Important Facts Regarding How A Dog Became The Best Friend Of Man

By Esteban MacArthur


People can have the proof that the ancestor of the modern dog was part of Eurasian wolves, which lived on planet Earth fifteen to forty thousand years ago. Before the first farmers appeared, in times in which humans lived as hunter-gatherers, wolves began to be domesticated. Food and shelter were things that were crucial for the survival of both species. In various writings from the past, canines are described as beings that were used for protection, fighting, watching and hunting.

There is no clear data about what exactly happened in the history of the best friend of man. DNA examinations that were made on hundreds of dogs in 2002 revealed that the most diverse species from a genetic point of view is the East Asian one. In theory, the bond between humans and canines has formed in East Asia. There are researches who say that people tried to tame dogs even from the Ice Age Paleolithic period (32,000 years ago), when they were hunters.

It could be great for scientists to find the time of transition of man from the jobs of hunting and gathering resources to the one of farming, as this could be helpful for finding the origins and true development story of humans. Dogs had a crucial role in the transformation. The evolution may not have been possible if plants and animal would not have been adopted.

The way in which cows, pigs and sheep were transformed is known well. But, for canines, there still is a veil to uncover. Scientists are trying to discover the missing links. Some researchers say that late origins of dogs can be found in North America, in a period when nobody lived there. A jackal mother and a wolf father are probable ancestors of the animals we see today.

Recent research showed that canines have a high level of intelligence and this had an important role in the evolution of humans. Individuals were dependent on relationships with other species for reaching the current state of development. The real motives for choosing primitive canines as friends are not well known. There are theories about the requirements from the moment of transition and the environment from that time.

In the need for food and shelter, both canines and humans had to hunt animals with the use of teeth or stone hatchets. Families had to be fed in order to survive. The primitive dog lived in caves or in tree trucks and it approached human camp fires in coldest seasons, when it became hungry and did not find any food. You can imagine how good could be for a starving animal to find some bones that a human left near the fire, because they could not be chewed by people.

There is a possibility that entire groups of wolves were hosted by humans during cold nights. The warmth brought by a campfire and a few bones were enough to convince a dog to stay. While hunting, a special characteristic, an improved smell sense, was observed at canines and this made people think it can be a great advantage when catching other animals. A probable happening can be the story of a puppy that was adopted by humans and trained for hunting. The adult could become a true helper of man.

The puppy developed the idea that obtaining food and shelter can be simpler in the company of a human master. All that an animal had to do for obtaining the benefits was to help man hunt and to listen to the given commands. Other humans have seen that the idea works well and they have chosen to tame their own wild canines. After some time, the number of animals that were domesticated was close to the one of humans.

During many years of evolution, dogs and humans as well changed their appearance and behavior. One of the biggest transformations happened when dogs started to bark instead of the howling that came from their ancestors. After farming became common, domestic animals became more and more dependent on man and canines could guard cows, goat, or sheep.

In order for individuals to go hunting without putting their sheep in danger, the guardians needed to learn to be friends with sheep. There were other species of animals to protect as well. Things like properties and human families also required care.

Once dogs knew how to take care of their masters, creating a strong friendship was not hard. The references about humans and canines as being very close date since 1500 B. C. There is a lot of proof in ruins of Pompeii, Ethiopia and the ancient tombs of Egypt. In the past, dogs were seen as kings and gods.

The dog is mentioned in the Bible and the Roman history. People can find pottery from American Indians and tapestry from England and France. There are many races in the pictures. It can be interesting how they have the same primitive ancestor.

Human characteristics like great memory, empathy, communication and intelligence can also be found at dogs. Since ancient times, the devotion and friendly nature of canines was appreciated. Some people say that wolves domesticated themselves without human intervention. A friendlier pack took advantage of nice people and a bond was created.

While dogs became part of human families, people also can be considered now as part of the pack. Humans usually leave things that can be eaten by dogs and this provided a new and unique niche for primitive canines to explore. Today, people care so much for pets that they take them to salons, dress them and offer them special treatment.

Behavior patterns and appearance that dogs have now were not obtained instantly. Through selective breeding, many generations passed until wolves began to look friendlier. There were differences from kind species to aggressive species.

According to researchers, a lot of time passed from the stage in which dogs were wild to the one in which they were domesticated. The first friendly canines started to feel good around humans and to be more protective. There is insufficient data for describing the process in details, but one thing is sure: the best friend of man is a dog.




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