Page 125 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW - ISSUE 13

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 1 2 5

Patou (White Pyrenean Mountain Dog) with flock of sheep © bund-naturschutz

In the guard dogs of transhumant or nomadic people, the puppies are born in the herd of
sheep, goats or other animals living with humans [73].

This is the case, for example, with the Patou or the Kangal. By being born there and
growing up with the herd animals, they live semi-wild, but are deliberately mated by
humans. The targeted mating, however, is not based on a pedigree, but on the

requirements for a certain type of dog.

They know the surrounding sheep etc. from an early age, they are “part of the family”.
You could say that guard dogs “think of themselves as sheep”. But their instinct now
makes them defend their “family”. So it is a very natural act of their existence.

A biologist would possibly call this form of social imprinting of a young animal a false

imprint. In fact, however, this false imprinting is the basis of the coexistence of humans
with their “pet” dog. Is this appropriation an encroaching act towards the living being
dog? And what would an encroaching act mean for the term “domestication”?