A Deep Dive into the Mysterious Creature, the "Dog"!

How is everyone doing?

I have been introducing various mysterious creatures, but today I would like to introduce the dog, a friend to humanity and an angelic prankster.

↓↓ I would appreciate it if you could take a look at the mysterious creatures I have written about in the past ↓↓

Compared to the "tanuki, fox, and cat" I introduced previously, dogs don't really have the image of being able to bewitch people or use telekinesis or magic, but

I am a dog lover who loves "cats" as well, and

currently, I have personally raised a 1.8kg mutant fairy-like toy dog and live with it.

It is said that the origin of the "dog" is the wolf, but it is still unknown in which part of the Earth the wolf became a "dog".

This is just my own personal speculation, but I believe that wolves that came into contact with humans in various places around the Earth gradually became "dogs".

As for how wolves became "dogs",
between about 15,000 and 40,000 years ago, wolves that followed the scent of food to human settlements were domesticated by humans, which is how "dogs" came to be.

Domestication means selecting and raising docile and gentle individuals, killing off those that show high aggression, and leaving only the genes for docility and gentleness.

It is said that the "dog" was the very first animal to be domesticated by humanity.

Dogs became beings that supported human hunting, which is thought to have increased human hunting efficiency and contributed to population growth.

In ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, and Rome, they were kept for guarding their owners and supporting hunting,

and in ancient Greece, the loyalty of dogs—a story that cannot be told without tears, like an ancient Greek version of Hachiko the faithful dog—was depicted, and in the Roman era, dog fighting also began.

Entering the Middle Ages, they began to be kept as pets by royalty and nobility, and hunting dogs kept in packs appeared.

There was also tragedy there; during the French Revolution, many nobles met their end at the guillotine, and the "Papillon," a dog breed that those nobles loved and favored, was massacred by the people who hated the aristocracy.

In Japanese history, the "Edicts on Compassion for Living Things" by the 5th Shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, is famous, and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was a dog lover called the "Dog Shogun," which was considered a bad government, but

actually, the "Edicts on Compassion for Living Things" are now being re-evaluated as legislation intended to protect the weak and vulnerable, and it is seen as having had an impact on later generations.

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi created the world's first "dog shelter" and respected the lives of animals, making him the earliest practitioner of animal protection in the world.

Furthermore, the "Edicts on Compassion for Living Things" also aimed to protect socially vulnerable people such as abandoned children, the sick, and the elderly.

Changing the subject, I would like to talk about the "mountain dog," which refers to the Japanese wolf native to Japan. When it comes to "mountain dogs," Moro from Princess Mononoke is a very easy example to understand.

The origin of the belief in "mountain dogs" is said to be the legend that they guided Yamato Takeru no Mikoto through the mountains.

The "mountain dog" is worshipped as a deity under the divine title of Ooguchi no Makami, also known as Oinu-sama, and is revered as a messenger of the gods.

The term Makami in Ooguchi no Makami refers to:
■ A true god
■ A righteous god
It was believed to be a being that understands human speech, has the power to discern human nature, protects the good, and punishes the wicked.

Furthermore, it is believed to have spiritual efficacy for:
■ Keeping away pests like wild boars that ruin fields
■ Preventing theft
■ Fire prevention
■ Warding off disasters
■ Warding off evil
and so on.

Famous shrines in the Kanto region known for their mountain dogs include the Mitsumine Shrine in Chichibu, the Hodosan Shrine in Nagatoro, and the Musashi Mitake Shrine in Tokyo. I have deep connections with all three shrines; my mother's family home is near the Chichibu shrine, so I have close ties with the priests of the Chichibu and Nagatoro shrines, and the Musashi Mitake Shrine is where I go for spiritual training.

Also, there is a story about an old wolf in Makamigahara in Asuka, located in present-day Nara Prefecture, which was deified for its ferocity after having eaten many people.
The act of deifying ferocity is similar to the concept of "enshrining even the curses of vengeful spirits as gods," which I find to be a fascinating aspect of Japan.

Returning to the subject of "dogs",
the barking of a "dog" is believed to have the power to ward off evil, and because it is a symbol of safe childbirth and the prosperity of descendants, it is also considered a good luck charm.

There is the "Inu-hariko" (papier-mâché dog), which is given as an amulet for safe childbirth and shrine visits, and the "Komainu" (guardian dogs) at shrines, which act as wards to prevent evil spirits from entering sacred grounds.

They are considered symbols of safe childbirth, and the custom of wrapping a maternity belt and praying for a safe delivery on the "Day of the Dog" in the fifth month of pregnancy is still practiced today.

Moving on to the subject of dog DNA,
it is said that "Japanese dog" breeds such as the Hokkaido, Akita, Kishu, Kai, Shikoku, and Shiba have DNA sequences most closely related to wolves compared to other "Western dogs," and they are described as behaving more like their wild ancestors.

Japanese dogs have a personality that reminds one of a "samurai"—they do not fawn over strangers, they do not open their hearts easily, and they follow only their master. They are truly intelligent.

Because of their intelligence, they think and act for themselves, so they do not listen to what humans say at all.

My family home had a Kishu dog, a Shiba Inu, and an Afghan Hound,
and training the Afghan Hound, even just taking it for a walk, was quite easy.

I strongly felt that Western dogs are "easy for humans to handle,"
and I suppose that to Europeans, that makes them "smart dogs that listen to people."

But Japanese people do not seek that kind of intelligence.

Japanese people have a national character that allows even animals to "do as they please and think and act for themselves to a certain extent," and I believe we respect the will of animals as well.

I feel that "Japanese people" may be the ones who have treated "dogs" as equals more than anyone else in the world.

Also, it is known that the wolf most closely related to the "dog" was the "Japanese wolf."

Because of this, I felt that the extinct "Japanese wolf" lives on strongly within the "Japanese dog."

Greetings to you all☆

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September 22nd Broadcast: Fox Lady's Mysteries
"Deep dive into the mysterious creature, the dog!"

First half 22:18
Second half 32:02

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