hensonc4098
Fish Herder
I recently read an article with great interest that was to do with a project that had been going on to study the domestication of dogs and how their behaviour towards humans changed.
In the study, they used grey foxes. They would breed them, and then select pups from the litter that shied away from humans the least, and bred them. Same thing again, selected pups that were least timid/aggressive and bred them. And so on. They found that as they went along, each time the pups were becoming friendlier, to the extent that where they are now, they act like dogs, coming to the front of their cages when someone comes, wagging their tails, and when let out, love to cuddle up with the researchers, licking their faces like labradors.
The researchers also did the opposite of the experiment, selecting the most aggressive from each litter and breeding them. The result were foxes who would attack the fronts of their cages at the sight of a human.
At one point, one of the mothers from the aggressive foxes was unable to rear her litter due to ill health, so the aggressive bred pups were transferred to a friendly mother, who would greet the researchers like a dog. The pups however, even though they were raised by her from only a few days old did not lose their aggressive nature. This seemed to prove that the behaviour of the foxes was due to their genes, and not their upbringing.
The other interesting fact noted by the researchers was of the friendly foxes. The grey foxes used in the programme do not wag their tails in the wild and their tails point down and straight. However once reaching the friendliest stages of foxes, they found that different, previously unseen coat colours were coming in, and also some dogs had curly tails like those of dogs like akitas. They would also commonly wag their tails like domesticated dogs. The foxes had never been selected for coat colour or tail shape, only temperament; and none of the aggressive foxes showed these traits. So are the genes of temperament and appearance linked? As the fox becomes more friendly towards people, it needs less of its camouflage and wild behaviour?
It interested me.
Some of the friendly foxes have now been sold onto people who are keeping them as pets, although this is only allowed in certain countries due to laws on animal keeping. I rather fancy one myself though, if the uk will allow me
I'm not sure as to the laws regarding keeping them in this country, but they are magnificent creatures. And lets face it, it's cool going on the train with your dog; imagine the looks if you sauntered on with your pet fox 
In the study, they used grey foxes. They would breed them, and then select pups from the litter that shied away from humans the least, and bred them. Same thing again, selected pups that were least timid/aggressive and bred them. And so on. They found that as they went along, each time the pups were becoming friendlier, to the extent that where they are now, they act like dogs, coming to the front of their cages when someone comes, wagging their tails, and when let out, love to cuddle up with the researchers, licking their faces like labradors.
The researchers also did the opposite of the experiment, selecting the most aggressive from each litter and breeding them. The result were foxes who would attack the fronts of their cages at the sight of a human.
At one point, one of the mothers from the aggressive foxes was unable to rear her litter due to ill health, so the aggressive bred pups were transferred to a friendly mother, who would greet the researchers like a dog. The pups however, even though they were raised by her from only a few days old did not lose their aggressive nature. This seemed to prove that the behaviour of the foxes was due to their genes, and not their upbringing.
The other interesting fact noted by the researchers was of the friendly foxes. The grey foxes used in the programme do not wag their tails in the wild and their tails point down and straight. However once reaching the friendliest stages of foxes, they found that different, previously unseen coat colours were coming in, and also some dogs had curly tails like those of dogs like akitas. They would also commonly wag their tails like domesticated dogs. The foxes had never been selected for coat colour or tail shape, only temperament; and none of the aggressive foxes showed these traits. So are the genes of temperament and appearance linked? As the fox becomes more friendly towards people, it needs less of its camouflage and wild behaviour?
It interested me.
Some of the friendly foxes have now been sold onto people who are keeping them as pets, although this is only allowed in certain countries due to laws on animal keeping. I rather fancy one myself though, if the uk will allow me
I'm not sure as to the laws regarding keeping them in this country, but they are magnificent creatures. And lets face it, it's cool going on the train with your dog; imagine the looks if you sauntered on with your pet fox 
