Re: Nothing complicated about dogs
"They worked out eons ago that if they act friendly and do a few tricks they get free food and first class accommodation and healthcare for life."
I believe the date for first domestication of dogs is currently set at about 17000 years ago, i.e. pre civilisation.
I've read some articles suggesting that we have actually become symbionts - by natural selection dogs that understand us have been successful, and because of the benefits of having a visual animal with high level eyes and an olfactory animal with a low level nose hunting together, we have been selectively bred to be good with dogs. We are two species that have quite a good understanding of one another. Our dog is very child friendly - hasn't eaten a single one to my knowledge - and it's noticeable that small children often walk straight towards him, as if the human appreciation of friendly and unfriendly dog is now almost innate.
Nowadays most of us don't derive any direct food finding benefit from dogs, but it's obvious that a lot of people like having them around.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
