Dogs Know Our Names and Ride The Subways.

[Dog--]

We're f*cked.

http://www.popsci.com/science/artic...gence-wolf-characteristics-and-mastery-subway

For every 300 Muscovites, there's a stray dog wandering the streets of Russia's capital. And according to Andrei Poyarkov, a researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, the fierce pressure of urban living has driven the dogs to evolve wolf-like traits, increased intelligence, and even the ability to navigate the subway.

Poyarkov has studied the dogs, which number about 35,000, for the last 30 years. Over that time, he observed the stray dog population lose the spotted coats, wagging tails, and friendliness that separate dogs from wolves, while at the same time evolving social structures and behaviors optimized to four ecological niches occupied by what Poyarkov calls guard dogs, scavengers, wild dogs, and beggars.

The guard dogs follow around, and receive food from, the security personnel at Moscow's many fenced in sites. They think the guards are their masters, and serve as semi-feral assistants. The scavengers roam the city eating garbage. The wild dogs are the most wolf-like, hunting mice, rats, and cats under the cover of night.

But beggar dogs have evolved the most specialized behavior. Relying on scraps of food from commuters, the beggar dogs can not only recognize which humans are most likely to give them something to eat, but have evolved to ride the subway. Using scents, and the ability to recognize the train conductor's names for different stops, they incorporate many stations into their territories.

Additionally, Poyarkov says the pack structure of the beggars reflects a reliance on brain over brawn for survival. In the beggar packs, the smartest dog, not the most physically dominant, occupies the alpha male position.

The evolution of Moscow's stray dogs has been going on since at least the mid-1800s, when Russian writers first mentioned the stray dog problem in the city. And that evolution has been propelled by deadly selective pressure. Most of the strays arrive on the streets as rejected house pets. Of those dogs kicked out of their homes, Poyarkov estimates fewer than 3 percent live long enough to breed. To survive those odds, a dog really does have to be the fittest.

EDIT: Why do I always misspell things in the titles.. God damn.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

You know my named, god damnit.

 

[Shakermaker]

EnglishRussia did an article on this a while ago. Link here. Some great pics and videos. The last vid is very funny.

 

[Krynn72]

EDIT: Why do I always misspell things in the titles.. God damn.

Hit Edit, click Go Advanced, change title.

There was a stray dog in my town that was actually obeying traffic signals, and waiting at crosswalks for the road to clear so he could cross.

(In before "Krynns talking about himself in the third person")

 

[jverne]

Oh look, actual proof of social and physical evolution.

But i bet the creationists would go like: "yeah, God planned for big cities and made sure dogs became adapted to them"

Ok, not really funny but it's fascinating to see the transformation.

 

[<RJMC>]

I think there is other reason for that evolution

 

[Raziaar]

Hit Edit, click Go Advanced, change title.

There was a stray dog in my town that was actually obeying traffic signals, and waiting at crosswalks for the road to clear so he could cross.

(In before "Krynns talking about himself in the third person")

I wish so badly that all cats and dogs knew how to do this. Too many roadkill pets simply trying to cross the street.

 

[VirusType2]

Very interesting study.

 

[Maestro]

I wish so badly that all cats and dogs knew how to do this. Too many roadkill pets simply trying to cross the street.

Why is your avatar tiny?

 

[Raziaar]

It appears that you are suffering from a severe case of micropsia!

 

[Tacoeaterguy]

His avatar is normal sized though?

 

[Danimal]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold.

 

[Dog--]

Posted 2 days ago bud.

 

[Danimal]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold.

There was a thread about dogs taking the train into Moscow and scaring passer-bys with handfuls of food, who promptly drop said food.

 

[VirusType2]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold.

There was a thread about dogs taking the train into Moscow and scaring passer-bys with handfuls of food, who promptly drop said food.

Dogs don't need charm. They are masters of convincingly passive intimidation. "You want to give me some of your food". "I want to give you some of my food".

 

[Bad^Hat]

That article was awesome up until this part.

Poyarkov estimates fewer than 3 percent live long enough to breed.

:smith:

 

[Adabiviak]

Apparently 1800s old, but fascinating nonetheless. Is there an article that goes more in depth about the research? How did he determine what he concludes here? The dogs know the train conductors' names? Possible, but I'm as curious to know how he confirmed that? 5,000 years from now these dogs will be petitioning the UN for civil rights.

 

[the cow says moo]

Using scents, and the ability to recognize the train conductor's names for different stops, they incorporate many stations into their territories.

It's not saying the strays know the conductor's name, but that they know each location's name that the conductor calls out.

 

[VirusType2]

Yeah, and I don't find that a stretch, because dogs can easily learn their own names. Still, this is really cool, because they are taking the subways, and getting off where they want! That's pretty remarkable.

 

[Unfocused]

That is awesome.

 

[Adabiviak]

I'm with ya - I have no reason to think it's not the case, but surely this blip is not the extent of his research on this subject? Someone must have done at least one controlled experiment to confirm what the dogs were doing?