I watched a re-run on PBS about dogs. I could watch dogs on my TV for hours. What a joy they are. Here's what the show was about:
15 thousand years ago in East Asia wolves TURNED THEMSELVES in dogs, and quickly. Here's the theory: When humans started the first settlements the wolves that were less skittish stayed the closest to the dumps and these more docile wolves bred with each other to become dogs. (The exact same thing happened with wild foxes in the 50s in Russia when they were bred to be better captives, for the fur trade - the Russians quickly ended up with tame foxes that physically changed, and acted like dogs).
Dogs allowed a brand new human activity to occur. Herding. Herd dogs do what people can't. Not only are people not good at running around like that, and fighting off predators, but people can't get the sheep down off of steep hillsides (not even today, still).
Dogs became required for hunting, guarded against attack, guarded goods, kept vermin away, and could sense other dangers for humans that humans couldn't do for themselves (our senses are dreadfully dim compared to a dog's).
Civilization had progressed from there, and dogs have been with us, every step of the way, ever since, doing all sorts of vital things for us.
Without dogs, we would certainly still be clumsy and slow hunter/gatherers.
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 31
Peter, thanks for the article, you made me appreciate them even more~
I read an expeirment where a toy/treat ws put under one of several boxes. A person was in the room who knew in which box the prize was in. The dogs, from reading the clues of the person were right in selecting the box over 90% of the time. Other animals, including chimps and other humans performed only slightly better than chance. When the person was present but didn't know what box it was in, the dogs performed the same as other critters.
I think this is why dogs can be trained to detect things like strokes or migraines in people and even cancer. They evolved to understand us so well.
You know what they say: What is DOG spelled backwards?
(and color)
I am a dog lover - my dog and I go everywhere together. He is but a stray but is so evolved that he is sometimes smarter than me (most times?).
Great article Peter, I enjoyed this.
I absolutely adore dogs. Actually, I love all animals (even the "weird" ones, such as snakes or bats), but dogs and cats most of all. I've volunteered at the humane society (walking and training dogs) for five years now, and at another shelter for four years. I have a cat at home, but after she passes, I'll adopt a dog from the humane society.
I do love doggies but my allergies don't