Hello Bob,
 
you wrote:
>because the intent and control are there, *IF* there is an attempt to
>increase certain desirable traits (small teeth, big butts) through
>controlled breeding, *THEN* you can say a process of domestication is
>taking place.  This is why zoo animals are not considered domesticated
>even though they are under human control and breeding; their genetics
>are preserved rather than manipulated.
 
Bob - I do want to interject some praise for your attempt at solving the
dometical mystery -- certainly it *must* be a new microbrew, evidentally
available in the NW!
 
BUT I have to ask -- WHY is it your opinion the there are no domesticated
ferrets in VT, NH, ME??  Is this a brand of ferret bigatry?  What a shemae
and inna ferrets live free or die state to-- now I must tell them all to be
wild animals!
 
Geez, it seems to me we ( ferret owners in VT, NH, ME) have been
providing your three stated requirements:
>it means an animal (or plant) is under human control (feeding, breeding,
>housing, etc.) for a specific purpose (fur, milk, pets, steak, etc.) which
>has caused some change to make it more adapted to human intent or control
>(behavior, reproduction, size, fur characters, appearance, etc.).
 
I guess perhaps we will need to ship you then next beloved undomesticated
NH ferret who meets his/her demise so you can examine it and let us know
how fare our NH ferrets have to go to be domesticated--  not domestical!
 
alicia
 
volunteer caretaker for Ferret Wise
( the newly pronounced un domesticated ferret shelter!)
 
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~crassi/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 2576]