For a while I've thought of dogs as huggy wolves. Boozed up on civilization, embracing everyone at the party. You could turn that around and say that wolves are more aloof dogs. They don't know anyone, aren't sure where they fit, except for out in the wild, of course. But that just means that they're not as comfortable around humans, which is often mutual. There's another side to them, as seen here.
2 comments:
I liked your analogy and I agree that wolves are more aloof than dogs.
The first thing I thought of when I watched the video was just how enjoyable it was to read Jack London's books - The Call of the Wild and White Fang. The fact that dogs and wolves can interbreed shows they're not that much different in essence. I guess the lesson here is that animals and humans both are products of our environments and our genetics.
I wonder if there are any wolves who play with deer? That's likely a step too far.
It goes back to my feeling that I like dogs for the way they're different from me. They're social, emotional, and spontaneous in a way that I'm not. Guess I'm more like a wolf, albeit not in a badass way.
London had a gift for writing about both humans and canines in the wilderness, sometimes on the edge of survival. And yes, even though dogs have been domesticated for much longer than cats, say, the border of their species is still permeable.
The relationship between predator and prey is play of a sort, I suppose. ;)
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