Lesson plan
gameness
, circa 1800 Game or gameness is a trait most often attributed to fighting dogs, working terriers, and fighting cocks that are selectively bred, referring to their ability to persevere in a fight even when losing. Dogs that demonstrate this trait can also be described as "ready and willing", "full of fight", "spirited", or "plucky", and are able to resist mental and physical challenges in order to win a fight. Gameness contrasts with prey drive insofar as gameness refers to a dog's motivation to fight other dogs, and prey drive refers to a dog's motivation to hunt prey. The factors that produce gameness are not well understood. Though the selective pressures involved in breeding dogs for dogfighting appear to be a significant component of gameness, dogfighters disagree about the importance of genetics to the trait. While dogs that exhibit a high degree of gameness are more prone to have offspring who are also game, the inheritance of the trait is not consistent.
Article summary
, circa 1800 Game or gameness is a trait most often attributed to fighting dogs, working terriers, and fighting cocks that are selectively bred, referring to their ability to persevere in a fight even when losing. Dogs that demonstrate this trait can also be described as "ready and willing", "full of fight", "spirited", or "plucky", and are able to resist mental and physical challenges in order to win a fight. Gameness contrasts with prey drive insofar as gameness refers to a dog's motivation to fight other dogs, and prey drive refers to a dog's motivation to hunt prey. The factors that produce gameness are not well understood. Though the selective pressures involved in breeding dogs for dogfighting appear to be a significant component of gameness, dogfighters disagree about the importance of genetics to the trait. While dogs that exhibit a high degree of gameness are more prone to have offspring who are also game, the inheritance of the trait is not consistent.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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