Dogs are the first domesticated animal, and commonly known as "man's best friend.'' Dogs have accompanied humans, and been considered pets, for around 10,000 years. They have been used for working, hunting, but most commonly as a pet. To this day, hundreds of different dog breeds exist, coming in various sizes, colors, and shapes. Although dogs are currently viewed primarily as pets, they have not always been viewed this way and have had an evolution of their own. To fully understand dogs, one must take a look at where dogs came from and how they have evolved.
Dogs are a subspecies of the gray wolf. Dogs have inherited many behaviors from the wolf ancestors they have evolved from, which make up a great part of who they as dogs are. Wolves, however remain more wild than dogs with tendencies such as dieting on "ungulates, or large hoofed mammals, like elk, deer, moose and caribou. Wolves are also known to eat beaver, rabbits, and other small prey," (basic). Wolves unlike dogs, prey on other animals to survive, while dogs that are domesticated eat dog food typically. Dog food typically comes in three varieties, including raw food, wet food, and dry food, most of it being commercially branded and store-bought. Many forms of dog food are meat based, though, similar to the carnivorous diet of the gray wolf. Beyond commercial store-bought food, domesticated dogs do, however, form natural instincts that tend to have them go after smaller prey at times. Communicative patterns were also handed down from gray wolves to dogs, as behaviors dogs have inherited from wolves include "a complex communication system ranging from barks and whines to growls and howls" (Basic). Dogs commonly display barking to show a variety of emotions and barking i...
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...of wolves, and have evolved from the gray wolf species specifically. This evolution began about 10,000 years ago when the first dogs became domesticated. While it is still disputed as to how exactly dogs became domesticated, it has been accepted that human interaction most likely had something to do with it. It is also still however a possibility that dogs domesticated themselves rather than humans having a major impact in the domestication of dogs. The exact circumstances may never be known as to how it officially happened. Dogs have evolved and become domesticated into the animals and pets that humans know and love today. They are used for many jobs in the workforce and are one of the most popular pets for people throughout the world. Hundreds of different breeds of dogs have been bred, and dogs continue to be one of the most genetically diverse animals on Earth.
Dogs are seen as an ‘evolutionary miracle’. This is because, over 100 years, they have the most breeds and changes than any other species. They have changed spectacularly from their ancestors the wolves; they domesticated themselves into dogs and they now carry many different traits. Wolves now have little use for us unlike dogs, for example, retrievers are bred to chase and then bring back
The dog is a unique beast. Loyal and affectionate, if somewhat bizarrely built, today’s dogs are a far cry from the wild wolves from which they emerged. Whether fluffy, naked, cock-eyed, or bow-legged, each dog is an ample prototype of its kind. The very idea that such a cooperative creature could spring forth from such a ruthless predator is astounding by itself. The fact that the multitude of breeds (340, according to the World Canine Organization (Melina, 2014)) could starburst forth from a single point begs investigation. How, indeed, did it come to be that there are so many different breeds of dog?
In this article, the author explains why dogs have been man’s best friend for over 40,000 years, enlightening readers that, in fact, the dog was tamed even earlier than people thought. The author makes extensive use of findings from scientific research related to the topic, offering credibility to her perspectives. In addition, the article has been written in a manner simple to follow and comprehend: the author starts by offering a brief background about the relationship between man and dog, which is followed by comprehensive information from credible sources. The use of images throughout the article makes it easy for the reader to understand and relate with the topic. This article would be critical for research because of its attention to detail, ease of understanding, and credibility of sources.
Humans and dogs have been pals for what seems like forever. However, all relationships have to start somewhere, and this relationship is no different. From the beginnings of domestication to where we are today, how we have adapted dogs to our needs and how dogs have adapted us to their needs is a story that sounds fictional. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We call them Man’s Best Friend for a reason--we artificially created them to become our best friends, and they created the mannerisms we use today.
Besides, if wolves were truly as dangerous as people make them out to be, they wouldn't be so popular as pets; same with coyotes and fox. And, despite the rhetoric of "the wild animal will take over, and it will turn on you," personal experience with the latter two proved quite the contrary; both were loving, loyal and gentle. Furthermore, as far as livestock is concerned, a pack of unkept dogs can do just as much damage, if not more, than any wild animal.
Traditionally, humans acquired canines to serve functional purposes (Marston & Bennett, 2003). We have been able to document a relationship between humans and dogs as far back as twelve thousand years.
Throughout the world there are many different countries that contain diverse cultures, religions, and life styles. There is however certain aspects within these countries and cultures that acts as a common ground between one another. One dominant aspect is the existence of dogs within these cultures. Dogs are common throughout the world, either as a domestic pet, a protector on a farm, or an assistant for hunting; amongst others. Regardless of the reason for having a dog most people have either owned one for themselves or has known somebody who has owned one at some point in their life. Despite the relative normality of having a dog in your life in one way or another, the reasons for dogs coming into existence is not common knowledge among most people. Throughout a great portion of mankind’s history dogs have been an essential part of life. The truth is dogs were actually created in part by man. It was evolution from wolves in the form of natural and artificial selection that brought dogs into existence (Harris 3). This is the most modern and widely excepted theory at this time, however this was not always the case considering the theory of evolution in of itself is relatively new in our society. After evolution as a theory was accepted there were several other variations on the theory such as, the evolution being from jackals opposed to wolves, and artificial selection being the only form of evolution to have taken place. According to Jarret A Lobell and Eric A Powell of Archaeology magazine “The idea that dogs were domesticated from jackals was long ago discarded in favor of the notion that dogs descend from the gray wolf (2)”. As for the theory that artificial selection ...
The video “Dogs and More Dogs” presents one of the most perplexing questions in evolutionary biology: how did the diversity of dogs evolve from a relatively homogeneous population of wolves. Anthropological data suggests that dogs came into existence some fifteen thousand years ago. In terms of the history of earth and the majority of the organisms that inhibit it, dogs are still very young. It is thus very remarkable that one species (wolves), which must have looked somewhat alike, could have given rise to the huge differences we see between the Chihuahua and the Golden Retriever.
Have dogs always been cute and cuddly? Actually, they have not always been how they are today. All dogs used to be big bad wolves. Scientist has found that all dogs have descended from the grey wolf. They converted into dogs because the wolves came closer and closer to humans. It took a very long time for the wolves to alter to cute cuddly dogs. After the wolves had pups, the pups grew up around humans and grew closer and less ferocious to humans, so the pups were more comfortable with people and that we could hunt with them and use them as pets later. Therefore, the relationship between dogs and humans has changed tremendously over time.
The domestic dog, Canis familiaris, is a quadrupedal mammal which is a member of the Canidae family. Dogs are said to be the first animal species to be domesticated, which is estimated to have taken place at the end of the last ice age around 15,000 years ago (CLUTTON *3). Dogs are derived from the domestication of the gray wolf, and nowadays there are hundreds of different breeds of domestic dog (AZ). In terms of distribution, although the wild gray wolf population is found in the northern hemisphere, domestic dogs are spread worldwide, living with humans in a variety of environments. In such environments, dogs can live for over twelve years, with some even living for up to 20 years (EOL).
The transition to the diet of the original dog as a result of beginning the relationship with humans could be attributed to the changes identified between the modern dog and original dog (wolf). The canids remain recovered in yet cave, in Belgium where Upper Paleolithic artifacts were discovered along with other object are considered to be domesticated dogs. The domestication of dog could have been driven by human need for help with herding, hunting, and early warning while the dog benefited from companionship and reliable source of food
In our lives today, dogs and cats are exceedingly valuable. They help calm people with anxiety, assist the sick and disordered, and aid the depressed. Although, thousands of years ago, dogs were domesticated by humans and put to useful tasks, such as, hunting, herding and guarding. Cats, however, were tamed for only one thing and that was to catch rodents. There might not be a lot about how they came to be, but hopefully that will change. Without cats and dogs in our lives things would be more challenging for most.
Dogs are magnificent creatures, and when raised correctly, are adorable, loyal, loving animals. However it takes a lot of time, energy, and commitment to make sure that dogs are raised correctly. These animals have a lot of the same requirements that a human child needs. They also act as a child would. A new dog owner would do well to consider these points before they take on the responsibility of raising one of these incredible creatures.
Dogs are very common in the world we know today. Many households have one or more. Dogs are trained to be pets. Not only trained to be pets, dogs are also trained for work. Dogs are getting used more and more in our work environment. House dogs can also be considered a working dog depending on why the dog is there. There are many jobs for dogs. Dogs make a big impact on our working and social lives.
Dogs are wonderful creatures. They are loyal, dependable companions if given the opportunity. In recent years I have come to the opinion that we could learn something from these animals. We should also take a look at the manner in which they are being treated. Abandonment, irresponsible breeding, and neglect are only some of the ways that humans are failing the canine species.