Dear Capfka: I have observed your "pack" phenomenon in the
Border Collies we used to have. It was very clear that the
sheep dogs looked on the sheep as source of future meals.
And the humans as just as partners in the enterprise.
But I see no way in which any "gene" for dogs' saving humans
could have developed. Humans saved pups whose parents showed
desirable traits. It's just luck that desirable traits emerged. I think it is just too tempting to find devious
detours around traditional explanations of behaviour.