9 Horse Shoe

DAW seen as an image

If you are happy with groups in a list, that is fine, it will work for you..

If you want to dip into the waters of the abstract and dry off with a bit of theory on the theory, proceed.

If you are not into theory, skip the rest of this post - it is not necessary to know how to produce electricity to turn on a light..

Remember that people didn't add to the wolf instincts.

People deleted various instincts in different breeds, and magnified others.

Major stages of developmental arrestment make the major categories of dogs:

Molossers - Terriers - Sprinters - Gundogs - Herding dogs - Northern dogs - Natural dogs;

but it is a continuum where clumps of breeds can be put in their place within and between the stages like connecting the dots to make a whole picture..

Like many continuums, it is not really a straight line, but more like a horse shoe shape..

The Northern Dogs flow into the wolves, but they are not the end of a continuum, rather they are like the end of a horse shoe - a little jump across the gap and you are at the beginning again with the flockbonders. .

Think of the Alaskan Malamute - are they not the breed most in the horse shoe's gap? - the link between the two ends of continuum?

Yeah, they are a sled dog, but, picture the continuum like a horse shoe (_) with flockbonders at one tip and sled dogs at the other.

Then think of it the a "Q" with the wolves being the tail of the Q, and then leading into Northern dogs and working back around the circle, like hands running backward on a clock, until you get back to the Q's 'wolf tail' where the flockbonders are on one side of the tail, next to the Northern dogs where the count back started. That's my theory on it, that's how I see it.

We are not slaves to our instincts - although the heads of the porn industry might argue otherwise.

We learn. The habits we make in ourselves are our own new instincts.

For example: I use to always turn at the same street to go home, but I found that it was easier to make a left turn if I turned a short distance before I got to the place where I was in the habit of turning.

Do you know how hard it was for me to remember to turn a bit early?

I'd think "turn at the new turn" while I was sitting at the stop light, and forget it again and again.

I had watched to same thing when riding with someone who had lived on the street near mine, he could never remember to go one more street, then turn to drop me off, he would almost always forget, drive by his place, then go to mine..

Whatever you want a dog for, it is always easier if you get a dog which has inherited all the instincts for the task you want him to do, and no instincts for anything you don't want him to do.

Instincts are like programs. Puppies are born with programs running, and others that automatically turn on for a while, then turn off as the puppy matures - this is sometimes called "going through stages".

A puppy will learn some task easier during certain stages, and other task better at other stages - like children learn languages best at a certain age (about 7 ?).

Trying to teach a dog something when he is not in the stage to learn it, is called "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." It can be done, but it is fighting uphill.

It is hard to unlearn a habit or forgo an instinct.

Sometimes it is easier to learn a new habit that interferes with an old habit, instead of just giving up the old habit. Like instead of just giving up smoking, "Chew gum, instead of smoking"..

People who breed show dogs to win at shows, usually don't breed for instincts or against instincts - they breed for looks.

I'd flunk breeders who breed for looks.

Pet dog owners need dogs whose instincts let the dog easily fit into his environment, where he will be loved, not tied on a chain, taken to the pound, or put to sleep..

And the idea that any dog show judge can select the best herding, sledding, hunting, or pet dogs by looking them over and watching the dogs trot in a circle - is an idea stupider than any other in the dog world..