The History of Dogs and How They Became Our Companions

How Did Our Dogs Go From Wolves to a Man’s Best Friend?

Dogs are truly one of the biggest blessings on earth; they bring us love, companionship, trust, and are part of the family. But how did they go from hunting outside in packs to licking the peanut butter off our faces and flopping on the floor for a belly rub? In this blog, we will discuss how one of the strongest relationships in the world came to be - the one between a dog and its owner.

A Brief History- From Hunter to Chihuahua

Even though the modern Chihuahua can be fierce, how did different breeds come to be from the original hunting mammal?

The Common Ancestor

Originally, about 60 million years ago (only 5 million years after the dinosaurs went extinct, just imagine your dog playing with a t-rex!), the common ancestor roamed Asia. This animal was a long and small mammal kind of resembling a weasel. It was known as Miacis, and later evolved to the genus that we now know as Canids (dogs, wolves, foxes, and jackals). About 20 million years later, this ancestor had evolved into what is recognized as the first true dog, named Cynodictis by historians. Now, this still wasn’t what we would imagine a dog to look like today. Cynodictis was a very long, lanky animal with an equally as long tail. His coat was brushy and wiry and not quite up to petting standards yet. It would probably resemble a wolf more than a dog. In fact, geneticists and historians agree that dogs are descendants of the gray wolf.

FUN FACT: The name for the tooth in our mouth “canine” comes from the resemblance to Canids teeth.

From One Breed to Hundreds

So if there was one common genus ancestor, how did we end up with everything from a St. Bernard to a Maltipoo? Well, leave it to humans to get creative. As people began to interact more with these animals, they started to notice certain quality traits in ones over the others. Distinct breeds were created by humans breeding certain dogs together to accentuate these traits they recognized. Some become better hunters, while others were better at protecting. In the end, over 400 distinct breeds evolved from the one grey wolf. We still see similar practices today, with humans breeding certain dogs together to create something that fits more in our lives, like making a dog hypoallergenic.

FUN FACT: Through genetic testing, scientists think they know the 9 oldest dog breeds. Does your dog fall into this list? In increasing age order, they are the Chow Chow, Chinese Shar Pei, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed, Afghan Hound, Siberian Husky, Saluki, Akita Inu, and finally the oldest is the Basenji

Domestication- The Beginnings of a Beautiful Friendship

Now what we all want to know, when and how did dogs become pets. Well, the answer is actually unclear. There isn’t a full proof answer on where domestication happened, or even when. Scientists guess that domestication happened in either Europe, the High Arctic, or Eastern Asia. One thing we do know is that dogs were the only animals that were domesticated before the agricultural revolution when farming became widespread. This hints that dogs were used as hunters, creating that partner-like bond thousands of years ago.

FUN FACT: The oldest known dog burial is from 14,200 years ago suggesting that dogs were more than just hunting companions by then.

So How Did It Happen?

Domestication didn’t happen overnight, rather it was a process that unfolded over thousands of years. Going from two competing species that could be threats to one another to the level of trust we have now isn’t something that happens easily. Historians believe that dogs “split” from their wolf ancestors between 27,000-40,000 years ago. After this clear distinction between the two species, dogs and humans started to gravitate towards each other. Dogs have lived with humans for more than 12,000 years as originally hunting companions and protectors, and turned into friends.

In the End, We’re Family

There’s so many mistakes throughout history, but the relationship between humans and dogs is not one of them. We hope that this brief history lesson answered any curiosities you may have had and help you appreciate the bond you share with your dog a little bit more.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/animal/dog

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264329-humans-may-have-domesticated-dogs-by-accident-by-sharing-excess-meat/#:~:text=The%20timing%20and%20causes%20of,installed%20as%20pets%20by%20then.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/the-9-oldest-dog-breeds/

This blog was written by Samantha Dailey, the Social Media Associate at Dog Tired Adventures. Sam loves to hike around the hills, find new recipes, and to hangout with her Shih-Tzu Maltese she’s had since she was a kid.