Ambiguous dogs, ambiguous hospitality in West Mongolia

In the Mongolian steppe, the dogs living near the yurts of nomadic herders are never domesticated but tamed. They are shepherd dogs. They are never accepted inside the yurt. They belong to the same species (töröl) as the wolf and share with it, independently from any naturalist classification, some characteristics that make them ambiguous beings. This article aims at analysing how different but intertwined modes of existence are attributed to the dogs and the wolves. The author discusses the ways in which a wolf can be perceived as a domestic dog and the dog as a wolf. The analysis throws some light on the reasons why a dog never enjoys any relationship of hospitality as humans do. It also reveals a singular way of perceiving the human person as fragmentary and composite.