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Random thoughts

Marcus D. Quatas

Marcus D. Quatas

New Member
Here's an analogy for you.
If two dogs were to be set loose in a room, and said room had nothing in it but a steak.
Would the dogs share the steak with one-another, or would their feral instincts divide
the two who are present? A human-being, (I imagine), would most likely share with another human-being.
Perhaps even with a dog. This is because the human being understands compassion. The human can
also differ a bad situation from a good one, based on their knowledge of the existence of time.
However, the dogs, unlike said humans, do not have the compassion, and understanding of the future
necessary to share the steak.
What happens to the dogs when they do not share the steak? The answer is primal-anarchy.
Said dogs are will either fight over the steak, or attempt to steal it from the other..... Maybe that's a good
thing though.
 
CupofJoe

CupofJoe

Istari
Marcus D. Quatas said:
Here's an analogy for you.
If two dogs were to be set loose in a room, and said room had nothing in it but a steak.
Would the dogs share the steak with one-another, or would their feral instincts divide
the two who are present? A human-being, (I imagine), would most likely share with another human-being.
Perhaps even with a dog. This is because the human being understands compassion. The human can
also differ a bad situation from a good one, based on their knowledge of the existence of time.
However, the dogs, unlike said humans, do not have the compassion, and understanding of the future
necessary to share the steak.
What happens to the dogs when they do not share the steak? The answer is primal-anarchy.
Said dogs are will either fight over the steak, or attempt to steal it from the other..... Maybe that's a good
thing though.
Click to expand...
They did the first part of this test for real with Dogs and Wolves....
The dogs worked out who was leader/stronger and then the winner ate the steak alone and uninterupted. Far more Hierarchical and pack lead.
The Wolves just fought for the steak and got some each... Far more democratic [for lack of a better word] and individualistic.
It appears we [humans] have bred dogs to be so loyal to the pack leader [hopefully us] that they will do it to the expense of their own well being.
I think experimenting on humans like this might be a bit difficult to get through an Ethics Committee. You could make it a game show [but that has probably been done].
 
Russ

Russ

Dark Lord
CupofJoe said:
They did the first part of this test for real with Dogs and Wolves....
The dogs worked out who was leader/stronger and then the winner ate the steak alone and uninterupted. Far more Hierarchical and pack lead.
The Wolves just fought for the steak and got some each... Far more democratic [for lack of a better word] and individualistic.
It appears we [humans] have bred dogs to be so loyal to the pack leader [hopefully us] that they will do it to the expense of their own well being.
I think experimenting on humans like this might be a bit difficult to get through an Ethics Committee. You could make it a game show [but that has probably been done].
Click to expand...

I was reading a couple of non-fiction books about dogs recently as research for my straight fantasy novel.

Apparently dogs don't form packs like wolves when they go feral. It appears that we have bred the pack right out of them.
 
CupofJoe

CupofJoe

Istari
Russ said:
I was reading a couple of non-fiction books about dogs recently as research for my straight fantasy novel.

Apparently dogs don't form packs like wolves when they go feral. It appears that we have bred the pack right out of them.
Click to expand...
Odd that I've read exactly the opposite... Maybe the pack instinct has been developed/bred-in to such an extent that another dog won't do...
It might be that Wolf-wolf packs are far looser arrangement than a human-dog packs. That was what I took away from the research.
 
Russ

Russ

Dark Lord
CupofJoe said:
Odd that I've read exactly the opposite... Maybe the pack instinct has been developed/bred-in to such an extent that another dog won't do...
It might be that Wolf-wolf packs are far looser arrangement than a human-dog packs. That was what I took away from the research.
Click to expand...

The inference this book was making was that dogs do great pairing to a single leader now, but don't form packs when released in the wild or when they go feral.

I will try to remember to pull the names of the two books I read on the subject recently and pass them on to you.
 
DragonOfTheAerie

DragonOfTheAerie

Istari
Russ said:
The inference this book was making was that dogs do great pairing to a single leader now, but don't form packs when released in the wild or when they go feral.

I will try to remember to pull the names of the two books I read on the subject recently and pass them on to you.
Click to expand...

Lots of debate on this that you'll find when you're trying to figure out how to train your dog.

You wouldn't believe how many people think Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer tv show) is an expert on dog behavior. He solves leash problems by basically walking the dog while hanging it by the leash (front feet off the ground) until it can no longer fight, and when the dog lies on the ground panting from exhaustion that's a 'submissive' posture and the dog's 'dominance' issue has been 'solved.' Also, he uses shock collars and prong collars, which...well, it just seems counter-intuitive for a method that;s supposedly 'natural' and mimics what happens in the wild. Still, lots of dog owners take this reality TV star's words as gospel.

The "pack alpha' dog training mentality can get a little weird. For example, they say you're not supposed to show emotion in front of your dog, because that makes them see you as weak...and you're not supposed to cuddle with them or show affection...and you're not supposed to let them sniff anything when you walk them, not supposed to let them in your bed or on the furniture...Also, literally every behavior problem is a dominance issue. Dog jumping on visitors? Dominance issue. Dog has food aggression? Dominance issue. Dog doesn't walk well on the leash? Dominance issue. Your dog is just trying to take your household over.

I was on a pitbull owners group online and someone was talking about a food aggression issue between her dogs and people were advising her to SIT on her dogs. Sit on them. To establish that she's the alpha. I have on idea how that solves a problem that's going on between your dogs but whatever.

So, yeah. Dog behavior is a complicated area.
 
Russ

Russ

Dark Lord
DragonOfTheAerie said:
Lots of debate on this that you'll find when you're trying to figure out how to train your dog.

You wouldn't believe how many people think Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer tv show) is an expert on dog behavior. He solves leash problems by basically walking the dog while hanging it by the leash (front feet off the ground) until it can no longer fight, and when the dog lies on the ground panting from exhaustion that's a 'submissive' posture and the dog's 'dominance' issue has been 'solved.' Also, he uses shock collars and prong collars, which...well, it just seems counter-intuitive for a method that;s supposedly 'natural' and mimics what happens in the wild. Still, lots of dog owners take this reality TV star's words as gospel.

The "pack alpha' dog training mentality can get a little weird. For example, they say you're not supposed to show emotion in front of your dog, because that makes them see you as weak...and you're not supposed to cuddle with them or show affection...and you're not supposed to let them sniff anything when you walk them, not supposed to let them in your bed or on the furniture...Also, literally every behavior problem is a dominance issue. Dog jumping on visitors? Dominance issue. Dog has food aggression? Dominance issue. Dog doesn't walk well on the leash? Dominance issue. Your dog is just trying to take your household over.

I was on a pitbull owners group online and someone was talking about a food aggression issue between her dogs and people were advising her to SIT on her dogs. Sit on them. To establish that she's the alpha. I have on idea how that solves a problem that's going on between your dogs but whatever.

So, yeah. Dog behavior is a complicated area.
Click to expand...

Which is why I completely avoided any dog training stuff and went to the hard science. :)
 
DragonOfTheAerie

DragonOfTheAerie

Istari
Don't take my words as gospel either. If you saw how well-trained my dog is...umm, yeah, my dog is a disaster. She only listens to you when you have cheese in your hand.
 
Michael K. Eidson

Michael K. Eidson

Grandmaster
Spent last night combing through #MSWL fantasy tweets. Lots of YA showed up, which didn't interest me, but there were still a number of agents/editors who are looking for adult fantasy. Some will even accept adult fantasy with erotic elements.
 
T

Thomas Laszlo

Mystagogue
Banten said:
Prepare peasants, Puffles' power produces panic. Prince Puffles Plunders public places. Punishes praying preachers. Purges protesting people. Promotes pimping prostitutes. Prohibits presses. Proliferates plagues. Prevents parades. Pollutes plants. Pulverizes pirates. Perpetually perverts particular pitiful princess-procuring plumbers. Perturbs peace. Perfidiously personifies police. Pilfers parliament. Pillages planets. Pesters presidents. Pauperizes populations. Procures prohibited private property. Proliferates problematic preternatural prophecies. Perhaps pummels pets.

Please possess prudence plus patience.


(I don't know exactly why I wrote that...)
Click to expand...

I fell in love with this XD I might have to use a deity "based off of" puffles soon XD


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