It really is not fair to compare the dogs of old with the dogs of today. So much has changed in our dogs and the environment. Olden dogs were utilitarian, tools to aide man in the completion of a mission. If they did not perform they were useless. Man and beast competed for food so what was the point of feeding a non performing dog? Current practices do not erase history. We need to keep things in context. I dare say that most of today’s breeds did not even exist several hundred years ago so it is impossible to say how they would have performed. The ancient breeds that exist today are much softer than their ancestors. Pick any livestock guardian breed from 200 or 300 years ago - they had to service harsh conditions, eat minimal food (often what they kill), and protect their flock from predators. Their ability to protect was the determining factor in whether they lived of not. They were either killed by predators or if the predators get the better of the flock the dog failed and was probably killed by the owner. Sounds brutal by today’s soft standards right? More to follow..