Evolution Of Dogs

A dog is a man’s best friend. Humans form bonds with these majestic animals and adapt them into their families as if they were their own children. Dogs are loyal, loving, and some of the best listeners around. One may think that their dog is smart due to obedience training, however dogs are smart due to their ancestral roots and how they evolved from them. According to the New York Times best selling book The Genius of Dogs; How dogs are smarter than you think by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods, the evolution of dogs is the act of genius itself. Everyone knows that dogs have evolved from wolves, but wolves are more aggressive. Have you ever wondered why? Dogs have evolved from wolves the same way chimpanzees evolved from bonobos. However, most

This is a shared similarity between dogs and bonobos. As previously stated, bonobos were evolved into another species – chimpanzees. To fit basic survival needs, bonobos small craniums were made larger and teeth stronger. Wolves and chimpanzees are more aggressive and dogs and bonobos are less aggressive. The hypothesis stated by Brian Hare was that “the more times wolves spent near humans without being intentionally bred, the least aggressive they were, turning them into the first dogs”. The less amount of aggression needed made their appearance change. Also because wolves didn’t need to be wolves in their new environment, they evolved into another breed. This breed had smaller craniums and smaller teeth – just like the bonobos. The species (bonobos) needed to be more aggressive to survive and to reproduce and breed successful; they developed the same traits as wolves. The chapter that some of this information was pulled from was titled Survival of the Friendliest. The chapter was interesting because it related dog’s evolution to chimpanzees, and according to science, chimpanzees are humans closest relatives. This shows that all species go through evolution just the same, to survive, to prosper, and to

Dog owners date back as early as time and every country has their own distinct history with them – some being better than others (dogs are friends not food). Although the sad thing about owning a dog and loving it like it was your own child is that not everyone treats dogs the way you do. Around the world people are abusing, abandoning, and neglecting these kind animals. They are subjected them to harsh weather conditions and even risking their lives to make money. They are aggressively breeding dogs is unsanitary/risky conditions to make money, not caring about the animal. Yes there are organizations/causes trying to put all animal cruelty to rest, but not every issue can be completely solved. Dogs actually prefer humans to their own breed. This could be because they know that humans care for him, provide for them, and most importantly give them food. Dogs know that sometimes they take the role of the child, and some dogs even believe that they are human