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Comment by V-2 | Hacker News Reader

Dogs have lived alongside humans for millennia. They're genetically engineered animals (in the oldschool way - by breeding and selection, not in a test tube). And we've bred them largely by rewarding their ability to interact with us. Dogs are obviously quite artificial species in that sense

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Having grown up with a lot of domesticated animals, it's amazing how much dogs can communicate on our terms, compared to, say, a horse. Horses can communicate quite a bit, but you typically have to understand horses and meet them where they're at before you can effectivity communicate with them. Dogs do a much better job of trying different ways to get their point across to you until you get it.

A recent popular example of a horse communicating in their own way.

https://youtu.be/KCzwyFHSMdY

> to get their point across

I love this phrasing, as I think it sums up the difference between dogs and other animals with regards to human communication. It's possible to communicate with other animals if you put in the effort, but dogs on the other hand are often willing to put in the effort to communicate with you!

That's a good point. They've definitely been bred for their ability to communicate with us. I know it's a bit tangential, but I do like the fact we have a kind of sister species in that way. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if our ancestors had instead domesticated another animal to that extent (besides the cat, I suppose). In an alternate universe, maybe we'd have smallish bears as trusted companions :-)

"In an alternate universe, maybe we'd have smallish bears as trusted companions :-)"

Some people have even in this universe, but not so many, because they are not easy to handle. And back then having pets, was not so much a hobby - but the dogs were useful for survival. (guarding and hunting)

I would imagine wolves weren't to easy domesticate either

Not easy, but much more easy, because wolves are pack animals who accept a leader, which can be a human.

Bears not so much and therefore much harder to control. Same with cats, which is why they have been kept around to hunt the mice and rats - but only small cats.

Also I believe the first dogs did not came from wolves, but other wild dog breeds.

Felines of all sizes have social hierarchies.

They do, and like circus proofs, you can teach them. But since they are more individualistic, it is a lot harder.

If you haven’t already seen it, I would highly recommend the film Grizzly Man about someone who lived with bears.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0427312/

If you lived near a farm or spent time at one, many animals are curious, intelligent and eerily sentient. They have things they want to do, they devise and follow up on plans to get to their goals which are not necessarily only based on eating.

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