Dogs and Wolves

The thawing of relations between dogs and wolves has propagated a lot of dialogue and discussion about dogs and wolves and their differences.

Big debate: Are dogs categorized as "Canis lupus domsticatus" or are they "Canis domsticatus"? Biologists and "canine experts" have been tearing this issue up in years recent. This has had a bearing also on many of the issues between weredogs and werewolves.

There are now so many werewolves living in civilization. True, most are living in very lupine and predatory capacities, as lawyers, financial advisors and others. But the question that begs to be pondered is this: If a wolf spends enough time in civilization, does not that wolf become a dog, or dog-like? How long would this take? When would that happen? And if a dog lives in the wild, alone or in a pack, when does he or she become wild, and therefore a wolf?

If a collie, let's call her Lassie, goes to and lives in the wildness, away from men and civilization, and breeds, with a dog or wolf, and her pups survive, and their pups survive, at what point are they wolves? Or are they ever?

If a wolf pup is taken to live with people, no matter how long he or she lives with people, or how well he or she adapts and behaves, he is always a domesticated wolf, as are his or her pups. How many generations until they are no longer wolves?

If a werewolf goes to live in the city and over time changes his coat and becomes a priest, and is indeed a very good priest, ad protects his flock with a divinely primal determination, he is still a werewolf. (I know of such a case. Very irregular.)

So the common wisdom is that a dog cannot become a wolf and a wolf cannot become a dog. Ironically, it is not so with people. People seem to be able to switch and flip and go back and forth, becoming more dogish or wolfish, then doggish again, back and forth. This is one of the traits of humans that mystifies and terrifies us weres.