking them out of the wild? Were human/dog relationships harmed in cultures where werewolves were seen as a real danger? Did ancient media have dog stories similar to ours now?

Jani Rounds

Is there any way to “get back” (via DNA sequencing, cloning, etc) the pre-Columbian dogs?

Jackie G

I hate to be a bummer, but this has me thinking about animal experimentation and how that reflects on our relationship with dogs. (I also know that humans can be shitty and there is amble examples of us experimenting on humans, so maybe the answer is we are bad at relationships.)

Sami

How did we get SO many breeds? How much of that was human intervention versus natural intervention. Is it truly possible for us to create new “official” breeds in this lifetime?

Jackie G

How do the ologist study this topic when different cultures have widely different practices surrounding pets?

Adam Weaver

Really hoping that we discuss Belyaev's fox domestication project 🤞

Breanna Segovia

Is there more or less genetic diversity for dogs in these modern times?

CurtisDawg

Why did wild dogs (wolves, foxes, jackals, and all) miss out on the domestication train? Is it lack of opportunity or a born-to-be-wild gene???

Krista Jones

When and why do we think humans started baby-talking to dogs?

CurtisDawg

Do wild dogs (dingoes) eat humans (babies)?

Nicky G

What is the deal with puppy breath and why is it intoxicating?! Can you elaborate on how some brachycephalic breeds are being bred to re-introduce longer muzzles to improve breathing ability and overall health? We love their smooshed snoots, but it is not good for them. Thanks!

Elongated Muskrat

Job and dogs. Dogs with jobs. How long and it what ways have we been using dogs to make our lives easier or more accessible. I assume most started with hunting or protecting but when did we think about using cadaver dogs? Service animals? And the spark for this question… what does( or did) firefighter dogs do? First time question asker!!

Andy Pepper

LOVE this! Are there other animals he thinks will be as domesticated as dogs eventually? What are his favorites? So fascinated by Wikipedia's "List of Domesticated Animals"—it would be so interesting if in, say, a thousand years, a ferret or a turkey was "man's best friend." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_domesticated_animals

Chuck Meriam

Do other relatively intelligent animals have the same potential for domestication as dogs, given their proximity to living near or among humans, .e.g. crows, ravens, or raccoons?

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

I would love to hear more about First Nations peoples relationships with dogs, especially Aboriginal Australians and dingoes!

Wren S

1) How many different species or subspecies of ancestors have fed into modern dogs? If there is more than one, were they all around the same time (very broadly speaking lol) or have there been infusions at different points? 2) What do you think about wolf-dogs or other hybrids? Why are domesticated dogs all one genus even though they can be so different? Maybe I just understand dogs wrong [Edited because I was too excited to spell things right]

Kelly Shaver

What is with modern dogs' diets? We feed them cooked meat products and tons of starch and stuff that wild canines could never survive on, so how did that evolve?

Colby Evans

What are a few useful/interesting features we've bred in? I'm thinking white tips at the tops of tails to see them better in brush, etc

Wren S

People talk about inherited traits like prey drive, obedience, agression, activity level, etc that does seem to follow breeds. Is this a real phenomenon (how???) or just correlation or false attribution because of how we socialize dogs that look a certain way?

Kelly Shaver

Were there any places where dogs where never domesticated/imported? Are there communities now that just don't have dogs?

Sarah Philo

What does breed have to do with behavior? I see lots of conflicting things about genetic aggression (and obviously the bite from a big giant Rottweiler is going to be more dangerous than a tiny chihuahua) but is there any truth about genetics influencing behavior? or is it mostly what they're taught socialized to do?

Olga Kolesnikova

I love my dog so much. Sometimes I feel sad about how baby he is. Is it wrong that we've bred dogs to be completely reliant on us?

Robin Kuehn

What the hell is up with the wolf machismo? There are plenty of fierce animals out there, but the typically male people who associate with wolves are a different breed, so to speak.

Colby Evans

Can you point out examples where lack of domesticated animals let to a societies collapse? Sounds more dramatic than I mean...

Cade Frieden

Dog training is culturally specific. Is there a general consensus on what makes a "good dog"? Does that change as a society industrializes? Have we seen any convergence in dog training post Internet?

Sam

Are there any examples of humans and dogs adapting and evolving together? Like as dogs became domesticated, humans became…? If that makes sense!

Robin C Pike

How are foxes beginning to domesticate themselves? What are the implications of having a potential new domestic canine animal?

Dig

Aaaaaahhhh this episode is going to be SO COOL. Okay, another not-quite question, but I adopted my dog(see profile picture, she's cute) from the Big Island of Hawaii, where boar hunting with dogs is common practice. She came from the Humane Society, and it was heavily insinuated that she was a former hunting dog, but they couldn't tell me for sure. She's got a great cartoon-lookin' chomp out of one ear and a whole bunch of other scars all over her body. She's come a long way from when I first got her, but still has high prey drive. I guess, to make this an actual question, can dogs "retire" from jobs like that, or is it too instinctual?

Wren S

For my fellow corn chip paw lovers, I actually know part of the scientific how. From AKC website (and corroborated by many sources, link at end), there are two types of bacteria (genus Pseudomonas and Proteus) (and fungi like yeasts I'm sure) that smell yeasty like that when they sweat or get their paws wet. Still a great question though, because why are those ones the most prominent? Are dog microbiomes mostly similar, or just the corn chip paws? If not, are there regional paw flavors??? (I would like to sample them all) How about compared with their closest wild relatives? Have dog microbiomes co-evolved like with humans? Did they evolve corn chip paws to make them cuter, or is that just a happy accident??? Plz answer in depth, so much depth Sorry for so many questions, dogs are a special interest and as an adult I have no one to confiscate my phone to make me stop lol https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/why-do-my-dogs-feet-smell-like-fritos/

jess

can puppies tell how much time has passed? i feel like my dog always knows when it’s about time for my parents and i to come home from work!

Jenny Leigh

Do dogs view humans as their servants? I mean seriously, the world we've created for most of human canine interactions, we humans pretty much do their bidding! I myself feel like a Malinois minion like 80% of the time!

Peyton Nill

If wolves are so wild, unfriendly, unwilling to cooperate with humans, and famously poor pets now even when raised by hand, how in the world did we ever raise wolf puppies by hand for long enough to domesticate them?

Jennifer Lemon

Do dogs recognize their name as a name, or just an attention-getting sound?

rowantree

When was the switch in domestication from a hunting partner to simply companionship purposes (meaning non-hunting or shepherding dogs)? Why did that happen?

Anna

who got domesticated first? dogs? cats? birds?

Dominic Abbate

Will we ever flip the script and breed dogs to be bigger instead of smaller

Rachel M

Have you seen the videos where dogs have been “trained” to talk with buttons? Like they will push a button that says (out loud) outside when they need to pee. And one who, apparently, will tell her owner multi-word sentences. What are your thoughts? Is it real? Or is the dog just pushing buttons and humans are seeing what we want to see?

Mina Emily Cox

Why do people pick dogs that look alike to them? Or do people start to look like their dog or vice versa the longer and more intense they spend time together?

Amelia Díaz Ettinger

A while back, while teaching Biology, I came across a paper that discuss the phylogeny of dogs. The paper discusses that wolves and dogs might have had a common ancestor but that the common notion that dogs are direct descendants of wolves is a misconception and the reason given for so many genetic markers of wolves in dogs was from recent (evolutionarily speaking) interbreeding.

Jessie Meeks

Where did the domestication of dogs first happen? Or did it happen in several locations around the same time?

YourBuddyGage

There are theories that humans and dogs "co-evolved." I.e. humans developed sclera to better show others (dogs) what we are looking at, our sense of smell reduced because our furry friends had that covered. Thoughts? Are there any other ways that man's best friend has changed us physically or mentally?

Anthony Richards

If people suddenly left the earth, what would happen to dogs left behind? How long until they become wild again?

Mini Minnie

Playing with dogs… love it, but why is it a thing? Dogs seem to instinctively know, “that’s a ball, and it’s for me!” It can’t all be a substitute for hunting, dogs have actual motivation to just PLAY, right? How would playing with dogs even get started when the human-dog relationship was just starting? Puppies and children just being naturals at it?

Nic Bencaz

What?!? I need someone to put a puppy paw in my face right now

Mini Minnie

Do they really want to be with us, or just each other?

Allison In The Yukon

Interested in hearing your opinion on that graph showing which dog breeds have the most wolf dna left. I have a Shiba Inu which is the top of the list, but people are always shocked when I mention it.

Storm

some dogs like pugs and bulldogs have been pure breed for too long and it’s messing with their genes so they can’t breath/have hip problems etc, how do we get across to these breeders and buyers that this is terrible and is there a way to reverse the effects (like breeding with other breeds maybe)?

Storm

i’ve heard dogs co-evolved with humans, but why was it dogs/wolves that did this? Could it have been any species but it happened with dogs first? Why did they chose us?

Storm

Why do some dogs have problems with being around other dogs when they are pack animals ?

MrsCarterOfMars

I am too sleepy to scroll and see if it's been asked already, but what was the first recorded dog name? Or put in a more fun way by my partner, who was the first Bingo and what was their name-o?

Cynthia Cinnabar

Such a neat topic! Wondering where the line between wolves and dogs lies, historically/evolutionarily speaking-- I know that speciation isn't an exact science, but is there a point at which scientists can look and say, "definitely, dogs"? Also, how has anthropological/ethnocynological understanding of the history of the human-dog relationship(s) evolved over time?

Katelyn Schwartz

Were ancient dogs seen as pets or tools? Did they have any training or were they just simply kept for being cute

Ja Jo: Art & Craft

Are humans’ and dogs’ existence, or any other domesticated animal, bound together forever?

Meaghan Ratcliffe

how is a chihuahua descended from wolves?? it does not compute in my brain lol

Meaghan Ratcliffe

also why are small dogs meaner than big dogs? i’ve only ever been assaulted by tiny dogs, never a large breed

Katy

How did early humans figure out they could put dogs to work for them, and what did that work and cooperation look like back then? When did humans actively start training dogs to perform work? How has the way humans and dogs work together evolved over the millenia due to selective breeding and training techniques?

Cheryl Buettner

How are service dogs who are intended to support those with medical conditions such as diabetes or severe allergies trained? Is it strictly a scent trigger or do they respond to other indicators?

Katy

To what extent do dogs emotionally co-regulate with their humans? And how relevant is a dog's breed to co-regulation? For context: I have a rescue who's extremely reactive to other dogs. My boy has all the markers of being a landrace dog, and does not generally look to me for guidance. Some people like to tell me, "Your dog feeds off your anxiety. Calm yourself and your dog will be fine." Which is not my experience. My theory based on some of these interactions is that dogs that were selected to be highly-attuned to humans (like herding and companion breeds) may be more prone to co-regulation, whereas dogs that had less direct human intervention on their genes (landrace breeds) are more independent and less likely to co-regulate. Sometimes when I hear herding dog people talk about their dogs, it almost sounds like they're talking about an entirely different species.

Katy

(Also, I'm really looking forward to this episode, but if there's ever another dog episode, I would LOVE one with applied ethologist Kim Brophy.)

Skye Cutler

Why does my dog eat his own poop?!

Katy

It makes so much sense that landrace breeds would have the most wolfy DNA!

Katy

The allergy question is reminding me that apparently there are some dogs in the world that are allergic to humans, which is one of the saddest things I've ever heard.

Kiirsten May

Could a human baby really survive by nursing from a mother wolf? Thinking of the Romulus and Remus myth.

Suzanne Clark

When a dog is in decline, is he/she aware of their impending death?

Sarah McEachern

When did dogs start to become pets? aka When was the first snoot booped?

Katy

Why do some dogs tend to relax in the spot where they have an eyeline to everybody in the house?

Dawn Smolczyk (pronounced small-check)

Do you have any hope for humans to discontinue breeding practices that lead to unhealthy dogs with health problems? What can people do to help other than avoid buying from breeders?

Dawn Smolczyk (pronounced small-check)

How far back in time do breed-related health problems go? Is there any historic evidence of disagreement of or protest against breeding that leads to health problems? (I'm talking hip dysplasia in German Shepards, respiratory problems in pugs and frenchies, etc.)

Dawn Smolczyk (pronounced small-check)

How are some dogs wonderful with cats (ignore them or play with them) and some terrible with cats (will do ANYTHING to get to it)? Is this all due to past interactions/socialization, or is some instinctual?

Daniel Camacho

First time asker! What is domestication? Is it pretty much evolution but sped up? Did we snap the dog branch from the tree of life and make our own little dog tree with it? Are we hoomans considered domesticated??

She Purple

Yeah like are dogs actually omnivores now?

Sonjabird

I also want to know about us breeding dogs that are incompatible with life (eg bulldogs)- have there been any breeds that humans have actually stopped breeding because they had too many health problems?

Jenna Congdon

How does human-dog interaction vary across modern cultures? Why does it seem like we all adore them? Sure, there is some variation on how dogs are viewed/treated around the world, but truly, it seems that deep down humanity has a nearly universal affection for dogs. Why do so many of us love them so much?

Lisa Gorman

How long did it take dogs to gain their current adaptations to us, like having more expressive brows so we can read their faces better, paying attention to human hand signals and eye lines? How long ago would it have been that we would recognize early dogs as dogs and not tame wolves?

Lisa Gorman

Can dogs assimilate into wolf packs, or has this ever been seen to happen?

Lisa Gorman

Why do young coyotes occasionally try to follow or play with domesticated dogs? I've had this happen before and my dogs were very weirded out and clearly understood this was NOT a dog.

Zyz

How old are shepherding dogs, and do we know how they were bred?? It seems wild that humans managed to breed these wolves to do specific, carefully calculated actions to herd prey animals.

Zyz

Unrelated but honestly i would ask the same for us!! These apes that used to eat wild plants and raw meat are now processing their food more and more??? How are we possibly surviving this???

Nickle Le$$

Dog vocabulary- I know they can learn human words and intonations, but how do they know how to teach us their own dog sounds?

Zyz

We tend to associate dogs with loyalty and obedience, and sometimes kindness, but on the other hand comparing someone to a dog is an insult. Do other cultures associate them with different traits? Do we know if ancient people thought of them in different ways? (Are there cultures where calling someone a dog is a complement??)

Kelly A McConnell

Firsty here. I find it super interesting that domesticated dogs (?if all) have a mutation compared to wolves that is similar to Williams Syndrome in humans. Are there any other genetic varitions from wolves that are similar to human genetic variation.

Annmarie Everhart

Why do dogs like being petted by humans? And how did this behavior come about?

Danae Owens

My dogs have always respond to my emotions. Is this a trait of being domesticated or do wild dogs carry this as well. There’s the saying that dogs can smell fear, is it body language or an actual chemical response?

Ashley Marrs

How were dogs viewed in ancient Egypt? Are jackals dogs or another species?

Jeanette-o-saur

Add on: I've always wondered how much of this is due to instinct/genetics/etc and how much is because people tolerate bad behaviour from little creatures and thus spend less time training them.

Olivia Lester

Did dogs at any point gravitate towards any certain appearance/race (from geographic origins leading to familiarity with a certain kind of look)? Is there a difference between how male and female dogs attract to/connect with humans? How is it it that you have people assimilated to wolf packs / living with them? Have dogs been accepted into wolf packs before? I've been told dogs interpret humans smiling and not breaking eye contact as a sign of aggression—is this true? If so, why have they not assimilated to this human trait but have with others? Can our dogs adopt our mental disorders and/or neuroticism? Do they adopt and emulate our personalities?

Sleepy John

Is there a way to say Thank you to both sides for starting it all?

Jeanette-o-saur

Regarding the amazeballs trend of dogs with speech buttons... Have we just been massively underestimating the intelligence of dogs? I mean, we knew they were smart, but some of the dog interactions I've seen are low key dogs doing philosophy.

Jeanette-o-saur

Seconding this question. My bestest boy was a herding-guardian mix (Collie-Pyrenees) so I'm pretty biased. But also, why are all the 'bully breeds' basically marshmallows in a brick body? If they were bred to fight, someone forgot to tell most of them...

Jeanette-o-saur

Only crazy to crazy people who have never experienced the exquisite joy of loving a dog ❤️🐾

Jeanette-o-saur

Follow up: have we tried? I feel like we've done ok with body language, but little with sounds.

Gaby B.

I wonder this, too! I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and I always suspected my late pup had it too (we shared a shocking number of symptoms). I know cats, pigs, and some other animals can have EDS, but haven't specifically heard about it in dogs.

Dicken Crane

Dogs are teachers. Humans can be good students or bad students. I’ve heard it said “you can’t teach a dog more than you know” but that doesn’t mean the dog doesn’t know more than you know. It means you’re a bad student. Wise up people, dogs aren’t the only teachers.

Felix Lasselle

How common were dogs in ancient human tribes? Was it as regular as people having dogs as pets now? Was there any geographically variation to human/dog relationships?

Jeanette-o-saur

Also, as I puppy-sit a friend's dachshund/teckel... Why is the adorable fuzz-nugget actually a tiny land-shark? Why so toothy? Why so fast?

Gaby B.

Not sure if this falls under your purview, but I've seen varying opinions on some types of dog training that include mimicking dog behaviors in order to better communicate to them what you want. Examples are things like yelping and pulling your hand away when puppies bite because that's what their littermates would do; holding them by the scruff to redirect them because that's what their mother would do; "wrestling" and putting them on their back to show dominance/disapproval of a certain behavior; etc. Is there anything to these techniques? Are some of them worth trying and others not? Do our dogs just think we're weird for doing it? The internet opinions seem to be pretty evenly split on this!

Gaby B.

If I had to guess, I'd say the latter, but good question! People figure that the cute tiny purse-pooch doesn't need to be trained because they're "too little to do any damage" (which is, of course, patently false). I've met some remarkably good small dogs, though. I'm wondering if this is one of those confirmation bias situations where because we expect the stereotype, we either only notice the "bad" small dogs, or create a self-fulfilling prophecy for our small dogs.

Gail Lane

When it comes to dog breeds that are considered dangerous, e.g. pitbulls, is this more due to how they are treated or are there truly inherent dangerous traits - and was this also true of the earliest known dogs?

Hailey

I took a class on dog and human evolution a few years ago and one book we read was The Invaders by Pat Shipman, about how one of the reasons “modern” humans survived while Neanderthals did not was the relationship humans formed with dogs. Could you talk a little about that idea, and also how do you feel dogs have contributed to human survival/ evolution if at all? Thank you!!

Between Dumplings

Since my cat died, the two dogs on our floor react very differently. One gets practically airborne running down the hall to come give me love and will come in and do the perimeter check, looking for the cat, I think. The other (who used to hang out here with our cat) won't even come near the door. He is also a really sweet dog. I think the two dogs are handling the loss of the cat differently. Trying not to project but it's fascinating to me. Also when I walk the city, dogs often look at me sadly - sure enough on the other end of that leash is a grumpy person ignoring the dog. I always tell them they're a very GOOD DOG. Is it true that dogs' eyebrows evolved to help them manipulate us? Evolution works.

Between Dumplings

Oh! Our old neighbor has had service dogs that alert her when she's about to faint. They made a documentary...Amazing!

Between Dumplings

Please adopt from shelters rather than buy from breeders. ❤️

Matt Hirschl

I’m a new dogfather. I never understood why people talked about their dogs so much. Now, I get it. Why are we so obsessed about talking about our dogs to other people???

Matt Hirschl

Jenna and I are wondering if you think our dog talks about us to other dogs?

mish the fish

how can dogs tell when we're anxious? were dogs bred for emotional support qualities or was that a lucky thing that happened? how can someone who's never had a dog prepare for getting a dog? what tips do you have for adjusting?

Matt Hirschl

What is happening in a dogs brain that causes them to give puppy dog eyes when you’re leaving the house?

Matt Hirschl

Have we fully cracked the dog on the meaning of types of barks?

Dionne Needham

Can you talk about the dire wolf. Did it breed with wolves are there morden wolves that have dire wolf genes or were they not around at the same time?

OnyxMonolyth

What dog breeds are the most “ancient” (have changed the least from antiquity)?

Stephanie Coombes

After getting a dog it’s like having a baby with advice all over the place! What do you think about the crate vs no crate and shock collars part of standard training?

Baz Pugmire

Hey there! I was just wondering if David could tell us what their field has on the unique relationship between service animals, the services they can provide, and their humans ? And also perhaps what the difference between a service animal vs.an ESA is? Thank you!

Erin White

About to get real polarizing here- how bad should we feel about creating pugs? They’re so far removed from being functional dogs, have we done harm by creating them?

Erin White

can all dogs tell when you’re pregnant? Wolves in sanctuaries can, can all dogs just do this?

Michael Williams

Why doesn’t my dog take care of me when I’m sick? Everyone else’s dog seems to want to cuddle when their human isn’t feeling good. Is my dog broken?

Montana

What is the oldest known or documented human / dog relationship?

Montana

From what I understand, new dog breeds can be created with distinct characteristics in just a few generations. What is it about dog’s dna / traits that makes them so variable?

Andrew McVay

Is the soundtrack of American neighborhoods lawnmowers and dogs barking? What dogs should not be kept restricted to a back yard? How much space do dogs need to be kept busy?

Lauren Mitchell

First time question asker! I heard that dogs recognize when they do something that makes their owners happy so they mimic or repeat those behaviors just to make their owners happy. Is this true?? Because my dog does a little wiggle ‘n howl routine at me when I get home and it’s literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and if you tell me he’s doing that just because he knows it makes me happy I’m going SOB

Gwen Kelly

Can we talk about “street dogs” and “feral dogs”? I’ve met some incredibly smart street dogs in India. Look both ways before they cross the road better than some humans. What is the relationship between humans and dogs when the dogs roam free and don’t belong to anyone in particular? Why do people see street dogs as a problem? What are humans obligations to street and stray dogs, especially in places where there are so many (like India)?

Christina Polwarth

Why does dog lifespan seem to vary inversely with dog size?

Jamie Hanna

I do agility with my corgi because she seems to want a job. When and how did dog sports (agility, dock diving, barn hunt, etc) start? And do dogs actually enjoy participating in these sports?

Leila Laco

There's also an element of smaller dogs sometimes being given less control over their lives, eg. constantly being picked up without their consent, which is bound to make them grouchy

Leila Laco

Are dogs pack animals or not? I know the research in captive wolves which popularised pack theory turned out to be flim flam, but among dog trainers I follow online some are adamant there are no pack hierarchies in feral dog society so it shouldn't come into training at all, while others still use the language of packs. Who's right? I suppose it depends on how you define a pack too!

Leila Laco

What's the earliest written record of someone referring to another person as a "dog", either positively or negatively? Or is that quite a recent phenomenon? How recently did all the dog phrases in English (dog days, hair of the dog, etc) start to come about?

Leila Laco

What's the ologist's (and Alie's!) favourite song about dogs, or that uses dogs as a metaphor? I'm partial to Elvis' Hound Dog, myself.

Leila Laco

Thank you for explaining this, I'm 24 but it's completely foreignt to me too lol

Leila Laco

If this is too complicated for an aside, how about some dog phrases in non English languages?

Leila Laco

When and how did the word for a female dog become a rude way to refer to a woman? Is it just sexism?

Reuben Eadon

Is it generally accepted that wolves would have started approaching humans when meat was cooked with fire? Were our discarded scraps the start of a beautiful and complicated relationship?

Svet Libre

I have a dog that has helped me through trauma therapy and does something I call “puffing”. Where he puts off a specific scent when I am distraught or sad to make me feel better. How does that work? How do dogs feel changes in someone’s mood or demeanor to provide support?

Nancy Braun

My puppy/young dog chewed everything - clothing, rugs, furniture legs. What happened with ancient dog owners when virtually all their stuff was made of animal skins, rawhide, wood??

Kim

I'm not super in to dogs but saying that to people can really trigger them! What is up with that? Why are some people *so* in to dogs that they see somebody not wanting to make a fuss over their dog as a personal rejection of them?

Jurrian

Does my dog actually have the same range of emotions I project onto my dog?

Jurrian

Why do owners look like their dogs?

Rachel Nelson

First time question asker! Coincidentally just got my PhD in Human Paleobiology and we teach this topic in our intro to biological anthropology classes! I’m curious about the fact that we see fossil evidence of the first domesticated dogs pop up in the record around the same time but in different parts of the world - weird coincidence or something about that time/environment that would have put a selective pressure on dog domestication? Thank you!

Potato Puffer

Does ancient dog dna actually show up in the “ancient” breeds we have today from North America? Like Chihuahua, Carolina Dog, Xolo, malamute etc.

Kim

Have humans gone too far with our relationship with dogs? Now we breed dogs that struggle to survive and insist on taking them everywhere, and people who don't like dogs are considered weird. Dogs in restaurants struggling to breathe are such a long way from their noble wolf origins

Potato Puffer

Were there any ancient breeds that were bred just for companionship instead of having a job/task?

Orla Spurr

Pls talk about dingoes! I know very little about them but so has science for a long time. Over the past 250 years white Australia keeps changing its mind on whether they count as a native species. Iirc, recent evidence has supported what indigenous people have been saying for centuries - dingoes have been here for a hell of a long time.

Katie Stalder

From what I’ve seen over the past 20 years as a pet care professional, human-dog relationships have been replacing human-human and even parent-child relationships. As the world continues to get even more fucked, what do you think the these replacement bonds mean for the future of our culture?

Kelly A McConnell

I have hypermobile EDS too! There’s a vet who did a podcast on it. It’s super interesting. But I was asking more about the genetic differences that separate domesticated dogs from wolves to make them for more into bonds with humans.

Corinna Bruce

I have a Shiba Inu and i've heard them categorised as a basal breed (an ancient or little changed breed or dog). What is science behind basal breeds, are they really a thing? Is that why my shibe is SO weird? I'm actually looking to pick my final project for my undergraduate zoology degree and i have a particular interest in dogs and their behaviour but my ADHD doesn't have the patience to understand the finer details of genetics! First time question asker but I did give some ADHD advice!

The Bloated Toad

What about Native American dog breeds, I remember hearing somewhere that chihuahuas are originally American is that true.

Zuleika Pevec

Pretty sure I’m a FTQA: Would it be possible to reverse breed dogs to eventually get a wolf again? Say starting with a pug and a chihuahua. And if so, about how many generations would it take?

Will

Can you scientifically prove that dogs are better than cats?

Faith Novella

How come there don't seem to be many viruses that can be transmitted dog-to-person or vice versa even though we've been living alongside them for so long?

poisonedcheerios

First time question asker, long time listener: What behaviors did dogs develop because of human domestication? What are the major differences between dogs behavior with humans and their behavior with a ‘pack’? Does my dog think of me as being part of their pack?

Hannah Riedl

Why do dogs’ tails wag the way they do? For example, in circles when they’re happy.

Azra

So, dogs and us have a thing going on. But what about dogs and other species that we hang out with all the time e.g. sheep, cats, horses, chickens? How are dogs so tolerant of other species, and not so for others, and how does that affect their wider inter-species social network? Do we know if dogs have always been like this?

Allie Brown

I heard that if you domesticate foxes and breed them, they start to look like dogs. Is that true? And if so, why?

Yuri

how do you make sure that you aren’t projecting modern human values when trying to figure out what happened in the past? I’ve seen other dog researchers say things like cats don’t care about you as much because they don’t do X, but dogs do do X so they do care about you, however, they clearly don’t understand cats because they express care in different ways than dogs. With all science biases creep in. (Beauty without the B)

Timothy Nolan

Is there something unique about the ancestors of dogs that made them more domestication friendly vs. Other canids like foxes, African wild dogs, or jackals?

Dad jokes crack me up

Who trains whom in this dog and human relationship? In my home, I’m pretty sure the border collie is in charge of all of us; the black lab and we humans are just going along for the ride. And paying the bills. Not the lab tho. He doesn’t work for pay; he’s comic relief I think.

Corey

Honestly, my pleasure. It confused me too, I thought it would be funny to properly wrote something up to explain it (and helpful- and hopefully that it'll get back to the linguists who were confused). Gotta love summer break 😂

Caforia's Classroom

First time question askers! We are a middle school classroom in Enosburg Falls, Vermont and our teacher wanted to give us (/forced us to have) more opportunities to ask questions. We had five minutes to learn about this ology and develop questions. Here are the "winners": (From Colleen) What dog is most similar to wolves (evolved the least) and what dog is the most different (evolved the most)? (From Reghan) What goes into making a new breed of dog? (From Levi) How has the canine nose changed over time? (From Chris) Why do dogs like bones? Is that an evolved trait? (From Lydia) Have dogs and cats always disliked each other?

Lee Wang

Someone once told me that dogs have have a more muted pain response because when they were in the process of getting domesticated, humans didn't want to take care of sick or injured dogs, and that's why we have to be proactive about monitoring their health. Any truth to that?

Zinc

i have a rescue saluki and someone told me once that salukis were an ancient breed, prized by the ancient egyptians for the cleanliness. have i been putting my doggo on a pedestal that she doesn’t deserve? is this true?

Felipe Jimenez

Hi Alie, Why do so many dogs hate brachicephalic dogs (pugs, frenchies, etc). I have a pug and a Frenchie-Pug mix (a Frug) and they get so much hate from other dogs! Is it the smell? Is it the face and lack of snout? Another question from my wife: why some dogs have nice small but holes, but others have big ugly ones? So nasty to look at 😂😂

Zinc

why did we start, and what led us to breeding dogs for specific purposes, and what do you think we should be doing in terms of breeding going forward? for example, what do you think about projects that are breeding bulldogs back into more functional healthy animals again? should pugs being bred in a way that maintains their difficulty to breed be banned because it’s cruel? im really interested. i met a doberman owner who was really passionate about carefully ethically breeding the heart condition out of the breed.

Cian verbridge

When did the domestication of wolves happen in the Americans or did it happen in Europe after the Bering land bridge

Amanda Lask

Was there just one population of wolves that were domesticated or were multiple groups domesticated across different cultures/over time?

Gwen Hughes

Why were dogs domesticated so long ago compared to other domesticated species? Were they easier to domesticate? Do we just innately like dogs more than any other animal?

Gwen Hughes

How much truth is there in the commonly held beliefs about dogs' "natural instincts"? Is there any "wild wolf" left in domestic dogs today?

Faith Stemmler

Yes! This! Are there any interspecific relationships between dogs and others globally? Or locally in a certain region from a mutualistic standpoint?

Colin Rowbottom

What other animals, other than cats, demonstrate similar relationship history with humans? How do these differ from dogs? Are there other species that demonstrate the same relationship history to each other? How did we end up with different breeds of dogs? Did they all diverge from the same common ancestor?

Kelsey lore

Have you seen evidence of the common naming conventions of ancient dogs? Were they people names, or did they have kind of pet specific names?

Paul Rosen

I feel like my dog can plan things in advance. I thought that was done in the frontal lobe so is it explainable in other ways? Like if I let her lead the walk she will choose paths that never get within a couple blocks of the house. Or if she thinks I'll be wanting to turn left she'll start veering right about 50 feet earlier to see if we can split the difference and go straight.

Paul Rosen

Who domesticated who?

Voxothoth

How do you think dogs will continue to evolve in the future over thousands of generations?

Caro Young

Why do dogs get so attached to people? I remember doing dog walking as a kid and even 6 years after I had stop the dog would still recognise me across the park and come to say hello. She was so gorgeous

Caro Young

How are emotional support dogs trained? We recently got a puppy (a golden doodle) and from the beginning she would pick up on my kids emotions, when one was sad she would bring her favourite toy. It’s quite amazing.

Sue MyShak

What was the first domesticated breed variation of the wolf?

Kait

🐾CAN’T WAIT 🐾 Would humans have evolved the way we have without dogs? It seemed like my dog was always convinced he was taking care of me and I was convinced I was taking care of him. I’m so curious if this is tied to evolution. (Also shoutout to Cujo my little yorkie with a big personality who we just lost in September.)

SalmonLikeTheFish

If dogs used to help us gather and carry firewood, is this why they still love fetching sticks so much? My old lab would pick up as many sticks as physically possible (sometimes around 10 at a time!), carry them all the way home, and drop them at the front door step without fail. I’ve never known whether this was an instinct or a quirk of his. And do we know what kind of era things shifted from predator to companion?

Clare Bailey

Is it actually ethical or humane to own dogs? Or are we too far gone now that there are so many domesticated dogs that it would be inhumane to leave them be? What about owning dogs in cities vs rural areas? I find myself feeling bad having my dog on a leash living in the burbs, but don't know a better way!

Meg is Me

First time question asker: What is a dog's understanding of time? I've heard that they don't understand time at all which is why they're just as excited if you come home after a 5 minute trip to the store or a 9 hour day at work but my dog seems quite aware of time in some contexts e.g. he seems to know the difference if I'm out past normal bedtime or overnight, he's definitely far more glad for me to be home, he has routines that he does at the same time every day like 6.30 on the dot he comes to me for his dinner, at 9.10pm he goes to his bed etc. So I get their understanding of time is probably different to a person's but it seems like they have some idea, what do we know about that? (Sorry if this is a bit verbose, feel free to cut it down)

Meg is Me

Why do people tend to be much more anxious of large dog breeds than small ones when in my experience small dogs seem much more likely to be aggressive and large dogs are often pretty chill and laid back.

Alli B

Does my dog really love me, or is she bonded to me because I give the food and the walks?

Alli B

I taught my dog Raya to play a toy piano for treats. Adorable. Sometimes it seems like she’s enjoying her tinkling little notes. Do dogs enjoy music and is it something you can cultivate?

Alli B

Dogs are just the best loves when we are grieving, incredibly sad, or otherwise highly emotional. Even when I’m not crying out loud, they seem to just know when I need a pup face leaning into my neck, like the best furry hug ever. How do they know when we are hurting?

Alli B

Why do dogs bond stronger to one person vs the partner? For instance, my wife and I have two dogs, both adopted as puppies about 4 months apart, and now it’s clear I’m one’s person and my wife is the other’s person. Is this a thing?

Sarah Morcom

I thought dog were supposed to read human emotions well but one time I was crying and my greyhound thought it was play time and bit me (gently) on the nose. Is it a myth that dogs read human emotions or is my dog just a little bit dumb?

Ryan Ketchum

Curious about dogs' olfactory sensitivity across the timeline of domestication... Were ancient dogs superior sniffers? Is it possible that humans have unintentionally (or intentionally?) selected for inferior smell-superpowers?

Vanessa Adams

Can we finally put to rest the myth that our dogs are like wolves and need to be fed like them?

Molly Shotwell

Is it normal how much we baby talk our dog?

Azra

What trends are there in the ethnographic record cross-culturally in which human-dog relationships transition from companionship to consumption or from consumption to companionship? What commonalities are there cross culturally when consumption & companionship co-occur?? e.g. chihuahuas and pre-Colombian Mexico. Thanks!!

Alli B

How did developing breeds affect temperament so astutely? Also, is it flimflam that good old mutts can be a crapshoot for temperament? I have always had rescue dogs and feel like it’s more life experience of the pup that affects their attitudes.

Jessie Rose Bayliss

Yes! Why can’t I help but but talk to my dachshund, Bert like a baby, and does he (I think he absolutely does) play up to the baby role and enjoys being carried round and doted on! First time question asker I think ✨ And one more thing, not a question. Whenever Ali reads the names out of question askers she sounds like she’s actually smiling.. so so nice to hear!

joesyourmom

if I had my dogs sense of smell, how would I perceive the world differently?

Brooklyn Baron

Oooh yay!! This is straight-up special interest territory for me, so I’m very excited! I’d love to learn more about extinct breeds of dogs and what they were bred for. I live in the PNW and I recently learned about Salish Wool Dogs, and I know that there were lots of other breeds that were lost due to colonialism or just time. Also, do we know why so many breeds ended up mostly white or black and white? I know there is a genetic connection between that coloration and other traits of domestication (like docile behavior), but I’ve also heard that humans selected for it so they could tell dogs from wolves at a distance. Also I feel like humans tend to be drawn to “cool looking” or uniquely patterned animals, so it could also easily have been that too. As a person with a real love of herding breeds I’m also curious what the first evidence is of humans using dogs to move or protect livestock.

Kate Gav

Did dogs and humans co-evolve? About five to ten years ago the magazine Nature and a couple of other sources published some research about specific adaptations both species developed to work closely together. Is this true, or is it now debunked?

Beet lover

So many dogs are the only ones in their households. Did they evolve to think of humans as their family unit? What’s that about?

bizanthymum

That’s actually kinda sweet. Could it be possible that your dog was (poorly) attempting to cheer you up? Emotional intelligence isn’t always intuitive, god knows there are plenty of humans who could use a bit more of it . . .

bizanthymum

This is a product of training, imho. People tend to think that because they can overpower their tiny dog, they don’t need to train them or enforce their training. But if my 40-lb lean-as-hell border collie / heeler with a bark of a dog 3x her size acted like some small dogs do, some gov’t entity would have me put her down. And to be clear, “chillness” is a personality trait, not a characteristic that can be chalked up to breed or size . . .

bizanthymum

I think it’s natural to feel suspect of people who don’t like dogs, a species essentially responsible for humans’ existence today. One doesn’t have to have a dog, but they deserve respect. That said, I agree that we’ve done dogs a terrible disservice by breeding them in some of the ways that we have (brachiocephalic dogs 💔).

bizanthymum

FTQA and very very excited that you’re having this ologist on! I’d love to hear some more human mythology surrounding dogs. I’ve seen the ologist’s lecture on how, in Aztec culture, dogs played a role to help you on the journey to the afterlife (particularly if you had a dog or were kind to dogs in your life on earth). What do we know about other cultures (ancient or otherwise) creating folklore / belief systems / societal structures involving dogs?

bizanthymum

The answer to your question is yes haha

bizanthymum

I mean, yes, and / or picking them up when they’re misbehaving could be seen as a “reward” by the dog, so their bad behavior continues because it’s being rewarded.

bizanthymum

FTQA: when packs domesticated dogs go feral, do they have behaviors and patterns that start to resemble wolves? Or do wild dogs have unique / distinct behaviors of organizing themselves?

bizanthymum

FTQA (more of a request than a question) — can we please dispel the flimflam of “alphas” or whatever? You’d be doing a public service 🙏🏻

bizanthymum

FTQA: What are the hurdles to making dogs live longer? I read that the longest-lived dog, a blue heeler, was 29 (!!!) years old when he passed. Do we know why he lived so long? Can my blue heeler mix live to be 29? Please??

bizanthymum

FTQA: does the ologist have a dog (or several)? If so, 1) I’d love to know their name(s) and breed(s) 2) how does his knowledge of human-dog history and relationships influence how he cares for his dog? Does he have unconventional advice for how to keep the lives of our best friends happy and healthy? 3) will he please tell his dog(s) hi from the ologites? Also, hi Gremmie!

bizanthymum

Alexandra Horowitz wrote a book on this! It’s called “Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell.” Part of her process for writing the book was to literally sniff the same things her dog was sniffing 😆

bizanthymum

FTQA: unabashedly controversial question — what is the best method for training dogs and why is positive reinforcement only?

bizanthymum

Follow up: do we know what lead the mesoamericans to have such a profound cultural respect for dogs? What lessons can we learn from them to build a culture in the present that engenders a similar respect for them (regardless of whether or not people choose to have a dog)? My thing is that people don’t have to like dogs / [insert any animal here], but they do have to respect them. With the amount of shelter dogs, puppy mills, abused animals, fickle adoptions, and breed restrictions in the world, it’s clear we could use a cultural shift in our approach to our canine companions.

bizanthymum

FTQA / another public service request: I’d love to know ologist’s take on the history of breed restrictions and their ties to redlining, racism, and classism. Can we please bust the flimflam surrounding Pitbulls (and the myth of their “locking jaw”) Rottweilers, Dobermans, etc.?

bizanthymum

Sorry (not sorry) for all the questions — I’ve been obsessed with this ologist’s work for years and I’m *so* excited to hear your conversation with him Alie!

bizanthymum

FTQA: Asking for “a friend”: What commonalities do dogs *actually* have with wolves / hyenas / dingos / whoever their LUCA was? There’s a lot of speculation about domestic dog diets (“raw” diets?? but kibble also seems like … processed garbage?), their behaviors (eg, they *want* a kennel because it makes them feel like they’re in a cave like their ancestors the wolves would prefer), but it’s hard to tell how much I should be catering to my dog’s wild side vs her domesticated highness who loves pillows . . .

bizanthymum

FTQA: last question I promise — what has his study of dogs taught us about what it means to be human?

Mikenzie Nordeen

I would also like to know thoughts about breed restrictions, especially all the stereotypes out there about pitbulls. There are entire countries that ban the breed! Is there any truth to increased aggression as a breed-specific trait? Or is this all fear mongering from the history of dog fighting? Coming from an owner of a super sweet pittie rescue named Sage ❤️

Gaby B.

Not an expert, but from what I've read on the subject, it's more about the potential for injury than the actual temperament of the dog. Some studies have found that small breeds are actually "meaner" (or at least more reactive), but if a three-pound chihuahua bites you, you're probably not going to need much if any medical attention. But if a large, powerful breed like a pittie bites even once, because their teeth are huge and their jaws are powerful, it has a much higher chance of doing significant damage. So even if small dogs technically bite more often, the only bites you hear about are the ones that really hurt people, so the pitties get a bad rap as "dangerous."