This isn't dead reckoning: there have been multiple attempts to domesticate zebras and dogs, and it's worked twice with dogs and zero times with zebras, thus, yes, one can say that wolves are approximately ideal. It just turns out that what we think of as necessary qualities are potentially wrong. There have been lots of attempts to domesticate zebras because they're so similar to horses and donkeys.
I wonder if it could be something like horses being willing to trade their freedom for hay in the harsh winter, whereas zebras can just hang out on the grasslands year round.
Wolves are much more social than zebras, which is advantageous in domestication. Zebras live in herds but it's much more free for all than a wolf pack.
Zebras understood the concept that "this guy can out-think you. If you behave predictably, you'll regret it. If you behave unpredictably, he may regret it too."
There's this theory that's why there are so few domesticable animals in Africa: that they co-evolved with humans, and the ones who behaved predictably and weren't willing to randomly hurt you for no apparent reason at their own expense, were eaten by our ancestors.
Wolves are more aggressive than dogs, but can be successfully domesticated and kept as pets... can actually be quite friendly with humans, especially female wolfs as they're a lot less competitive/aggressive than males.
And wolves are ideal?
This isn't dead reckoning: there have been multiple attempts to domesticate zebras and dogs, and it's worked twice with dogs and zero times with zebras, thus, yes, one can say that wolves are approximately ideal. It just turns out that what we think of as necessary qualities are potentially wrong. There have been lots of attempts to domesticate zebras because they're so similar to horses and donkeys.
I wonder if it could be something like horses being willing to trade their freedom for hay in the harsh winter, whereas zebras can just hang out on the grasslands year round.
Wolves are much more social than zebras, which is advantageous in domestication. Zebras live in herds but it's much more free for all than a wolf pack.
Yes, wolves are pretty intelligent and social compared to zebras.
They understood the core concept of ‘do not bite the hand that feeds you’ instinctively.
Zebras understood the concept that "this guy can out-think you. If you behave predictably, you'll regret it. If you behave unpredictably, he may regret it too."
There's this theory that's why there are so few domesticable animals in Africa: that they co-evolved with humans, and the ones who behaved predictably and weren't willing to randomly hurt you for no apparent reason at their own expense, were eaten by our ancestors.
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Wolves are more aggressive than dogs, but can be successfully domesticated and kept as pets... can actually be quite friendly with humans, especially female wolfs as they're a lot less competitive/aggressive than males.
There is more than one breed of dog/wolf (just like there are horses). And I think the evidence is pretty clear that, yes, they are ideal.
Weird comment.