The existence of a single race, remarkably constant in form during the
whole Neolithic period, is an interesting fact in contrast with what we see
of the changes which the races underwent during the period of the
successive Egyptian monuments, and in contrast with our existing dogs. The
character of this animal during the Neolithic period, as given by
Rütimeyer, supports De Blainville's view that our varieties have descended
from an unknown and extinct form. But we should not forget that we know
nothing with respect to the antiquity of man in the warmer parts of the
world. The succession of the different kinds of dogs in Switzerland and
Denmark is thought to be due to the immigration of conquering tribes
bringing with them their dogs; and this view accords with the belief that
different wild canine animals were domesticated in different regions.
Independently of the immigration of new races of man, we know from the
wide-spread presence of bronze, composed of an alloy of tin, how much
commerce there must have been throughout Europe at an extremely remote
period, and dogs would then probably have been bartered. At the present
time, amongst the savages of the interior of Guiana, the Taruma Indians are
considered the best trainers of dogs, and possess a large breed, which they
barter at a high price with other tribes.[15]
The main argument in favour of the several breeds of the {20} dog being the
descendants of distinct wild stocks, is their resemblance in various
countries to distinct species still existing there. It must, however, be
admitted that the comparison between the wild and domesticated animal has
been made but in few cases with sufficient exactness. Before entering on
details, it will be well to show that there is no a priori difficulty in
the belief that several canine species have been domesticated; for there is
much difficulty in this respect with some other domestic quadrupeds and
birds. Members of the dog family inhabit nearly the whole world; and
several species agree pretty closely in habits and structure with our
several domesticated dogs. Mr. Galton has shown[16] how fond savages are of
keeping and taming animals of all kinds. Social animals are the most easily
subjugated by man, and several species of Canidæ hunt in packs. It deserves
notice, as bearing on other animals as well as on the dog, that at an
extremely ancient period, when man first entered any country, the animals
living there would have felt no instinctive or inherited fear of him, and
would consequently have been tamed far more easily than at present. For
instance, when the Falkland Islands were first visited by man, the large
wolf-like dog (_Canis antarcticus_) fearlessly came to meet Byron's
sailors, who, mistaking this ignorant curiosity for ferocity, ran into the
water to avoid them: even recently a man, by holding a piece of meat in one
hand and a knife in the other, could sometimes stick them at night. On an
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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