There was a fascinating show on public television that was
made in Finland. They took wolf puppies and nurtured them
like puppies. They were uncontrollable in the house, grabbing
food from the refrigerator every time it opened and generally
being too aggressive for pets. This behavior started when
they were 8 weeks old. It seems that dog and wolf genes are either 98.9 the same or 99.9 the same, (forgive me I forgot
which) so how did dogs evolve? They bred silver foxes (the
same genes as wolves) and would only let the most gentle
breed of each generation. By the third generation the fox
characteristics had disappeared including the black and silver
markings. By the sixth generation of only mating the gentlest
foxes, they changed completely and started looking like dogs
as we know them. Different ears, different tails and different looks altogether.

The lower the testosterone the more gentle the fox. When they
were selectively bred for gentleness, we got man's best friend.

If you get a chance to watch this, it is fascinating. The
wolf puppies pulled off tablecloths, growled and acted out
all over the place. I am sure it was a big relief to get
them back into the wild.

It makes me so thankful for Rex. I suspect his father had
barely enough testosterone to breed. He is such a sweet
and gentle dog.