[W Forum] "There Are No Bad Dogs or Bad People"

It remains a mystery why Neanderthals, who had larger brain capacity and more robust physiques than Homo sapiens, went extinct while competing with our ancestors during the same period. Scholars speculate various reasons such as 'climate change,' 'differences in cognitive abilities,' and 'group size,' but I find the theory related to dogs particularly interesting.

If the strong and brave Neanderthals chose to hunt alone courageously, our weaker ancestors likely succeeded in hunting with the help of dogs, which may have allowed us to survive through difficult times.

There is no evidence that Neanderthals lived with dogs, but our ancestors left traces of living alongside dogs.

Even today, observing primitive tribes that rely on hunting shows that without the help of dogs, they often return empty-handed, whereas hunting with dogs results in much higher success rates.

The fact that only modern humans have visible sclera (the white part of the eye) also originated from the urgent need to communicate hunting cues with dogs in critical situations where even the slightest noise could cause the prey to escape. Other primates do not have visible sclera.

For humanity, the existence of dogs was more than just comrades who survived hardships together; that bond remains today, and dogs are loved as companion animals.

All dogs, even the very small and cute puppies, possess fierce hunting instincts as descendants of wolves, which helped us survive. However, dogs living as pets in apartments nowadays have become problematic due to those same hunting instincts.

Howling to protect their owners or when separated from them has become a nuisance. The brave hunting behaviors that once involved rushing in now result in biting other pets or even causing harm to children and the elderly.

There are no bad dogs in the world; it is simply a clash of DNA that does not fit the situation. Beyond genetic instincts, memories of abuse, trauma from being abandoned, and owners’ improper training habits cause new problems, making it difficult for dogs and humans to live together in cities.

The process of correcting problematic dog behaviors, led by trainers like Kang Hyung-wook, known as the 'Dog President,' as well as Professor Lee Chan-jong and veterinarian Seol Chae-hyun, is very fascinating. In the urban apartment forests rather than open fields, descendants of wolves meet busy modern humans, leading to various troubles.

Watching the subtle behaviors invisible to our eyes being detected and corrected evokes a touching scene of ancient times when wild wolves communicated with us and became part of our family.

The problem is that while dogs are being corrected by these experts, it makes one wonder who will correct us. We also have wild survival DNA hidden within us, and accumulated traumas from life experiences.

Long memories of hunger cause habitual overeating in modern people, leading to various adult diseases. Could it be due to our gathering DNA? We keep buying shoes and handbags repeatedly, collecting them.

Recent studies show that our tendency to 'dislike' others was a kind of mechanism to protect primitive groups without medical technology from diseases like COVID-19.

The collective consciousness to evacuate orderly amid fears of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis manifested as group bullying (ijimae). Sacrificing a few to save the group is a common problem for us.

When threatened, instead of baring sharp fangs, humans easily attack with AK-47 rifles. But when the group feels a crisis, it is not about guns.

We possess the ability to create bombs that can annihilate everyone. Now our instincts and intelligence have become this dangerous. Who can correct us?

Seo Jae-yeon, Executive Director, Mirae Asset Daewoo Galleria WM

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.