Feral dog packs are a nationwide issue. Just Google feral dog pack, feral dog attack (plural as well) etc. It is just another good reason to be armed at all times.
Domestic and Wild Animal Instincts
- Thread starter Larry Lewyn
- Start date
- Status
That's funny!Never been around enough cats to see that. (I'm allergic to them, which they sense and rub all on me....) Dogs will glom onto a person in their 'pack' and consider them their alfa. Not all dogs in a household will pick the same person, either. We have two dogs currently. One is mine , one my wife's. When I try to get him out of the room when she and I want some "alone time" , he'll growl at me..Then she says "out", and he's gone...
Everytime I see some couple or family walking a Jack Russel, Cairn, Chihuahua or other small dog I'll say hello, then point to the dog and say "I see the head of the household is here" or such like.
entropy
Member
I resemble that remark! The dog is a rat terrrier. Mine is a Chihuahua. He's half the size of the rat terrier, but he has him cowed.
The dog is a rat terrrier. Mine is a Chihuahua. He's half the size of the rat terrier, but he has him cowed.Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
My friend Still Bill showed his compassion by adopting a three-legged Chihuahua. But it was pretty darned sorry of him to name that dog "Flat Tire".
grampajack
AR Junkie
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 1,714
If you're asking how they got that way, I have no idea. Probably epigenetics over many generations plus environment. It is possible for dogs and cats to go wild if they're feral, so obviously those genes can be turned back on.
If you're asking what the practical difference is between a dog and a wolf, the dogs are programmed to be dependent on humans. If you put food where a dog can't get it, the dog will pester its handler to get the food for it once it realizes that the food is out of its reach. The wolf, even if it is domesticated, will just try to get the food for as long as you let it, and will never look to the handler for help.
ETA: Cows vs. buffalo are pretty much the same. If you go into a field with cows they'll be all over you looking for food. If you walk up to a herd of buffalo (not advisable) they go into defensive mode. I imagine it's the same with horses, though I've never even seen wild horses so I wouldn't have a clue. But if you go into a field with horses they come up to you looking for food, and might even check your pockets for cookies, and I highly doubt a wild horse would ever do that.
If you're asking what the practical difference is between a dog and a wolf, the dogs are programmed to be dependent on humans. If you put food where a dog can't get it, the dog will pester its handler to get the food for it once it realizes that the food is out of its reach. The wolf, even if it is domesticated, will just try to get the food for as long as you let it, and will never look to the handler for help.
ETA: Cows vs. buffalo are pretty much the same. If you go into a field with cows they'll be all over you looking for food. If you walk up to a herd of buffalo (not advisable) they go into defensive mode. I imagine it's the same with horses, though I've never even seen wild horses so I wouldn't have a clue. But if you go into a field with horses they come up to you looking for food, and might even check your pockets for cookies, and I highly doubt a wild horse would ever do that.
Last edited:
FL-NC
Member
I live next to a major military base, but the section of it that is close to me is the ranges and training areas. That area is accessible to civilian traffic, and there are no entry control points as those areas don't need to be secured in the same ways as the main base. Because of this, the local low life types will abandon animals (mainly dogs) in those areas (and also dump trash, and sometimes even murder victims). The dogs that don't get run over by military vehicles become feral, and sometimes wander back into areas off post where people live (like me). My country animal control guy spends a lot of time in my area due to stray dog complaints, and I always have a gun of some type handy even when doing yard work.
MidRoad
Member
I watched a show on tv that was comparing wolves to dogs. They did an experiment were they placed food in some sort of device or cage( cant remember the exact setup) and they dog/ wolf had to push a pedal to open a gate/door to get the food. Well the dog would just circle and stare at the food,than look back at the handler for help. While the wolf (from captivity) didnt seek guidance and figured it out on its own. The show went on to say that this is the result of thousand of years of domestication. My dog does the same thing. Her ball that we fill with peanut butter will roll under the end table,perfectly within he reach, but she will whine and look at it than back at me to get it for her because she is unsure.
- Status
