here is another theory that I have developed and I got this idea from a breed of dog that has long hair...I don't remember the breed other than it is a stock working dog...
The standard for that particular breed calls for a certain length of hair...but over generations the hair continues to get longer...that particular statement caught my eye and I got to thinking about it and it helped me with the idea I already had...they went on to say that it was a known fact and that they bred to a shorter haired dog that didn't meet the required length of hair in their standard...but they used that type of dog to correct the longer haired problem...
I believed that hunting traits can actually intensify when we breed for them and if we constantly select for the most hunt in every breeding within a family...same with grit...Some folks will tell you that a dog can only pass what is in them genetically and maybe that is true...but it has been said that when left to mother nature the dogs will evolve to an average, so by selecting one can manipulate mother nature and this will intensify and purify the desired traits...
when one takes a look at field trial dogs of the past like the hounds...we see how hard and long range these dogs have gotten at one time or another...some of these dogs will kick up dust and rocks in your face when they roll out and will get deep in a hurry...when those dogs get turned loose we are hunting for dogs and we wonder if we will get them back tonight or ever...
some field trailers have taken their particular brand of dog and have taken them to a higher level of hunt and competitiveness...so much that the average hunter would stay away from those type of dogs...definitely not for the old folks...
I saw a higher level of grit in some of my dogs towards the end as well as hunt until heat stroke because I bred for more hunt and more grit...not all dogs but it kept popping up and in reality these type of traits will eventually breed out because both of these traits can and will get a dog killed thus taking him or her out of the breeding program...
It is amazing to me how through selection we have the dachshund to the greyhound to the great dane etc...etc...
the intensifying in hunting traits is only a theory of mine so...don't take it as fact...just something to think about...
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I've wondered about what you said about dogs getting "better" and wondered if its possible. Game bred pits come to mind. The average dog won't fight till their death. Selective breeding over many generations produced dogs that will do just that but even in we'll bred bulldogs not every dog will fight till the end.
