We may have eliminated our dogs' ability to scavenge somewhat in the

following way. Although you didn't note any problems in your dogs, some dogs

did die from eating food with bones, etc. in it. Autopsies on dogs were

rarely done in the old days, and the dog's sudden death probably wasn't

attributed to the food. A dog that couldn't tolerate bones, etc. would have

died young, since these diets were given at an early age. So these dogs went

out of the gene pool in a hurry. Today, these dogs aren't eliminated from the

gene pool, since modern dog diets allow these dogs to survive.



The ability to digest garbage without harm isn't lost in all breeds. My two

Basenjis have eaten the most horrifying things before I could grab them out

of their greedy little mouths, and I've never seen any ill effects other than

diarrhea. (They haven't eaten chocolate, onions, or large amounts of garlic,

though). Other Basenji owners have reported similar experiences. Basenjis are

relatively recent imports from Africa, where they are scavengers. The

villagers don't feed their dogs much, and Basenjis who can't live on rubbish

and bones die very quickly and disappear from the gene pool.



Susan